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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2006-02-15, Page 1(519)235-1115 www.hurontractor.com HURON W TRACTOR Exeter EXETER JR.`D' HAWKS vs LUCAN PLAYOFFS FRI., FEB. 17 8:30 p.m. South Huron Rec Centre nwMoryenea HIGH SPEED INTERNET SERVING EXETER & SURROUNDING AREAS For as low as $19.95/mo. (519)236-4333 TIMES -ADVOCATE Exeter, Ontario, Canada Wednesday, February 15, 2006 x.25 (includes GST) Taxes up 5% in draft By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF SOUTH HURON — Preliminary numbers show a five per cent increase for South Huron's 2006 tax levy. South Huron chief administrative officer Larry Brown made a report to council Monday night on this year's budget. The budget still needs to be fine- tuned and doesn't yet include the water and sewage budgets. Brown said he hopes to see everything finalized in March. Projections show the 2006 tax levy will be $3.8 million. On a property assessed at $150,000, Brown said the impact will be a $45 increase in taxes over last year. He added the average property assessment in the municipality went up 10 per cent this year and individual property numbers will vary depending on assessment. On the minus side, Brown said South Huron did not receive an increase this year from the Ontario Municipal Partnership grant — the municipality will receive $1.9 mil- lion. Also, an Ontario transition grant of $249,000 received in 2005 was scrapped this year. The municipality projects opera- tional spending in 2006 of $5.2 mil- lion, a 3.8 per cent increase over 2005, and capital expenses of $1.4 million, 76 per cent of last year's capital budget. Just over $100,000 in capital pro- jects from 2005 are being trans- ferred into the 2006 budget because they were delayed until this year. Brown anticipates a $100,000 sur- plus on the 2005 budget. On the plus side, the municipality will receive $195,000 from the municipality's share of the 2005 and 2006 Federal Gas Tax revenue. Nearly all of it will be used for roads capital projects and asset manage- ment software. Council accepted the draft for con- sideration, which allows staff to move forward with any tendering for 2006. Other council notes: Stormwater history in Exeter Responding to questions from the public about Exeter's history of flooding, municipal staff have com- piled a report that shows: the histo- ry of stormwater concerns in the area; what the municipalities of Exeter and South Huron have done to deal with the problem; what is planned for the future to deal with stormwater; what residents can do to help themselves; and what the potential is for future flooding. Copies of the report are available at the municipal office and opera- tions manager Don Giberson said it will be posted on the municipality's See NEGOTIATIONS page 2 Students at Little Adventures Preschool made a visit to the Exeter Post Office last week to make sure theirValentine's cards were mailed in time.They also took a tour of the building and learned how Post Office staffers do their jobs.Above are Zachary Den Hollander and Jayda Consitt. (photo/Scott Nixon) Boil water precaution finished By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF HURON PARK — A broken water - main led to a temporary precaution- ary boil water advisory for the resi- dential side of Huron Park and Centralia last week. The precaution began last Thursday and ended Tuesday morn- ing, South Huron operations manag- er Don Giberson told the Times - Advocate. The problem occurred when con- tractors working in Huron Park to replace sewers and watermains hit and broke a watermain. To get the break under control and to do the repair work, valves were shut caus- ing the water pressure to drop below the required 20 pounds per square inches. In such a case, Giberson said, the municipality is required to notify the Huron County Health Unit, who rec- ommended a precautionary boil water advisory. The precaution extended to Centralia because its water system is fed from Huron See BOIL page 2 Grand Bend Motorplex requests noise bylaw extension for World Electronic Music Festival By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF SOUTH HURON — The Grand Bend Motorplex hopes to host The World Electronic Music Festival this July, but it first needs an extension from council on its noise bylaw. Paul Spriet of the Motorplex and repre- sentatives of the music festival attended South Huron council's Monday night meet- ing to request the extension. Council made no decision on the issue, but directed orga- nizers to first take their proposal to neigh- bours of the Motorplex and listen to any concerns about noise. The music festival is slated for July 21-23 at the Motorplex and would require extending the noise bylaw from 12:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. on the Friday and 5 a.m. on the Saturday. Regarding noise concerns, Spriet said cars at the Motorplex are considerably louder than what will occur at the elec- tronic music festival, which will feature DJs, not live bands, in four tents instead of on the main stage. Ryan Kruger of the festival said volume levels at night at the property lines are typ- ically between 70-80 decibels. He said the ambient noise on a typical night in down- town Toronto would exceed 80 decibels. He said speakers face inwards and the number of people in the crowd absorb about 70 per cent of the sound. This is the 13th year for the festival, which Kruger said has been mostly held in Northern Ontario in the past. He said the move to Grand Bend was the result of the kind of venue the Motorplex offers and participants wanted to be near a beach. Kruger said if the event goes well this year, he'd like to keep the festival at the Motorplex in future years. More than 5,000 people from across Ontario and the United States are expected to attend. Tourism Sarnia-Lambton is working with organizers on the event. Festival -goers are typically between 19-25 years old. Private security, OPP officers and medical personnel will be on site. Regarding the 5 a.m. request, Kruger said "it's a night event" and the whole pur- pose of the festival is so people can dance all night. He said it also gives them all day and the early evening to shop locally. Festival organizers say consumer surveys in 2002 and 2004 show festival attendees spend more than $1 million in the local community during the weekend above the spending they do at the festival. Cozen. Harvey Ratz, who said he wasn't opposed to the idea, said the public had to be approached before council makes a decision. Deputy Mayor Dave Urlin, referring to Kruger's comparison to downtown noise in Toronto, suggested organizers have the festival in Toronto instead of the Motorplex. Urlin added he isn't in favour of extend- ing the noise bylaw. Oke echoed Ratz's comments about going to the public. "I think this could be saleable if we do it right," he said. "I think it's a good thing for the area for tourism." Coun. Jim Dietrich said he's OK with the festival as long as Motorplex neighbours are. "The neighbours around should be talked to." Kruger agreed to meet with the neigh- bours to explain the festival to them and address their concerns. He said organizers need to know "within weeks" whether or not they can go ahead at the Motorplex. If it goes ahead, more than 200 artists from around the world will perform. Music featured will include trance, house and hardcore. Restrictions lifted GRAND BEND — The Lake Huron Primary Water Supply System (LHPWSS) lifted a request for municipalities to implement voluntary water use restric- tions last week. The restrictions were lifted after power was returned to the plant Feb. 7 at 11 a.m. The request was the result of a winter storm in the area which knocked out power Feb. 4 causing the LHPWSS to ask municipalities and consumers on Feb. 6 to reduce water use.