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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-04-04, Page 1.ar • 7 y '71 as! '41 • .4 '7, 7 ;774ir•,i'.• • , • ":"..1.` ';;;',7•':71":":+"01,71":7 „.411RV.,04,10"frnr000040077.7"47x,r,v,,,,,,,••••••,,,,,,,,,,„„•„, vett per cert n• s ,....,eridin Alt MOO until 'count later thi town ,%* to Sae by aL cent year pAidget..set,Mc Town:CO*4 In present budget to Chairman reporledith an additi 'propel ;." $61491 Mom to spending: He told counci the 0 fby , 4.9841. .•nanee ustraise OOP in A, year, 0, -to ow�• a ,z • , be year of •extikOnilihaty • exPenditarefOr the town, On top of its realer hUdg0t itonlati COMO had to And , Jaw for its share of a new $4000 for a study • of the '''sewage system and lagoons required by the Envirpmnent Ministry and VOW; for sepairs to the Howson Ram. Although it is not inelud,ed • in.the budget, there is also a • "distinct possibility" the public works department • will require some $65,000 for eqiiiprnent purchases, he added. Tice• good news; he told • council, is that the rise in taxes will enable the town to _Sustain its existing level of serAces. and meet all its financial coinroitmeots Without having to go into debt through additional debenturing. The budgets are tight, he said, though he noted the town has had to draw on its reserves Ao keep the tax increase to seven per cent. Apart from the special charges for the fire hall and the sewage study, the 1984 budget contains few dramatic changes' from the previouS Year. The adininistration budget is up 134et cent to $113,700, Which lb% Kopas said reflettOigherlegal fees and a $2‘,009 capital expenditure for a new electronic type- writer. The property budget is up by more than 20 per cent to $86,100, which includes a $6,000 reserve for planned interior • renovations to the Town Hall. The police budget is estimated at $254,000 this year, a 7.5 per cent increase over last year's 'budget. However contract negotia- tions which are still under- way with the police associa- tion could change that fi- gure, as could requests from the police chief for some fur- ther increases which council has agreed to consider at a special meeting later this month. Roads still account for the biggest chunk of Owns spending at $468,400. How- ever this figure is below the $483,700 set in last year's budget, though it is above the $449,366 actually spent in 1983. Mr. Kopas noted it is difficult to trim this figure since street reconstruction runs at about $100,000 per block and he does not think the townspeople are ready to go back to driving on gravel streets. Recreation, which came in about $5,000 under its budget of $76,100 last year, has been Please turn to Page 5 STOKING THE FIRE—These youngsters from Lucille Bauman's Grade 3 class at Turnberry Central learned all about making maple syrup when they visited the Maple Keys sugarbush, owned by the Maitland Valley Conser- vation Authority. Above a student throws another stick in the fire heating an open pan of sap. (Staff Photo) Royal Bank leaving Brussels Is Huron County, as it is known today, disappearing? This was the question at •the March 29 meeting of Huron County Council when Brussels Reeve Cal Krauter said, "I'm. hollering for help," after he learned the Royal Bank of Canada is pulling out of his village. • He spoke of the "consider- able jolt" he received earlier sels manager of the Royal Bank told him the bank is leaving. "I'm concerned Where the • county as a whole is going. I • have no figures,- but I'm told we're losing population, in- dustry and commercial pro- jects," commented. Reeve Krauter. The Brussels reeve said he had been in conference with MPP Murray Elston (Huron - Bruce) ' and the provincial parliament member wanted to know 'what the Village is going to do about the bank. "We're going to fight; we have to do something," said •°` earauter,=— areas are being phased out and the county as a whole is being pushed into regional government. Other reeves commented on the lost businesses in their own communities. Turn - berry Township Reeve Brian McBurney said as he drives through neighboring coun- ties he sees similar problems with small hamlets disap- pearing. .Fax.ste r_aseite_e-ve, W WI am• Reeve Krauter said on the • side of the street where the Royal Bank is located, three or four other businesses have left in the past year. Me -feels- smaller urban •Morris Township records a surplus Morris Township came in just under the wire in 1983, recording a budget surplus of $145. John Jeffray of the auditing firm Lentz-Jeffray of Blyth presented council with the final report at Monday's meeting. Clerk -Treasurer Nancy Michie said in a telephone interview later that the township had a very good year and was able to remain pretty close to budget. Also, she added, $22,000 was added to the township's reserve funds. The 1984 budget was discussed briefly at the meeting, she said, but it will not be finalized until the May 7 meeting. In other business, George Procter attended on behalf of the Belgrave Community Centre Board to present that • group's 1984-85 budget, which council accepted. Mr.' Procter also requested a loan of $1,658.85 from council to pay for half the outstanding .bill on the ball park lights recently installed in the hamlet. Council agreed to loan the • board the necessary funds • and Mr. Procter said it will be repaid when the board Opti -Mrs. club ride for cancer receives a Wiritario grant for the lights. East Wawanosh Township has been asked to pay the other half. • Lloyd Jacklin of RR 1, Listowel, will supply, load .and haul the township's pit - run gravel this year at $1.28 per cubic yard. Mr. Jacklin will load and haul for 98 cents per cubic yard. Finally council will send a letter of protest to a com- mission that meets April 16 in Kitchener looking into redistribution of , the provincial electoral ridings of Southwestern Ontario. Council received a letter from MPP Murray Elston stating this area is in danger of losing