HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-03-01, Page 29a.
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Up and over
The Blyth Lions Club's annual
snow volleyball tournament
was more muddy than it was snowy on Saturday, with 10
teams participating for filthy glory and a few laughs. The
mud didn't dampen spirits or enthusiasm, however, as most
players were happy to jump, slide and dive if it meant
keeping the play alive. (Hannah Dickie photo)
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018. PAGE 29.
SIA balances its '18 budget
The Blyth Business Improvement
Area (BIA) board of directors will
have approximately $10,000 in
reserves to put towards new projects
this year.
During the BIA's annual general
meeting on Feb. 22, the group
outlined its net income of
approximately $5,500 from 2017.
That total comes after a donation to
the Blyth Lions Club generated by
the Blyth 140th Anniversary
celebration was approved.
That $5,500 will be added to a
surplus from the BIA's previous
years, resulting in the $10,000
surplus. Treasurer Deb Sholdice
stated extra funds are something the
board of directors and executive
were aware of when planning the
budget for 2018.
The income increase over previous
years is due to increases to the
minimum levy, associate
memberships, a grant from the
Canada Summer Jobs project and
funding from the Regional Tourism
Ontario 4 group (RTO4). However,
as Chair Karen Stewart pointed out,
projects will not happen if the
funding does not materialize.
New expenses include several
marketing/public relation projects
including a summer student,
workshop project and researcher;
online branding initiatives through
consultants, a distributable map to
encourage visitors to go downtown,
a special Christmas celebration
looking to expand on the annual
Lighting of the Lights and a new
project announced at the meeting
called the "wild flower project".
Brought to the group by members
of the BIA who saw a similar project
in the U.S., the project would see
wild flowers planted in the ditches
around the community.
Planting the flowers is projected to
cost approximately $1,200.
The 2018 budget was balanced
with $52,240 in income, including a
$7,500 tax levy, and $52,240 in
expenses. The document included no
transfers from reserves, meaning
funding may be available for
projects even if opportunities don't
prove to be as lucrative as
anticipated. The budget was
approved as presented.
Heritage Plan covered
Continued from page 27
Bayfield as an example.
"This is an area of high growth
and the municipality of Bluewater
needs money to expand the sewer
system and it's not there," said Lobb.
"Who pays for what? This is a
debate and for sure, there is not
enough money going to rural
communities "
A persistent worry from fanners
as mentioned in the Property and
Land Use Committee Report is that
the Huron Country Natural Heritage
Plan (HNHP) could be used to
restrict a farmer's ability to
improved their productive land.
"It is still to be seen whether the
change will be for better or for
worse for our agricultural
community," stated the report.
Ginn said as a fanner himself, "I
have no worries in my mind that the
plan will make it a problem for
anyone to farm." He said all the plan
does is affect the setback when
building a new building next to a
provincially significant wetlands,
woodlots or other natural areas. The
distances are reasonable and
exemptions can be requested.
That may be, said John Smuck,
who questioned why mapping for
the plan wasn't done on foot.
"Mapping was done without boots
on the ground, he said. I think this is
just another form of bureaucracy and
red tape."
Discussion on the topic mentioned
that the plan was a provincial
directive, that the existing plan was
old and new mapping was necessary
and that it would be impossible to
walk every farm in the county.
Aerial photography was the best
option.
Lobb said he's hearing from other
areas revising a natural heritage plan
and two friends who farm there and
"with one swoop, it was all zoned
environmentally protected."
There was enough land there for
create 20 lots potentially worth
several million dollars.
"It's not the municipalities' fault,
but they never went to his property
to see if a turtle crawled there. They
did a broad brush approach. The
point is, his land changed zoning
and I don't think that's right,
because once it is changed, he has to
hire an engineer and meet with the
ministry to prove why it needs to be
changed and I think it should be
opposite: the ministry should have to
prove why it was changed."
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