Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance Times, 1995-04-26, Page 1If you're not subscribingta The Wingham Advelnce-Timee, you're missing out. Use this coupon below and subscribe today! Name: Address: City: Prov Postal Code: Subscription rates Canada within 40 miles (65km) ad- dressed to non letter carrier address- es $27 plus $1.89 GST. Outside 40 miles (65km) or any letter carrier address $40 plus $2.80 GST. OusIde Canada $80 plus $5.60 GST USE YOUR CREDIT CARD Card No. ❑❑❑❑❑❑❑❑ ❑❑❑❑Q❑❑❑ Expi Date: VisaMaster Card,• Cheque enclosed Return To; WiNGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES P.O. Box 390, 5 Diagonal Road Wingham, Ontario, NOG 2W0 • L 1 Frye Ke vin Hodge spefrttw, w eks in HurOrt COUffty teaching..a iOng Way from the White Miffs of Dover. Page 16 nab= Morris Township build- ing inspector questions policy on council notification - Page 2- F.E. M'adill's Pat McGlynn captured the Huroin=Perth Badminton. Crown. See Sports //into Council will wait to make decision 75c TEESWATER - It will be a while before the situation re- garding the Vendome Hotel will be decided. Teeswater Town council de- cided at its meeting Monday evening to just send a copy of the report from the town lawyer to the owner of the hotel, Alan Emerson. However, the town is not writing off the taxes that are still owed on the business. Council will wait a couple of months before making a fmal decision. The report included a proposed payment plan, which council would like to discuss with Emerson. Councillor Steve McDonald noted that Emerson • is only be- ing taxed on one floor, because the second floor is being used as the owner's residence. Fiower sho owner given to May 1 TEESWATER - A local flower shop owner has been given to May 1 to apply for a minor vari- ance, or she will have to move her trailer. In an effort to solve a two- year old dispute, Teeswater Town council passed a motion that would require Nabrotzky, or the land owner__Bill Flett, to move the trailer if no minor var- iance was tabled at the County Council meeting on Monday. Nabrotzky brought forth an- other a proposal that would have her construct a small struc- ture at the rear of the Vendome Hotel. However, she would be re- quired to apply for a severance. Nabrotzky said Vendome Hotel owner Alan Emerson was in fa- vor of this proposal. Under the motion, , made by Coun. Steve McDonald, Na- brotzky would be required to move the trailer from the prop- erty if an application for a mi- nor variance was not at the county council meeting. The Teeswater ConnectiOf...cheo` nston, left, and Janice Ballagh per- form et the opening concert of the 1995 Primetime Country season: The local harmonic duo placed second at the 1994 CNE duet competition. The Primetime season continues on May 27 with a tribute to George Jones. PIS:`"M•. • . Page 2 Page 4. Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 11 Page 12 Page 16 Page 16 Council Editorial Letters Sports Bowling Awards T.V. Guide Classifieds Horoscopes Crossword A LOOK AT ® - From the White Cliffs of Do- ver to East Wawanosh Pub- lic School. The Back Page The Wingham Advance -Times is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership • • 4. Johnston appointed deputy reeve Morris Township has a new deputy reeve for the remaining portion of the three-year term since last fall's election. Keith Johnston was appointed deputy reeve at a special meet held prior to at the council's regular meeting last Tuesday evening. But, it took about 20 minutes of discussion before Johnston was nominated for the position. Councillor Kevin Pletch said that the person with the most votes (in the council race) in last fall's election should move up to deputy reeve. "I think that's a fair way of ap- pointing the deputy reeve," he said. Johnston pointed out that the election was not held three years ago, but just a few months ago. "We didn't think we'd have a va- cant seat to fill (this early in the term),",he said. Reeve Bert Elliott said this is a situation that none of the members of council asked for. He felt this was something that should have been dealt with last fall. "This is not a nice thing to have to do," said the reeve. Please see MORRIS/3 Knights of Columbus hall proposal opposed By CAMERON J. WOOD The Advance -Times The proposed development of a Knights of Columbus Community Hall on property off Cronyn Street has neighbors of the area concerned about the noise and traffic potential. At a public meeting last Wednesday, several area residents responded to town council in regards to a zoning application for the property that bor- ders the most easterly section of the town limits and Highway 86. The overall feeling from the neighbors of the current vacant lot was that the in- crease in late eve- ning traffic and noise from com- munity functions held at the pro- posed hall would devalue their property and dra- matic affect their neighborhood. Most . who spoke to the Proposed site...noise concerns Knights applica• - tion said they were not opposed to the development of a community hall but questioned the primarily residential location. The 1.2 hectares parcel of land in question is currently zoned futufe de- velopment. The application seeks to change that designation to CFI, Mi- nor Community Facility. The proposal from the local club is for a 15,000 square foot facility with seating for approximately 500 people. Prior to receiving public input, Brian Treble, Huron County Planner, read his report to council on the proposal. In it he said that the policies for development in the town acknowledge the need for community facilities. "The policies note that the term community facility covers a broad spec- trum of land uses which ,vary in scale, function and locational require- ments. Further, it is noted that these uses can be disruptin& and, therefore, planning guidelines and controls are to ensure community facilities are harmoniously