representation to sQueen's Park if the plans to redistribute the ridings become law. Morris council is not in • favor of losing -any electoral representation and sent a letter to the commission to that effect. The Opti -Mrs Club of Wingham and District will be sponsoring a bicycle ride later this month to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. The "Ladies' Great Ride for Cancer" will Cover a 15 - kilometre course around the Wingham area, leaving from the Zehrs parking lot at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, A rain date is the following Sunday, May 6. All participants must be at least 16 years of age. Sponsor sheets can be picked up at Touch of Class, the Toronto - Dominion Bank or Belle's Variety 0 nd Gifts in Wingham. county has to pull together, giving as an example poss- ible assistance to Town of Goderich in the Goderich harbor expansion project. Reeve Kratuer acknow- ledged the fact that Huron is based on one industry — agriculture. "Maybe it's time to diver- sify." Morris Township Reeve William Elston said his _townshipissufferitig too. but ft----;-oinpro tem. lie said part of the problem is that the province's new grant system is based on the number of, households in 4 Mickle said attracting busi- nesses and industries to the county isn't something that happens overnight, but it is. One solution to the prohlem described by sHeeveratuer: In attraeting, companies- to Huron County there mar be one sound contact out of 150, said the Exeter reeve. "We have to make a com- mittment to, create develop- ment, a time consuming committment," commented Reeve Mickle. "We have to fight for this county. The county has to stand behind (Brussels) and help," added Reeve Mickle. One problem, as outlined by Howick Township Reeve Jack Stafford, is the amount of "red tape" any potential development has to go . through. "Maybe we've created some of these problems our- selves," said Reeve Stafford. County council's morale seemed to reach a low ebb before Reeve Mickle re- minded his colleagues that Huron County does have at- tractions. "One other thing, don't downgrade your county. We have recreation along the shoreline, communities here are close to markets. We've got something here. It's a •• matter of -telling people," he said. Colborne Township Reeve Russel Kernighan said the MRS. MARIE DOUGLAS presented Bonnie Bray with the most improved skater award at the annual meeting of the Belmore Figure Skating Club last Friday evening at the Belmore Community Centre. A number of other awards were presented to top skaters in each category, nitioielpality-and--last-year • Morris lost 17 houses. ' "There's a reason for that. When the press is here I won't say . k," said Reeve Elston, "They (not the press) don't care about our homes, our community." Reeve Kreuter comment- ed that he hoped something could be done about the loss- es in Huron County. "This is the most beautif county in the world," the Brussels reeve said. Picket linel remain up phations to resum in strike at Lloyd plant Picket lines" JeMain up outside the Premittm-Lloyd door factorrixAteamtbis weekas the tireldes wit - tor con rac e F, I • reanne- f011.6WinkOlt two weeka agn. A union teptitiOint441:7 said a ni beef " .4e, • week, but be,.W114 V4iattinglor confirmatieti; while plant spokesman; said :he 4asstill Waiting to hear a date forthe next meeting. Adam Salvona, business representative for Local 3054 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America which represents about 145 workers at the door factory, said Monday that he has been in contact with company negotiator Chris Eames and they have ten- -tatively arranged to meet April 10, 11 or both. He was still awaiting an---firthe.A)E1- would be notified once a date had been set. Meanwhile the company, in a brief press release —issued last weelirtakessissuee_ tario,,l4aliiir Relations Board with union claitis—th • that "a: mediator would be' seniority rights are one of available to meet vvith'them the ma* issues m the dispute., 'Asfasthecompany'is- • r concerned, senterity-is not an issue," the release states. "The company's position in regard to seniority is that there would be no change to the present seniority sys- tem." Asked about the state- ment, Mr. Salvona said it ap- pears' to be a change ,from the company's position at the last meerting between the two parties back in Febru- ary, but he was reluctant to give it too much weight until it had been confirmed in actual bargaining. "I can assure you in ac- cordance with my notes and the notes of my committee there were seniority issues still on the table (when negotiations broke off)," he said. "Until we get it over the bargaining table, it's still Mr. Salvona said he considers it imperative t� have a mediator at the • meeting, explaining that, "These fellows do a job they're not often given credit for," smoothing out rough spots in the negotiations and keeping the two sides at the table. Plant Manager Gerry Wilhelm, also contacted Monday, said he had not yet heard of any meeting, but Council grants self, hefty raise for '84 Members of the Wingham Town Council, long troubled by the fact that they have been among the lowest -paid town councillors around, took a step toward changing that Monday night. As part of their 1984 town budget, council members improved their remunera- tion in a number of ways that have an overall effect of boosting their pay by more than 50 per cent this year. According to the finance committee's calculations that each council member attends six special meetings and 24 meetings of council committees per year in addition to the 12 regular council meetings, the pay for councillors will rise to $2,400 each this year, up from the $1,515 they would have received for attending -the same number of ,meetings last year. The mayor's pay will rise to $3,900, up from $2,250 last year. (The mayor also receives about $1,000 for attending meetings of the Public Utilities Com- mission.) In presenting the pay proposals