HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-12-22, Page 11
rse county
e system
;oderich Housing Action Committee has
•to endorse a county -wide administrative
for senior citizens' accommodations.
mittee members met with ''the Huron
j }rousing Authority at a special session
ednesday to discuss county -wide resi0ency
Under the county system, a senior citizen
tint have to live in a certain municipality
er to get into senior citizen housing in that
idipality. Instead, that senior citizen could
peed to a vacancy In another municipality
county.
p, under the county system, instead of the
uipalities paying the province 7.5 per cent of
grating deficit from the units, the county
snake up that portion. In turn, the
cjpalities would reimburse the county on a
pita basis.
using Authority members stated their belief
with a county -wide residency policy, great
s could be lessened. Harold Knisley,
an of the Authority, explained to com-
members that the county -wide system
d be much more efficient and would help
up a lot of red tape. As it is now, Knisley
his staff has to do a lot of running back and
among various councils to see if units are
der the present system, for a senior citizen
eve from one municipality into subsidized
lig in another, the councils of municipalities
toagree on who's going to pay the operating
`its incurred by the, subsidized housing, said
ey•
MUTUAL AGREEMENT
st areas have some mutual agreement but
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CORRECTION'
ere was a mix up in dates for the Auburn
stmas concert. It will be held Saturday night
stmasevel at 8 p.m. not Sunday night.
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at least three townships (Howick, Hullett and
Turnberry) have no such agreement. The County
residency policy would helprclear this up.
•
In effect, "said Knisley, under the current
system the Authority already administers senior
citizen housing in the county, including the 12
units in Goderich.
"They (the municipalities) have to initially put
up theabuilding but once it's built, we have to
manage it," he said.
Committee member Don Wheeler expressed
his fear of losing control of senior citizens units
in Goderich, in particular, the 75 units for which
they hope to obtain provincial approval next
year.
"We've been working on this (75 unit project)
for 21/2 years now. I think it would be criminal to
let it get out of our hands," said Wheeler. He also
said he was worried that under the county -wide
system the 75 units cold be filled with non-
residents of Goderich,
However, Knisley explained that most senior
citizens don't like to move to another
municipality and will usually only do so if no
local accommodation is available, People in
Huron County don't like to move, he said, an'd
geographical preference is always respected. No
one is forced to move.
All applicants, explained Authority members,
are rated on a point basis with the priority being
placed on the individual's need for housing. If a
non resident and a Goderich resident with the
same needs wanted senior citizens' ac-
cornmodation in this town, the Goderich person
would always be favored according to the
Authority.
TABLED RECOMMENDATION
Goderich town council tabled a recom-
mendation from county council several weeks
ago to have the 2'3/ senior citizen units in the
county administered on a county -wide basis.
The motion passed by the Goderich Housing
Turn to page 23 •
oderich is promised
ice White Christmas
ham Campbell, a meteorologist at the
rich Weather Station, said Wednesday that
rich will have a White Christmas. Campbell
the forecast for weather up to and including
mas Day calls for between two to six
meters of snow and temperatures low
h to guarantee that what does fall won't
pbell said a stogy, front headed for the
m Ontario, Quebec and the maritimes will
tin heavy snowfall in those regions and that
oderich area will be affected by the western
me of the front. He said today and Friday
be cloudy with some snow and Saturday it
be clear and cold with the high temsierature
eday about minus three Celcius. He added
Christmas Day will be cloudy with a chance
ore snow.
e''II definitely see a white Christmas in this
area," he said. "The snowfall could be heavier
depending on how fast the front moves east and
the temperatures we will get will not melt
snow. -
.Ca mpbell
now."Campbell said he had no forecast available for
Boxing Day. He did say that the snow will only
result in a White Christmas, not a Christmas
during which no one can travel.
•
The Christmas story in living pictures with light and music will be Der -
formed at Knox United Church in Auburn on Saturday evening. The
same pageant has been performed at Holy Trinity Church in Toronto for the
past 40 years and director Ann St, Jean took her Auburn cast to see the
performance a few weeks ago. The Auburn pageant is being performed by
the Young People of the church supported by the choir. Choir director and
Godt
1
organist is Florence Wightman, narrator is Elliot Lapp and lighting man in
David St. Jean. Here, all eyes are on Mary (Marilyn Wightman) as she looks
down at the baby Jesus during the dress rehearsal. Left to right in the semi-
circle are Mike Andrews, Brent Andrews, Keith Hallam (in front of Brent),
Sherry Verbeek, Greg Hallam, David Durnin, Linda Cunningham, Nancy
Verbeek, Sharon Glousher, Carol Seers and Patty McDowell. (staff photo)
•
roc
NAL -STAFF
130 YEAR --:51 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1977
30 CENTS PER COPY
Utility employees to get 4% increase in 78
The Goderich Public Utilities Commission
agreed to give the utility employees a four
percent increase for 1978 accepting a recom-
mendation from manager Al Lawson that was
voted on and accepted by the employees. Lawson
said his recommendation had been formulated
S
ails uP
a jiffy.
