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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1977-09-28, Page 1`Listowel, Qntort0 Ccdl Toll Fre. 11.8 2 .2 FIRST SECTION Wingham, We eada$v, September 28, 1977 By $hirley J. Keller By a show of hands, Huron county Council barely accepted a port of the executive com- mittee presented at the regular September session Thursday in Goderich. The portion of the report which caused the contro- versy was the debate on tax re- form in Ontario, in particular taxation on farmland, The Blair Commission recom- mends that farmers will pay taxes on their houses and "a reasonable amount of land" sur- rounding the house from their own resources, while 100 per cent of the tax on the farm buildings and the farmland will be paid by the government. The recommendation of the county executive committee was that farmers pay 100 per cent of the taxes on their houses and the portion of land surrounding,them, and that farmland; together with farm buildings be assessed at 100 per cent of the market value, with the farmer paying 10 per cent of the resulting property tax while the remaining 90 per cent is paid by the province. The committee also recommended that there be a proviso that the farmer be al- lowed to pay all or any portion of the taxes on the farmland and farm buildings, if he so desires. The executive committee, council was told, felt its recom- mendation to give farmers the choice to pay all taxes on all the property would be some protec- tion for those farmers who had plans to sell their property for development purposes. It is understood that taxes paid on farmland by the government are forgivable after 10 years, provid- ing the farmland remains as farmland. If, however, the farm is sold for development purposes, the farmer will be required to reimburse the government for the taxes which have been paid on his behalf, up to 10 years back. All property will be assessed at market value, it was stated, al- though there is no firm definition yet just how market value will be determined. There is also no Biu ,definition of what "A reasonable amount -of rand" surrounding the farm home will be. DEBATE BEGINS Paul Steckle,, the deputy -reeve of Stanley Township, led off the discussion by questioning the entire premise of having any or all farm taxes paid by govern- ment. "I question whether we want to go this route," said Mr. Steckle. "I don't think there is a farmer in this room who wants the govern- ment paying his taxes for him." Steckle alluded to the present system, whereby 50 per cent of the farmer's taxes are reim- bursed to him because the government recognizes the fact that farmland should not pay for services to people. Steckle said "..,he agreed that farmland should not help to pay for such services as education, health, libraries, social services, etc„ ,.ut he sug- gested the system of tax de- ferrals or reimbursements is not the best solution since persons who are not really earning their livelihood from the farm are also classed as farmers and thereby. receive the special tax con- cessions. "We want to pay our taxes," Mr. Steckle told council. "Let's get paid for what we're selling and then we can pay them." Reeve Bill Elston of Morris Please turn to Page 2 en McKeough tells munici alities to cut back on sp dinp spending Local municipal officials aren't The province is aiming for a auditors in early so it will know sure yet just what the recently balanced budget by 1981, he said, how it stands as of the end of this announced provincial spending claiming: "We aren't asking you year. restraints may mean in terms of to do anything that we are not The main capital expenditures mill rates or planned projects, doing." If the interest on the pro- in Wingham are on the streets, but they got the basic message vincial debt were taken out, the loud and clear: municipalities budget's rate of growth would will have to cut back their be only five per cent next year, he spending growth rate or reach added. "Unfortunately, it's an .deeper into their own pockets. item we can't do very 'much Speaking at a meeting in about." The cost of servicing the Wingham Monday, provincial debt is up 17 per cent this year. Treasurer Darcy McKeough told Wingham Reeve Joe Kerr said about 200 municipal officials and Tuesday that while it's "quite a councillors from Huron, Bruce, bit to digest all at one time," he Grey and Perth counties that the feels Mr. McKeough is on the increase in provincial grants to right track. Government and i local governments and agencies municipalities have been going is being cut to 6.3 per cent next into debt and paying interest for year from 10.7per cent in 1977. too long, he said. Figures provided during the If the town can keep within its session indicate -the actual funds budget, he added, "it won't hurt transferred to municipalities will P us any." It would hurt if the town be even lower than this suggests. overspent on subsidized items, After subtracting grants to school though, and "obviously ' we boards and the early payment on couldn't go and give everybody a 1977 per capita grants, .Mr. raise of 10 per cent and only.get McKeough indicated, "there .re- six per cent from' the govern - mains $82 .million for actual !pent," he pointed out, growth in .y41xr ..