to council, Finance Chairman Jack Kopas acknowledged this is a "very delicate matter" which will undoubtedly receive "more than due play in the press." However he said that Wingham is a fair- minded community and he thinks people will un- derstand that their coun- cillors should be paid on a level with their counterparts in other towns.. No comparative statistics were presented at the meeting, but Mr. Kopas described Wingham council pay as "drasti lly out off line with other unici- polities," adding that council will probably want to review the pay again with an eye to increasing it further next year. The pay -raises took _the form of a series of motions which were voted on separately. After the first motion, raising the basic pay for the mayor to $3,000 from $1,995 and for councillors to $1,500 from $1,260 was passed without comment, Councillor James A. Currie suggested there should be some discussion, "so it doesn't look like we're rubber stamping it." There was brief debate on the following motions, two of which were slightly amended, but the only council member to express significant opposition was Deputy Reeve Patricia Bailey. Noting that many other people who serve the community on committees and boards are paid nothing, she said it is not fair to them for council to take a big raise. She also said that if councillors were so con- cerned about a larger honorarium they should have made it an election issue. v61er, Mayor William Harris and Mr. .Currie disagreed, saying this community is no different from others where Coun- cillors are better paid, and the contributions of volun- teers can be recognized through a Christmas ban- quet or dance. "I'm prepared to take the heat on the street for the next two or three weeks," Mr. Currie said. "If we have to roll it back we'll roll it back." Mr. Harris added that he has never had anyone tell himhe is paid too much for what he does. , . In addition to' raising the basic honoraria, council raised its allowance for special meetings, which are called to deal with specific issues, to $50 from $42.50. It estimates that six special meetings will be held each year, though last year there were double that number. It also established a new allowancebf $25 per occasion for councillors to attend the regular monthly meetings of council committees. It is estimated each member will attend two such meetings per month. Previously councillors were not paid an additional allowance for -committee meetings. Council also established a new policy of paying members for attending meetings held out of town, such as conventions or seminars. Councillors now will receive $70 plus ex- penses for each full day they spend at such a meeting, or $35 plus expenses for a half- day or evening meeting. Previously they were only reimbursed for their ex- penses. In another change, council set the allowance paid to the clerk -treasurer for attending meetings after office hours at $25 - per meeting. Previously he had received a flat $100 per month as a meeting allowance. on the table.' However he agreed that, if confirmed, this would represent "quite a sub- stantial charige" in the company's position. e said he hopes that when two sides resume negotiation the mediator will call for a clarification of each party's position so they will know exactly, where they stand and what ' is being offered. SIGN OF SPRING—One of the first signs of spring are trees tapped for making maple syrup. Amanda Dimelow and Eric Smallacombe; two students from Mrs. Robert- son's afternoon Kindergarten class, checked to see how the sap was flowing last Friday. Mr. Sakasov, the 'Grade 4-5- teacher at the -school; tapped-twa trees in front of the Kindergarten classroom and the children got a chance to taste the sap and the finished product, maple syrup. Deputy reeve resigns from Wingham council Citing deep differences with council over' issues of council pay and selective enforcement of zoning bylaws, Deputy Reeve Patricia Bailey has an- nounced she is resigning her council seat. Mrs. Bailey walked out of the council chamber near the end of a four-hour council session Monday night. Council had gone briefly into committee -of -the -whole and reporters were not in the room at the time. However when council returned to open session and the reporters were allowed back, they found Mrs. Bailey gone and other 'council members looking slightly shocked. Mayor William Harris reported the deputy reeve had announced simply that she was resigning for per- sonal reasons and left the chamber. "I have no idea why." Councillors said it did not appear to have anything to do with what was discussed during the in -camera session. Contacted Tuesday morn- ing, Mrs. Bailey said her de- cision to resign is final and it was not made on the spur of the moment. She said she has been upset fOr some time over what she sees as selec- tive enforcement of zoning bylaws. In a reference apparently aimed at council's decision to prosecute Joe's Truck and Trailer for alleged zoning violations but' not to take legal action over alleged violations in the develop- ifient of the old Lloyd Doors factory property, she said council seems to have dif-. ferent laws for different people. '4 -You've got to be fair to everybody, and they're not fair to everybody." She added that the sub- stantial' pay raises approved for councillors at Monday night's meeting were the last straw. "I knew if they went for that I would resign. "It was a hard decision to make, but I couldn't justify the raises councillois gave when we're in a restraint position. It's not fair to the people of the community." Mrs. Bailey, who was first elected as a councillor in 1980, later appointed deputy reeve to fill a vacancy and then re-elected to that post in 1982, said the longer council term played a role in her decision. "It's been a roe three years. I could maybe have stood another year, but looking at another year and a half and where I disagree so strongly with my fellow councillors it's just notworth it."