Loading...
The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-10-12, Page 1Tosvnfhi s disa BX DAVE SYKES Goderich town council and representatives of three neighbouring townships failed to agree on terms of a fire agreement proposed by the town of Goderich. Councillors from Goderich, Colborne and Ashfield Townships met with town council Tuesday to discuss a proposed fire agreement drawn up by the municipality. Goderich already has a fire _agreement with the municipalities in which they basically buy services from Goderich Under the existing agreement Goderich and Colborne Township pay a yearly retainer fee ef $600 and then pay so much per hour on a fire call. So services are purchased on a need basis. Goderich and Colborne Townships own the tanker truck and they have made their own agreement with Ashfield on fire protection and Goderich council has a motion to cover part of that township in the agreement. Zoning tabled Goderich town council tabled third reading of a bylaw to rezone a parcel of land in the in- dustrial park proposed for purchase by Milt Place of Goderich Glass. The bylaw was introduced and read twice before councillor Dave Gower moved to table the third readinguntilthe next council meeting.- - He refused to comment on his motion to table the bylaw. Place is seeking to purchase a parcel of land in the town's industrial park for his glass operation. The land is zoned (D) developmental and must be rezoned to M1-3 for industrial use. ' The bylaw was to amend bylaw 29 of 1972.`. Industrial park study underway BY DAVE SYKES Goderich planning board chairman, Dr. Tom Jasper, gave Goderich town council a progress report on the work of a special planning board studying developm.ent...of the town's industrial park in the south-east section ofGoderich. Jasper and Huron County planner, Roman Dzus, appeared before a committee of council meeting Tuesday to give council a progress report, the purpose of the report'and the terms of reference used. The special committee examined the development of the industrial park includes Jasper, Dzus, councillor Don Wheeler and economic development committee member Harry Worsell. Council is seeking an overall plan for the park land, which is presently zoned as develop- mental land. As each parcel of land is sold it must be re -zoned for industrial development and worked into the industrial park scheme. Jasper explained that the committee has discovered 15 plans that were undertaken in the past concerning the 40 acres of land in the south-east section of town, none of which were implemented. The planning committee has outlined the study area, has consolidated and summarized existing maps and information and will makea recommendation to planning board and council for the zoning and marketing of the town land. Jasper explained that the goal of the corn- mittee is to present council with a complete package on the industrial park land. That package would include road and railway plans, it would zone all the land in the study area and establish marketing principle for the sale of land. ."The total package is a way down the road but our immediate goals are to establish road and railway patterns and then establish zoning areas," Jasper explained. "The marketing iS as important as the zoning and we are, looking to the future and trying to develop a saleable package." Dzus, a member of the County planning department, said the plan is important in establishing effective and productive use of the industrial park land. In commenting on the previous 15 studies that were made on the area he said there were many recommendations Anade in those reports that were never acted upon. Dzus told council that the industrial park is • the focus of the study but that more than one- third of the land is dovered by a woodlot which would be costly to service in the future. He claimed that another one-third of the land is already sold or optioned off. "The land that is left must be used ef- ficiently," he cautioned. "The revenue from the sale of that land is needed for services and to acquire further land." The special planning board sub -committee Working on the project is hoping to have the ' study completed for action by the present council but elections are taking p1ac0 November 13. If the study is, not completed before the election, the study will have to be dealt with by a new council. Open house In conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week the Goderich Fire Department will hold open house at the fire station on Waterloo Street this Saturday. The station will be opened to the public from 24 p.m. Saturdtty October 14. Eiluiptrient will also on display. , ' A t1.1 -\ • ' 0.411 "". ree with Grp protection There were basically two areas of disagreement in the fire agreement presented Tuesday. In the agreement the town and the townships would share the operating costs of the department based on the previous years cost. Last year the operating cost of the fire department was $65,032 and based on equalized assessment the shares of that cost were calculated as follows: Goderich, $46,654; Colborne, $10,218; Goderich Twp., $5,788 and Ashfield, $2,379. The townships were agreeable to equalized assessment payments of the operating costs but only if those