-eai4%ndar year,•_. Cotaneillor Tom »eyell,' rdiaw- • • . �: �` � . substantially down from this year's increase of $186 million.” "It won't be easy for you to r``� come down to $82 million from �1� $186 million;" Mr. McKeough told the officials, "but it can and must e done." Thebudgeting job will 'be tougher than in the past, he noted, and there may have to be some mill rate increases, though they are not encouraged. man of the finance committee, said it is hard to tell yet what all the effects of the announced cut will be. He hopes it won't force taxes up. "We had a big tax increase last year and I . hope to hold the line this year," he said. He wants council to start thinking about next year's budget in all departments as soon as possible and would like to get the DARCY McKEOUGH Provincial Treasurer and there may have to be some "He said he thinks itwould be cuts in this area, he said, but unfair to raise, township taxes noted that about half the mill rate much more with the tax base the increase last year was due to the way it is now. "A lot of things are rise in education levy, an area unequal right now." The pro - over which council has no posed change to market value as - control. sessment might be fairer, he Turnberry Township Reeve ; said, but "no one knows yet." Don Eadie said the provincel- East Wawanosh Township spending cut will mean the town- Treasurer Alex McBurney ship\has to pay a little more of ,agrees that the present system what it wants to do on its own. doesn't' leave a township with . Turnberry has already been. 'much leeway to make decisions overspending its road budget for Ion spending. With 50 per cent of a number of years, he. pointed local taxes going to the school out, paying 400 per cent of the board and 20 per cent to the cost cif things that needed to be „ county, he said, a township is left done "whether we have the with effective control of only 25-30 province's . support or net", per cent of the money,. which instead of waiting, for the "doesn't leave much room to ,province to decide whether it will manipulate." subsidize the project. The spending restraint is nothing new,,he added. "We, get told every year we have to restrain." This year it is more police warn severe, though. He also 'feels municipaliti•'`r During the past three and a half would be better off if they w °• mss. offwers:.#o�gven'tritel'rtheibw".iitig, lam detachment of the Ontario spend rather than having to wait for approval from Toronto. They ' Pr°uncial Police have investi- can make better use . of it' than gated 16 fatal motor vehicle acci- Toronto, he declared, but the dents that left 24 people dead. present system leaves the muni- . In 11 of these accidents, more ty so dependent • on the than'two thirds of the total, liquor province that "you can't operate was involved, Sgt. Len George without them". Road . work can end up being left up in the air for several months waiting for approval, he noted. • CARS grateful for donations The Wingham Kinettes con- ducted their annual canvassing of Wingham and Bluevale on Mon- day, raising about $1,350.00„for the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society. Local campaign chairman Shirley Hanula, on ' behalf. of CARS, wishes to .thank all the ' Kinettes and volunteer can- vassers who gave of their time; also all those who donated so generously toward the campaign. A special word of gratitude goes to Mrs. Rene Jones who opened her home to the canvassers as campaign headquarters. reports, with the average blood test or breathalyzer reading showing 160 milligrams of alco- hol: exactly double what the law constitutes as an- offence. —Guests of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church congrega- tion on Sunday morning were five members of the York Symphony Orchestra: Richard Lloyd (bas- soon); bas-soon); John Taylor (oboe) ; Bob Watson (clarinet); Janet Verrico ( . fh hol'41..gg• _ (ante). Their. leader is Ri'ihard Lloyd, a grandson of R. H. Lloyd of town. - -Mrs: Clarence Ritchie of Kin- loss Township visited Tuesday of last week with her mother, Mrs. Gershon Johnston of Catherine Street. Sunday visitors at the same home were Mr. and Mrs. Garry Black and Jeffery of Clin- ton, Mr. and Mrs. Rick Woods and Jill of Seaforth. Seventeen -year-old Lori Staf- ford of RR 1, Wroxeter, will be at the International Plowing Matca near Kingston .this week, compet- ing for the title of Queen of the Furrow. She earned the right to represent Huron County there by winning` Queen of the Furrow honors at the county. plowing anatclt4Se47 , - It was the second straight county victory fes Miss Stafford, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs: Jack Stafford. She says a friend, Linda Newton, who won the honor in 1975, persuaded her to enter the competition for the first time last year. The judges' selection is based on plowing ability, appearance, deportment, an interview and a short talk on agriculture or the plowing match, she said; ,She is coached in plowing by Bili Arm- strong, the son of Jim Armstrong who will be ' hosting the a Inter- national match here. next year. The win bro het' la feather coat from Baynton .b al.Old Mill in -Blyth, an International: Plo Mat ch With • n a °'amigo' �a�_`= a } • $60 to help with expenses"dat King- –ston. She also gets to keep the Maurice and Jean Love Trophy, which will no longer be used after this year. Miss Stafford is a graduate of F. E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham and is currently in the first year of a two year fashion technique and design program at Sheridan College in Oakville. People in downtown Wingham early last week probably won- dered what all the commotion was about — trucks parked over open manholes and sump pumps strung out along side streets. Few guessed they were witness to the production of a live underground television drama. The setting for the show was Wingham's se*er, deep under Josephine Street, where a six inch steel cylinder containing a closed circuit television