)ff if it
sinless
r stay -
RIR men come bearing gifts as Mary and
ketch the baby Jesus in the manger in a
PlIduction at St. Mary's Christmas
concert last week. The wise men were played by
Rick Haas, Brian Lovett and Greg Leddy,. Randy
Gaynor played Joseph In the production
Helen Conlon was Mary. (staff photo)
through a polling of the employees to determine
what they wanted in their 1978 wage and benefit
settlement.
Lawson said the four percent increase in-
cluded wage increases and benefits paid for by
the. utility. He said the 15 utility employees had
submitted requests for the 1978 agreement and
hod then voted on what that agreement would
include.
The manager said he had asked the employees
to submit their requests in writing. He then took
the requests and listed them costing each out.
When the costs were calculated he then
discussed the increases with each employee
individually explaining what each would cost
and what each would do for the employee's pay
cheque in the new year.
He explained to the commission that he costed
out the requests of the employees and told them
what percentage of the increase a particular
benefit would cost. He used a health care
program as an example pointing out that if the
utility paid for a health care package for the
employees that it would represent a one percent
increase and that the employee's wage increase
would then be three percent.
After interviewing each employee and ex-
plaining the alternatives Lawson listed the wage
and benefit requests on ballot forms and gave
one to each employee. Each was asked to select
what benefit or wage increase they wanted and
the results were tallied by the manager. He took
the options wanted by the majori and prepared
the recommendation for the emission's ap-
proval.
Lawson said that of the 15 employees 12 voted
for a long term disability program and nine for a
health care package. He said the two benefits ate
..up one and- a half percent of the four percent
increase and that the remaining two and a half
percent would be paid in wages.
The manager said that he had done some
preliminary costing on the requests but would
have to obtain More exact figures before he
could determine what the increase would mean
on the commission's 1978 budget. He added that
the increase was within the Anti Inflation Board.
guidelines.
In other business Lawson asked the com-
mission to recognize an employee flow chart for
the 'utility that outlines a chain of command and
responsibility for the utility employees. Lawson
said that the system had always been in use and
was accepted by the employees but pointed out
that it had never been on paper.
He told the commission that the official ac-
ceptance of the administrative system would
leave no doubt as to an employee's position and
responsibility. He said the system would mean
no changes in the utility daily operation'hut may
prove to be a safeguard in the future.
He explained that if the utility ever became
unionized the flow chart would make matters
much simpler when the change occurred. He
said when unions come into an operation they set
up systems just like the one he had adding that if
the commission wanted to ensure that employees
retained their areas of responsibility they had to
have the chart on paper.
He said that it was important that foremen he
named and that the areas of their jurisdiction he
outlined. He said that if a union entered the
operation they would prepare the flow chart and
that it was important that the commission have
one.on file.
'I'm not afraid of a union nor am I concerned
that one is coming into the utility but 1 would like
to be prepared if one ever came in the future." he
said. "It's important that the commission and
the employees know who is management •and
who isn't."
Transformer explosion
causes power failure
An explosion that heavily damaged a hydro
transformer in Goderich's industrial Park
Monday night caused a two hour power failure in
the southern portions of the town. Goderich
Puhlic Utility manager Al Lawson said an in-
ternal short in a transformer caused the damage
and that the unit exploded causing about $10,000
in damages to the transformer and a power
failure lasting from an hour and a half to two and
a half hours.
Lawson said he was able to locate and rent a
mobile transformer from Ontario Hydro in
London and has pressed the unit into service
until repairs can he made. He said he planned to
ship the damaged unit for repairs late this week
and had no idea how extensive the damages were
or when the unit would he returned.
lir said part of the costs estimated as a result
and of the explosion were for the $75 a day rental fee
on the mobile transformer.
The manager said that there may have been a
considerable explosion judging by the damages
to the transformer. He said the unit is filled with
oil that acts as a cooling agent and that a three
inch pipe had practically disintegrated and oil
covered over half an acre of land around the unit,
He said that in his 30 years experience in hydro
he has heard of similar explosions but this is the
first he has seen,
Index c
Elsa Haydon Pg. 1A
GI)CI students Pg. 10A
Evelyn Carroll Pg. IRA
Captain Comet Pg. 17A
Special 3rd Section V
XVA
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