integrated into the physical organization of the community. Please see KNIGHTS/3 Municpal documents Some consider changes after Greenock fire Some municipal offices in the region are consider- ing changes in how they store their records after rob- bers levelled the Greenock Township building in Bruce County earlier this month in a fire that claimed almost all of the township's works equipment and records. Byron Adams, clerk -treasurer for the Town of Wingham, said there has been some discussion re- garding the manner in which Wingham's records are stored. Most of the old materials have beencopied onto microfiche, including historical information, some tax rolls and some by-laws. A copy of the mi- crofiche is kept by the town, and another by the firm who translates the paperwork onto film. ' However, Adams • said the town is considering moving those microfiche records to a safety deposit box at their bank. In addition, information currently stored on computer has been traditionally backed -up onto a floppy disc. Adams said the administration staff have discussed keeping those back-up discs at the police station, located directly behind the Town Hall. "That does solve a lot of the problems," he said. In terms of potential vandalism, the municipality would not lose important records, Inn in the event of fire, questions remain. The town manages current tax rolls through manu- al accounting procedures. Without access to compu- terized back-ups, they potentially could lose all records of taxes paid for this year. The clerk -treasurer said although they have dis- cussed the move to a computerized tax system the money to replace the computer hardware and acquir- ing the necessary software is notlin the budget. "We are open to any suggestion people may have," he said Teeswater Clerk -treasurer Kendra Reinhart said the village council has not yet discussed the matter, although they have discussed the move to a compu- terized system. Moms Township has been keeping its municipal records on computer since 1990. Clerk -treasurer Nan- cy Michie said with that system,. the municipality has also maintained back-ups for those records. Michie said the township is currently in the pro- cess of developing a second back-up file which will be located at an alternate site from the municipal of- fices. This process was recommended to the township by their insurance company. In East Wawanosh, clerk -treasurer Winona Thompson said all records are maintained in a fire proof vault. She noted that the records are not kept on computer. The office has been separate from the mu- nicipal garage since 1992. "This is an advantage for the township," Thomp- son said. Huron County treasurer W.R. (Bill) Alcock said the centralized administration offices .and separate works sheds is also an advantage to them. "But we have always been very cautious and have very secure vaults," he said. In fact the vaults at one time surpassed anything built by banks, he 'explained of the two -foot thick concrete walls and massive steel doors. • "Fire, theft and vandalism is always a concern, but I'm not sure w hat else we could do," he said. The county offices operate on a multiple lock sys- tem, with personnel from each department being lim- ited in terms of access to other department's records. In addition, computer records are backed -up daily. Turnberry Township currently has only one record system and is not computerized. Like East Wawa - nosh, the office is separate from the works shed. Clerk -treasurer Dorothy Kelly said the township stores everything in a cement vault and is not plan- ning any changes at this point. y • / New registration centre should cut some red tape By CAMERON J. WOOD The Advance -Times Huron County Member of Pro- vincial Parliament Paul Klopp be- lieves a new business registration centre in Goderich will help cut through some of the bureaucratic red tape in starting a small busi- ness. The centre will open in June at the Land Registry Office in Gode- rich. A second area site will open in May at the Ministry of Agricul- ture, Food and Rural Affairs of- fice in Walkerton. Klopp said the one thing people have criticized government for was the over the yearsmagnitude of red tape and paperwork. He said he believes these offices will provide one-stop shopping for en- trepreneurs interested in opening a small business. Previously, peo- ple had to travel to Toronto to register business names, attend the land registry, write to the Min- istry of Finance in London among other avenues just to get the doors open. The Huron MPP said he be- lieves these work stations will en- courage small business develop- • ment in the region... "It wilt also help people cut down on some of the leg work. It's clearing the path (for develop- ment)." In fact, the project to open some 50 business registration work stations in Ontario by 1996 has been labelled Clearing the Path by the provincial govern- ment. "Small business is the biggest generator of new jobs in our econ- 'One stop shopping for small business' Paul 'Copp Huron MPP omy. If we're serious about en- couraging small business growth and creating jobs, then we've got to get serious about cutting red tape at all levels of government." The workstations will allow un- incorporated business owners complete applications for busi- ness name, retail sales tax vendor permit, employer health tax, health tax for the self-employed and workers' compensation as necessary. Over the next several months, these workstations will be made available to incorporated busi- nesses as well; a single business number identifying businesses at both the federal and provincial levels will be introduced and on- line registration offered. The MPP said Unified Report- ing will be introduced in the fall of this year to allow business to cut red tape for those who choose to consolidate monthly provincial retail sales, employer health and corporations tax accounts. • R 41