HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1988-04-19, Page 1• 1'
•:
'NewspapOr -it.
• heated board dis
A report in last week's issue of The
Advance -Times was the fuel for a
brief but heated discussion at the
regular April meeting of the
Wingham Area Fire Board,
Howick Township representative
and board chairman, John Jacques,
opened the meeting by declaring
that statements in the newspaper
account were evidence of a breech of
confidence by one or more board _
members.
The article to which he referred
gave a report of Wingham Town
Council's discussion about a request
it had received from an ad hoc com-
mittee of the board. ,The com-
mittee's request was for a special
meeting with council to discuss a
personnel matter.
'When some. members of council
appeared willing to agree to the
meeting, reservations were quickly
expressed by each of Wingham's two
fire board representatives.
Both Councillor James McGregor
and Councillor Ron Beecroft sug-
gested such a meeting would be
premature. Dr. McGregor asked
council to wait at least until after the
board has received a report from the
Ontario Fire Marshal before holding
any meeting with the ad hoc com-
mittee.
Dr. McGregor, who is a member
of the ad hoc committee, also told
council the committee had prepared
a report which it hoped to discuss
with council, but said the report is
not a unanimous one and hinted at
the possibility of an additional
minority report on the personnel
matter. low and moderate -income tenants.
At the council meeting, Mr.
Beecroft expressed his opinion that
it appears the committee wants to
discuss the possibility of 'hiring a
full-time chief. His impression after
reading the report, he said, is that a
full-time chief is a forgone con-
clusion.
The article also included in-
formation from an informed source
which suggested the proposed salary
for a full-time chief is in the area of
$35,006- which includes benefits.
"It seems obvious that the
confidentiality (of the report) was
not observed," Mr. Jacques said
while reading portion,s of the news
report to fire board members. When
the committee's •' report was
prepared, he added; the committee e
members present at the time agreed
its contents were to remain
confidential. •
Referring once again to Er' -'serious
breech of confidence; Mr. Jacques
suggested the two Wiflgham
(Continued on Page -2A.
own will participate
Lidding renewal program
Wingham will enter into an
operating agreement with the
Ontario Ministry of Housing which
will provide a Iow-rise building
renewal program within the town.
A public works committee
recommendation that the Town en-
ter the agreement was approved by
WI ngha _ „3„,c,Nagil.,AL, its
regular April session.
The program offers landlords
forgivable loans of up to $5,000 per
unit to help them upgrade their older
low-rise apartments over the next
five years.
Apartments must be in buildings
of less than five storeys which have
been built prior to 1960. There must
also be at least two rental units in
thebuilding.
The program's objectives are to:
-Improve the physical condition
of low-rise rental housing while
retaining its market suitability for
dvit
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••
JONATHAN. Gut
Wingham, reciitie
Mrs. Bennett dw*g a
the Wingliatn
receive the aWarttrriatnigifili$0
. •
itoMe of
11101::CifizOri Award From
• •'1..the April session of
or/00M the:first to
liteririettfs service aS
StiOners.
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a (gm) P19P24V: PLIPg Oid
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--Prevent buildings from the property.
deteriorating -to the fiiint atch Landlords with buildings of-i0�r
-
!hey are demolished.prematurely. more units may beaskedoffer,10
-Rehabilitate 17,000 rental units in per cent of the units to the Rent
the province by 1990. Supplement Program, under whidl
Only essential repairs required to low-income tenants pay rent based
bring -the -bulldog up to minimum • *ictbr on household income, rather
standards.— as -AS • Set-Olti. the tha -
1111.4AtaRate*- Ptai?.er.t.t. 1041.4,,S0iitti'6..•:40 0 '9, .: •.'
tenance and occupancy staii'fiards n er program loan
bylaw — will be eligible. The land- assistance-cotisista '
lord's debt, including, the. forgkal3le- dj, UP fu WRY'
loan and his or her contribution thirds the cost of rehabilitating the
to the rehabilitation, must not ex- unit, with a loan maximum of $5.000
ceed 80 per cent of the value of
• (Continued on Page 2A
Township will reconstruct
bridge on 10th Concession
East Wawanosh Council will
proceed with a new, million -dollar
bridge on the 10th concession of the
,
township.
Road Superintendent Ralph
Campbell told The Advance -Times
last week that Huron -Bruce MPP
Jack Riddell announced the
township has been. allocated $485,000
for the bridge and its approaches.
Engineer Ken Dunn of B. M. Ross
and Associates has estimated the
total cost of the three -span, 100 -
metre, concrete bridge at $1,162,000.
The township will contribute $235,000
toward the bridge with the
remainder coming from the
provincial government in 1989.
The majority of the work is to be
done in 1988 with completion next
year.
Mr. Campbell said the township
has been petitioning the government
for a new bridge on the tenth for over
10 years. The new bridge will be
located 20 metres north of the.
existing structure.
Fire chief tells board his
job commitment increases
After May 20, Wingham Fire Chief
Harley Gaunt expects employment
commitments to cut considerably
into the amount of time he is able to
spend on fire department duties.
At the regular April meeting of the
Wingham Area Fire Board, Mr.
Gaunt said his employer, Wingham
Public Utilities Conunission, has
already lost -one employee who has
accepted a position elsewhere and is
about to lose another to retirement
on May 20. • s."`.
"As a result,4 ,hafren't been as
availableaS r hate,itithe past, and it
Will be met worserifter May 20,"
Giuntsaid.4tiitig presentation
of his nionthlyAreportiqo board
member. .
Also during hiireport, Mr. Gaunt
announced thaflhe Blyth Fire De-
partnient **entered a mutual
aid agreement with the Winghain
department Alk-knakes'.us feel a
little better to (Wee' ain have a
• .
working relationship for mutual aid
with them."
The chief is also preparing a
training manual for firefighters, the
board was told, and Mr. Gaunt hopes
a driver training program is com-
pleted and successful participants
issued their licences by early May.
Condition •
is updated
10 'good"
A Wingham woman, injured in a
car accident April 9 near Guelph,
was listed in good Condition Monday
morning in University Hospital,
London.
Sharon Skinn of Catherine Street
received major injuries in the
mishap and was transferred to
London. Last Monday she was listed
in fair condition.
1.4
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