operating costs did not include maintenance of fire hydrants which last year cost $1.6,000. The agreement also included a clause calling for each participating municipality to con- tribute a sum of $12,000 annually towards the capital cost of equipment and buildings, Tie capital fund would be held in reserve, but if the fund was needed to purchase equipment and was not large enough to cover the purchase price then each municipality would be asked to contribute additional monies based on the assessment formula. The final point of the agreement, contested by the municipalities, said the agreement could be terminated with just a months notice by either party. Goderich Township Reeve, Gerry Ginn ex- pressed concern about several points of the agreement. He said if the municipality could terminate the agreement with a months notice it would put the township in an awkward position especially after they contributed to capital costs and then had nothing to show for it. "Will this be an area fire' board or is it simply one municipality selling set -vices," Ginn asked. "We are trying to work like an area fire board bat we don't have it and in effect you are selling services." Ginn also expressed concern about the . maintenance of fire hydrants being included in the townships operating costs when it had no direct bearing on fire protection. Councillor Dave Gower said the agreement was not intended to sell services but also to include clauses for capital cost recovery. Councillor Stan Profit said that for the town to supply the fire protection service in .the future they would definitely need more capital for .equipment and therefore the townships must agree to help pay for the cost. Colborne councillor Russ Kernighan said that an area fire board seemed inevitable but disputed the capital cost ,clause of the agreement. "If we contribute capital to the fund shouldn't we have some equity," he charged. "It's just bad business not to have equity for capital expenditures." Reeve Bill Clifford claimed the townships were not entitled to equity unless they agreed to buy into an agreement with a lump sum of money. Then they would have a share of the equity. Councillor Bob Allen explained the situation in simple terms saying that Goderich has the equipment and supplies the service. "The town is bearing the brunt of the fire . . . . thedericit protection in the area," he claimed. "If we need another truck in three years we will have to ,have a capital fund." Ginn. said that one municipality should not be able to rule if a board was set up. He said if the townships did have some equfty then Godericdi. should not control the board. Goderich township is involved in fire boards with both Clinton and Bayfield and neither municipality has control of the hoer& Colborne reeve_ Doug McNeil, thoughe the agreement could be worked out but did not agree with supplying additional! capital above the annual $12,000. payment if roapital ex- penditures exceeded the reserve fund. Ashfield township reeve, Warren Zinn said his township was more interested in buying services since his township was already 75 per cent covered in another agreement with Lucknow. • He said that despite capital 'cost payments of $12,000 annually the, township would have no equity under the agreement_ He said They were interested in paying fur pne" limatt they were also interested in Joining a fine board mod sharing the cost ff it provided equIty. - Ginn then suggested they should feern afire board with one representative Smug each toaansitip amid two kern tthe town That way Goderich would mot have a cam - trolling inteumt on the board G.2t saki' be was net in. eneeeie a simply buying sexes Nee wanted to form a board.. nt council was mot keen cm forming a beard and optedprepare a cost estimate eff services to the no .ships_ The price eif ttleitt service w Bkelly include provisions for capital expettelittnees_ Under the agreement the Gedelith Department would cover appeueem- ntbely J1 per cent uf AshiSelel Towns14, all of Colborne and about 35 per cent of Goderich w Goderith clezk Larry 'McCabe was instructed to prepare the cost of fire protect:km sereines and present the figures to the clerks of eanh township. No parking at arena Town council is going to get tough with people who insist on parking their cars in front of the arena entrance. By-law control officer Dick Eisler told a committee at council meeting Tuesday that people are ignoring the signs posted near the arena entrance. "The problem with parking there is backing out and someday there will be a serious ac- cident," Eisler said, "If -they can't park their car and -walk to the rena somethhigt Wriong.'" 