camera, a remote control 35 mm still camera and four spotlights was making a lonely journey from manhole to manhole. The plot revolved round the condition of the sewer system — how . well had the old red clay pipes survived the decades since they were first laid there, during the town's youth? Inside the blue van, Frank Hinde of TV and Ph$to Surveys Ltd., Toronto, directed the show from his television nionitor and control board. Issuing directions through an intercom to the truck at the next manhole, which was doing the towing, he gently, coaxed his camera pod through its tortuous course. ccurrMoments of high drama oc- curred: ed: suddenly the camera re- e veals a service line jutting into the main pipe. Will the camera slide by? First pull it back a bit, turn up the spotlights to high power and snap a picture with the 35 mm. Now _ gently, gently yes, it's past. A few feet more and the sewer unexpectedly plunges downward. )'The camera shows a swirling pool half filling the pipe at the bottom. Another picture with the still camera, then pull it back, Mr. Hinde decides. They'll have • to try to' come through from the other end. Half an hour later the camera is back in the sewer, now travel- ling uphill. More services show up, pouring into the main line. The main line itself is clean and relatively empty. A sewer cleaner has been passed through it and now the flow is blocked off above, being diverted by sump pumps into other lines. A twist in the pipe tips the camera onto its side approaching one side stream and suddenly the "waterfall seems to be falling sideways rather than down. Ahead gently, and the picture straightens out again. Sitting in the darkened van with eyes glued to .he flickering screen, the oper+atioin is reminiscent of Jules Verne's ;Journey to the ,Centre of the Earth". Mr. Hinde comments on what good condition the sewer is in, considering its age. No one seems to know' exactly how old the system is. One man says he heard it was installed in 1911; someone else says it's 80 years old. The pipes zigzag a bit, the result of years of settling and also remind- ing one that.the whole wo`hks Was put in by hand — no power ovels in those days — but therwise bear their age well. ' Hold it! Back a bit. Here is the first sign of damage, with cracks running along the top and either side of one section of pipe. The cracks are studied for awhile on the monitor and, as the section shows no sign of collapsing, Mr. Hinde eventually pronounces them "probably not too serious". Another still shot is taken and the camera moves on, through the pool — caused by the settling of several sections — which stopped progress from the other end, and is finally hoisted out of the upper manhole. , This operation was repeated last week for each stretch of the main sewer down Josephine Street. During the filming, an en- gineer from the firm of B. M. Ross and Associates, Goderich, sat in the van and took notes on the sewer's condition. Color photographs taken by the 35 mm camera will allow closer examination of questionable sec- tions — the exaet location of each pinpointed by readings taken from the line -meter monitoring the camera's progress through the pipe. The purpose,of the exercise was to get an atual visual check on the condition of the sewer, so as to determine whether it should be replaced when the main street is rebuilt. That would be`the time to do it, if necessary, but the town can save about $75,000 if the examination shows the system is still adequate. Burns Ross last week said the survey firm • will take about 10 days to complete its report, which he will then forward to town council with his recom- mendations. It will be up to coun- cil to decide what to do about the system, but Mr. Ross said it seems clear from what he saw of the survey nothing major needs to be done. The technique of video -survey- ing underground installations Such as sewers, water mains etc. is a specialized one, Mr. Hinde said, and he knows of only four companies in Ontario practising it. Three of them are located in Toronto and the fourth is in Hamilton. His work carries him all across the province — shortly after leav- ing Wingham he and his crew are off to Cochrane, near Timmins. They have also been to Kapus- kasing and Kirkland Lake, and have covered much of southern Ontario. The $18,000 camera pod that enters the sewer is connected to the control van by power lines •and a rope, used to pull it back out. Power for the unit is pro- vided by a gasoline generator mounted on the front -of the truck. The cameras are controlled from inside the van and their location inside the pipe recorded by a line meter . It would be possible to video- tape the entire performance, Mr. Hinde said, but they have found it more effective to take color stills of suslpected problem areas. These photographs are clearer than a videotape would be. In addition to recording pos- sible trouble points, the survey • crew also catalogued the points of, entry of services into the main branch ofthe sewer. This will give the town engineers a better idea what is down there, since no. plansof the system are known to exist. READY TO GO—The $18,000 camera pod is about to be inserted into the sewer to survey another section, The pod contains a dosed circuit television camera, a 35 mm camera and four spotlights. Frank Hinde is with TV and Photo Surveys Ltd., Toronto, the firm doing the sewer check, EQUIPMENT tN THE TRUCK lets Frank Hinde control the camera inside the sewer while watching the picture on the television monitor. When he spots a possible trouble point, he stops and takes a 35 mm color picture of it by remote control.