HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-07-23, Page 22
Times–Advocate
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Bezaire wants second term
as Huron County warden
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
GODERICH — Saying that
his work isn't done, Huron
County Warden John
Bezaire says he will con-
tend for another term as
warden against South
Huron Mayor Ken Oke, who
has also announced he will
seek the position.
Bezaire says while he
believes the office of warden
should be a multi-year term,
he also believes in having to
go back and have the man-
date renewed.
"I like the fact that I have
to run again...it allows coun-
cil to give me an appraisal
of my performance."
Bezaire said he felt previ-
ously that it shouldn't be an
incumbent warden who
pushed for a multi-year
term, "and I'm doing it, so I
am somewhat going against
what I always thought."
He added that, "I have to
believe that I've earned the
right to ask for the job again
and that I've done a good
enough job to hold my head
up and ask for it...I believe
that I've done a good job. I
think that with what I've
gained in terms of experi-
ence and knowledge I have
the ability to do it even bet-
ter. I've worked extremely
hard and I've earned the
right to do it again."
In his first six months as
warden, Bezaire said there
have been surprises and
frustrations and that one or
two issues have taken a
disproportionate amount of
his time.
"And it has
certainly
made it a
challenge to
accomplish
some of the
goals that I
set out to
do...some of
the policies
and issues
that I really
felt would make the county
a better place have simply
had to be shelved because
there were more pressing
issues that needed to be
dealt with."
One of the issues that
Bezaire said has been more
frustrating and slower than
he hoped was the service
delivery review.
"It's such a key piece of
getting a real vision for the
county, where we are,
where we want to be and
allow us to make good
decisions. And unfortunate-
ly it takes so much longer
to accomplish than you
wanted."
Bezaire said the review
process has been approved
by council and senior man-
agement are putting
together terms of reference
and deciding what
resources are avail -
John Bezaire
able internally to do
some of the work and
what people will have
to be brought in.
"Unfortunately, just
even the plan to pro-
ceed is taking longer
than I'd like to."
Bezaire said the
REGIONAL WRAP UP
Crop circles
HOLMESVILLE — Crop circles in a local field in
Holmesville brought out visitors of every descrip-
tion, says the Clinton -News Record.
The circles were found July 11 in the field of
Bert and JoAnne Van Maar who said by Monday
the five circles had received about 500 visitors.
Among the visitors was Paul Anderson of the
Canadian Crop Circle Research Network, who said
the group is looking into the circles.
Brussels library
BRUSSELS — Tenders are being called for con-
struction of a new library in Brussels after a
recorded vote recently by Huron East council, says
the Huron Expositor.
By a margin of 6-5, a motion to call for tenders
was approved.
Councillors voting against the motion said they
wanted to see the full $120,000 goal of the
Brussels Library fundraising committee reached
before tenders were called.
A letter from the committee said 50 per cent of
the amount has been raised in the past two
months.
Women Today closing
GODERICH — After nearly 30 years in operation,
Women Today of Huron will close its doors to the
public at the end of July, says the Goderich Signal -
Star.
The non-profit group which provides information
and services to women and youth, has run out of
money, says chairperson Shelley Dorey.
While the office will close July 23, the board will
continue to operate for governance purposes
through the dissolution period.
delay on the plan is one of
the reasons he is running
again. "It's one of the
rare opportunities when
you're in office to do
something substantial and
it's going to be next
year...or at least late this
year before we even get
to the good work of it."
One of the features of
the review is strategic
planning which Bezaire
said is becoming even more
important with legislation
such as accessibility and
accountability.
Bezaire said the service
review will tie together
with the asset management
plan that has been mandat-
ed by the province.
"It's very opportune that
we are being forced to do
asset management because
it is a big chunk of the
work that we would do in a
service delivery review
anyway."
Another issue Bezaire
said will have to be done
before November and
which he says he was the
first to propose, is reducing
the size of council which he
said has to be done 12
months before the next
election to give municipali-
ties time to plan for it.
Medical building update
Continued from front page
importance of this to our community. A whole new range of health
care services will be available right in our community. A new stream
of funding from the Ministry of Health (MOH) is available, funding
for administration and technology. The office will be open year
round. The entire building will be utilized for health care purposes."
Haberer said when the idea of purchasing the Hay building was
proposed last year, the plan was for the ZAHA to own it since the
FHT was only a possibility.
With the introduction of the FHT in Zurich July 1, Haberer said the
dynamics have changed but added without the donations of resi-
dents it wouldn't have been possible to buy the building.
Haberer said the board recommended one of two options with the
first being that the ZAHA would complete the purchase of the build-
ing from Hay Insurance.
"We would have to pay for all the renovations and furnishings. The
FHT would pay an appropriate rent for the building. With all other
responsibilities already transferred to the FHT, this would leave us
as landlords and little else."
The second option, according to Haberer "is that the purchase
agreement could be transferred from us to the FHT."
By agreeing to the second option, Haberer said the ZAHA would
become inactive and reduce the size of its board to the minimum
while maintaining its charter so it can be reactivated in the future
should the need arise.