1 Eisler said Hae illd patrol the area att might to keep the entrance free of vehicles haat Sat fit would mean additioreel owerthhe hews. Councillor Stan Profit said it was an affence wader lite Pirway Traffic Act ID bllork either the tee or exit to a public teethe:: Council directed wanks commissiomer Ken Hunter and Eisler the erect mew signs nem. the arena entrance forbidding parking iina the area and 130 have cars, ttcleeed away at Abe owner's expense if They persist km parking_ 131 YEAR -41 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12,1978 35 CENTS PER COPY BY JOANNE BUCHANAN At a Goderich Police Commission meeting on Tuesday; three tenders for a new police cruiser were opened with the one from .McGee Pontiac Buick Cadillac at $7,002,65 being chosen as the lowest one meeting all the specifications as laid _down by the Ontario Police Commission. The other two tenders came from Jim Hayter Chev-Olds Limited ($7,122) and J.P. Schutz Motor Sales ($6,631.94). Although the tender from Schutz was in actual fact the lowest, the wheel base of the car offered did not meet the minimum number of inches as required by the OPC and it was decided, therefore that the car would be too compact for police use. The Goderich Police Force gets a new cruiser every two years, trading one of its twovehicles every year. It's not practical to drive them until they fall apart or until they result in large maintenance bills, says Chief Pat King. It's better to trade the cars in while they still have trade-in value, he says and this is what most police departments do. Last year's cruiser to be traded in was written off in an accident and this year's cruiser will not be traded in either. It will be repainted and transferred to bylaw officer, Dick Eisler with the credit going toward the Police Commission budget. The town was formerly leasing a vehicle for Eisler. COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM In other business, the Police Commission passed a recommendation that the Verna's Beauty Salon tenant be given official notice to vacate the premises beside the police station by March 1, 1978 as the space will be required for the new county -wide police communications system. The bay station is being located in Goderich. It is expected that this station will be in operation by late February or early March. General Electric, which won the bid to install the communications system, will commence work as soon as a contract is signed with the town. The costs for the communications system are being shared on a per capita basis by the five towns involved with 75 per cent being paid by the Ontario Police Commission. The cost for Goderich will be $12,035 for equipment and installation. HALLOWEEN Chief King announced that over the weekend some vandalism occurred in town when several cars on parking lots were damaged. He told the Commission that arrangements had been made for Hallowe'en on Tuesday evening, October 31. Auxiliary constables and the aid of the CB Club in Goderich have been enlisted to help police that, night. A dance is being held at G.D.C.I. for tile teenagers that night as well. • The Chief is asking for the co-operation of the public jrk reporting anrthingthat looks, sus/tidbits, He is tilSo asking for the co- operation of parents, stressing that they should know where their children are on that night. Young children who are should wear light clothing' 101 • .J. trick or treating or even carry a accepts ciniser. ten flashlight/to be seen by motorists. They should travel one side of the street and then the other instead of criss-crossing back and forth. And if possible they should wear make-up instead of masks as masks sometimes hinder vision, says the Chief. If children are very young, they should be taken on their rounds by a responsible adult, says the Chief. Motorists should be extra watchful that night and those who want trick or treaters should leave a light on at their house and be careful not to leave things that can be tripped over lying around. Trick or treaters should respect people's rottg, mrm property, says the Chief. He says they should have fun on Halloween but this fun ends when it starts being at someone else's expense. Even egg throwing can be bad if it results in a dry- cleaning bill for someone, mars the paint on a car or startles a motorist, perhaps causing an accident, he says. CORRESPONDENCE Two letters were received and filed by the Police Commission_ One was concerning lawyers sitting on police commissions and the view that they might have a conflict of interest. The other was from the secretary -treasurer of the police association suggesting that the e Chief oppose liquor permits foe beer items because if large scaile trouble be out, dee police force would not be able to cc:attain it Chief King said he would mot arse hese permits because there was no zecord of Itaege scale trouble in the paste, only trouble caused those who start it wherever they go.. Arad if he opposed such licences for beer tents bemuse of this reasoning, the same medal apply to effeenres„ sporting events, etc.., he said_ The service clubs ramming beer therms will have to be responsibile for their own eelichag though, continued the Oda, rnlflitne Wine amity if needed. They have to remember he said, ttiaett the police -aren't bouncers-, The story of Gearco as painted by Rob Rutherford is nearing empletion on the front wall Of the flroi's Industilal Park location. Rutherford has been wOrkiing almost siX weeks eteathtig the mural,aftd hopesr put the final touches op titvaliffing 'Ak10The' ,1 VullYt. kes,lhelgedii ProdUeied t e .fre \. .1'' , their first stage, a cutting machine to their final stage, a heat treating furnace. The painting can be appreciated by irrigats arriving or leaving Goderich on hway 21 south of town. (Photo ' \ bjr.lefiSed„ I don) \ \ \ 1 io