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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2005-10-19, Page 22 Exeter Times–Advocate Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Regional wrap up Short of food and staff GODERICH — The residents of Maple Grove Lodge Retirement Home in Goderich awoke to a big surprise recent- ly. According to the Goderich Signal - Star, the residents are being moved to other long-term care facilities in the area. During a routine inspection the last week of September the Huron County Health Unit discov- ered there was not enough food or staff for the residents. Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Beth Henning says, "with the co-operation of the County of Huron, Town and Country Support Services and other organizations we were able to find appropriate spots for all the residents and do it quickly." Hospital radiothon CLINTON — The fourth annual Clinton Public Hospital Foundation fundraiser is sched- uled for Saturday. It funds 12 different southwestern Ontario hospital foundations includ- ing Goderich, Listowel and Seaforth, according to the Clinton News - Record. Local foun- dation chairman John Bezaire is hop- ing to continue the trend of raising about $30,000 each year. The proceeds will go towards a surgical microscope for the ophthalmolo- gy department. Health Care Heroes will air between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pledges can be made during that time by calling 357-1310 or 1 -877 -CARE -4U6. New councillor for Bayfield Milestone member By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF VARNA — The Municipality of Bluewater welcomed its newest councillor Monday, with the swear- ing in of Bayfield Ward coun. Dave Johnston who won the mail in election held Oct. 13. Of the 1,333 eligible voters, 784 cast their vote for total of 58.8 per cent. Johnston took 315 of the votes followed by Tyler Hessel with 312 and Geordie Palmer with 155. Clerk -Administrator Janisse Zimmerman said while the 58.8 per cent turnout was excellent, there was a high per- centage of spoiled bal- lots. Zimmerman said two ballots were rejected during the count, but another 91 were spoiled due to not being placed in the secrecy envelope. She added the munici- pality will be working to ensure instructions are clearer for the next elec- tion. In other business coun. Marg Deichert put for- ward a motion that the Blue Water Rest Home pay a buy in of between $60,000 and $70,000 for using the Zurich lagoons, saying the facility should have to pay for capacity in the system like any other development. Bluewater Mayor BM Dowson disagreed saying the facility is a non-profit organization and because of what it does shouldn't have to pay. Dowson said the province has recognized the service the facility provides and asking it to pay wouldn't be a good thing on the part of the municipality. He added when the sys- tem is redone, the rest home would pay. "It's a significant value to Zurich. It would be a slap in the face to ask them. The motion was defeat- ed. Coun. BM MacDougall proposed a motion that the council meet only once a month during the day in January, February and March. MacDougall said the agenda is lighter during the winter months and daytime meetings would allow for safer travel before dark. Coun Deichert dis- agreed saying when she was elected her bosses understood meetings were at night and it is unfair to ask to give up night meetings. Deputy mayor Paul Klopp said council could at least start earlier in the day. Johnston said he was concerned about the effect changing the meet- ings would have on the public. "Can we meet the needs of the public on one meeting a month?" After further debate the motion was defeated. District Governor Bill Bissonnette from the Township Lions Club (right) presents Jim Young (left) a Lucan Lions Club member the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award on Monday.The award commemo- rates a milestone forYoung, 50 years of Lucan Lions Club service. (photo/Nina Van Lieshout) Sarnia Efficiency targeted at board office By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE SEAFORTH — A new approach to depart- ment -level communication and the hiring of a full-time financial services administra- tor are being implemented by the Avon Maitland District School Board. But according to education director Geoff Williams, staff members were relieved that job cuts were not among the recommenda- tions provided by a consulting firm hired to assess the efficiency of the board's admin- istration. Those staff members will likely still have to interact with the consultants, however. The firm, Imaginate, has been asked by the board to submit a proposal for imple- menting one of the recommendations it made: the creation of "job designs" — what Williams refers to by the more com- monly -used "job descriptions" — for the board's administrative side. Imaginate won the contract to assess Avon Maitland operations last spring, and submitted its report in September. Eight recommendations were made, including "replacing the retiring controller with a full-time position," "develop a construc- tion/maintenance calendar to better co- ordinate efforts between plant operations and information technology (IT)," and "introduce collaborative team meetings at the department level to improve overall internal communication." The "job design" proposal arises from a recommendation to "assess and rebalance individual workloads." At a regular meeting Oct. informed trustees that Cheri Carter has been hired from within the orga- nization to fill the newly full-time financial services administrator position. Also, IT system principal Maggie Crane is working with other department leaders to help adopt the team meeting approach already used successfully in her department. Williams said "downsiz- ing" is always a possibility when such assessments are made, and staff mem- bers seemed relieved this had not occurred. He added the absence of such 11, Williams recommendations suggests that, in gener- al, the board operates efficiently. Asked if the imple- mentation of Imaginate's recommen- dations will be felt in schools, the education director responded, "if it's done efficiently ... it reduces the amount of time somebody in the school has to be running around trying to find some information or solve some problem." He cautioned that some recommendations may need to be "tweaked" to be applica- in a particular department. The firm, Imaginate, has been asked by the board to submit a proposal for implementing one of the recommendations it made: the creation of "job designs" — what Williams refers to by the more commonly -used "job descriptions" — for the board's administrative side. ble Former gas bar doesn't sell SOUTH HURON — Only one of two proper- ties up for public auction due to being in tax arrears sold recently, making South Huron the owner of the unsold property. Two local properties were up for public auction Oct. 4 at the Huron County Court House in Goderich after being in tax arrears. While a residential property at 41119 Kirkton Road sold, a former gas bar and restaurant at the corner of Highway 4 and Crediton Road did not. Under the Municipal Act, municipalities and counties can place properties under tax sales in cases where tax arrears go into the third year after they are owed. South Huron council discussed the issue at a brief Oct. 11 meeting. 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