The proposed recommendation read, "And that the purchase
agreement between the Zurich and Area Health Association and Hay
Insurance is transferred to the Bluewater Family Health Team.
Registered on title will be a covenant that should the FHT no longer
require the building, ownership would go to the Zurich and Area
Health Association."
With the transfer of the building to the BWFHT, Haberer said while
the money already donated will still go towards the building it will
mean at least $100,000 will become available from the MOH.
Haberer said money that the ZAHA doesn't have to put into the
building will be available for other purchases such as attracting
more doctors.
In a unanimous vote among residents in attendance the second
recommendation was accepted.
"It's the right way to go," said Haberer who added that the associ-
ation is hoping to be in the new building in November.
Residents pack South Huron council gallery
Continued from front page
Another point of contention raised
Monday is that some residents
thought they would be able to grad-
ually pay down their sewer costs in
lump sums, something councillors
Pete Armstrong and Tom Tomes
later echoed.
Tomes explained that he has been
on municipal councils for a long
time and the sewer project is one of
the most contentious issues he has
ever dealt with. Tomes, a Centralia
resident, said the day after he
received his letter from the munici-
pality informing him of the July 21
deadline, he had residents at his
door. He said one thing about the
letter that upset him is that resi-
dents were asked to pay with a cer-
tified cheque. As a result, Tomes
said when he puts in his expenses
to the municipality at the end of the
month he is going to ask that he be
paid with a certified cheque.
Regarding the tight time frame,
he said, "That whole thing was too
quick."
"I think that this has really been
handled wrong," he said, adding a
person should be given 30 days to
pay a bill. He said to some people, a
$10,000 bill may not seem like a
lot, but to most it is.
Tomes said people didn't have
time to get to the bank to get their
finances in order and added resi-
dents were told they would be able
to make bulk payments.
The discussion Monday night
began with a presentation from
Centralia's Christian Premont who
said residents of Centralia and
Crediton "are victims of a terrible
injustice that was brought down on
them by the incompetence of the
Municipality of South Huron's
administration."
Premont said he received his let-
ter informing him of the July 21
deadline on July 10. "A week to
come up with thousands of dollars.
But wait, there is hope, you can
also pay it over 20 years in which
case you will end up paying double
the cost of the sewers."
Premont added those are the only
two options residents have been
given — "come up with a ridiculous
amount of cash now, or pay dou-
ble."
He compared the municipality's
tactics to the Mafia in "The
Godfather" movies.
He also criticized the municipality
for only getting a $1 million grant
for the project, resulting in approxi-
mate savings of $3,000 per house-
hold that will "completely disap-
pear in the ridiculous amount of
interest that the residents will have
to pay."
Premont referred to North Perth
which kept fighting for grants for a
sewer project in Atwood, eventually
receiving more than $2 million He
said South Huron should be in
Ottawa fighting for more money.
"I am profoundly insulted and dis-
gusted by the clumsy way this situ-
ation was handled by my munici-
pality," Premont said, adding South
Huron should reconsider the pay-
ment options residents face.
Premont said he had to take out a
second mortgage on his home to
pay for the project and, at 35 years
old, "I feel that I have aged too fast
and that there is no hope for my
family and me. The money I want-
ed to put aside for my children's
education is now going down the
sewers. You have caused irrepara-
ble damage to my financial future."
Premont received loud applause
from those in the gallery.
The municipality also received a
letter from Barb and Jim Drake of
Centralia, explaining they wanted
to pay off their sewer charge in two
lump sums but were just informed
they couldn't.
"You have deliberately mislead
the residents by not being forth-
right about these lump sum pay-
ments. Expecting payment without
regard for a suitable time frame for
payment is unconscionable."
South Huron Mayor Ken Oke then
opened up the discussion to the
gallery.
Resident Brenda Morgan said
council needs to start treating its
citizens like human beings instead
of lot numbers. She said people
can't afford the sewer charges and
could lose their homes.
"We are human beings that are
scared."
Tracey Stire of Crediton blamed
the current council and the former
South Huron council for the situa-
tion. "You both screwed us over,"
she said, adding she was never
asked how she wanted to pay off
her sewer bill.
Tomes asked if the municipality
could contact Infrastructure
Ontario and ask for an extension to
pay back the loan, something
Armstrong agreed with.
When extending the deadline to
next Monday was proposed, Jordy's
Gas Bar owner Dianne Faubert
said a week isn't enough — she
said it takes 10 days to two weeks
to get a mortgage. She pointed out
she has suffered through poor busi-
ness since construction on the
sewer project started.
Tuesday, Armstrong noted that
people who want to pay off their
sewer cost quicker than the 20 -
year amortization period can get a
loan from their bank and pay it off.
He said he didn't want the munici-
pality to lose its low 5.09 interest
rate by missing the Tuesday at
noon deadline.
Tomes, who said Monday night he
would vote against the bylaw, voted
in favour of it Tuesday morning
when he learned that extending the
deadline would mean increased
costs to the residents because of
interest fees.
The rest of council also voted in
favour of the bylaw. Coun. David
Frayne was absent.
