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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-04-26, Page 1INSIDE THIS WEEK: ASSESSMENTS - Pg. 9 Blyth woman returns from two-week certification course CAR CARE - Pg. 13 The Citizen' presents annual spring car guide FESTIVAL - Pg. 27 'Wing Night at the Boot' writing process continues Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON NOG 1H0 r Citiz Volume 34 No. 17 $1 .25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, April 26, 2018 Worth waiting for The Blyth Festival Singers took to the Memorial Hall stage on Sunday for their spring offering, "May There Always Be Sunshine". The concert, perhaps ironically, was postponed on April 14 due to a massive ice storm that shut down much of Huron County that weekend. The sun, however, was indeed shining on Sunday though when the singers returned to Blyth for their show. Here, performing "The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun", are violinist Maarten Bokhout, left, and flautist Jan Searle, accompanied by the Blyth Festival Singers. (Shawn Coughlin photo) NH spending to rise 18 per cent in newest budget By Denny Scott The Citizen Some last-minute changes have drastically increased spending in the North Huron budget, set to be presented at North Huron's May 7 meeting. The proposed changes will result in approximately 18 per cent more spending in 2018 than 2017, most of which will be borne by the Wingham ward. Senior staff, at council's direction had prepared a budget with a 4.95 per cent increase in spending, (equal to $242,373.93) over 2017's numbers. Spending was significantly decreased from the original draft budget presented by staff which included 14.49 per cent ($708,715.88) increase in spending. Since council's last budget meeting in February, several changes were made to reach that 4.95 per cent increase in the budget. However, subsequent to those changes, significant increases to municipal services' costs have been unveiled that will drastically increase spending in the municipality drastically. Most of which will be in Wingham due to increases to the town's police force. Between the new Wingham policing budget, which includes four new officers and a sergeant, a change many ratepayers supported during public meetings earlier this year, a re-evaluation of the Emergency Services Training Centre (ESTC) budget and changes made to salaries as part of a pay equity study, the budget that will be presented will include an increase in spending of approximately 18 per cent ($900,000). Exact numbers weren't provided because $26,000 of capital costs for the Wingham Police Service were added to the budget after it was prepared. Those expenses include outfitting and arming the new officers and rearming existing officers. The increased police costs, ESTC costs and pay equity changes will result in a $655,000 increase to overall spending. Approximately $450,000 of that came from the Wingham Police Service's revised budget, most of which was salaries for the department. Aside from the five new officers, Seip said that a 4.5 per cent increase in pay was implemented for the current officers. An additional four per cent increase is scheduled for next year, Seip said. Those changes will bring Wingham officers on par with their contemporaries after negotiations had resulted in lower - than -average wages for the officers over the past several years. After much discussion on the issue, Seip warned that this was just the tip of the iceberg. The increase only represented the salaries of the five new police officers for six months, plus the $26,000 in capital costs and the 4.5 per cent increase, retroactively applied as of Continued on page 25 Farmers' Market now poised for May 18 return By Deb Sholdice The Citizen The Brussels Farmers' Market will be moved into the Four Winds Barn this year and will run from May 18 to Oct. 5. A vendors' meeting was held at the Four Winds Barn on Wednesday, April 18 to outline the changes to the market for 2018. Market organizers Barb Terpstra and Kathy Stephenson outlined the new market schedule. The biggest change will be moving the majority of the market indoors to the lower level of the Four Winds Barn, allowing the vendors to operate no matter what the weather brings. This change comes after years of the market being held just south of the LCBO on the village's main street. Each vendor can book a 10' x 10' space (with or without hydro), either in the barn or in the courtyard outside. Season -long vendors will get their first choice of spots. With the market moving under the umbrella of the Four Winds Barn organization this year, HST will have to be charged on the vendor fees, which is a new cost for vendors. Terpstra pointed out that any business who is HST registered will get that back. Terpstra and Stephenson stressed that all food vendors need to have a completed market vendor application form from the Huron County Health Unit in order to sell at the market. The health unit website has all the information for vendors, and everyone is encouraged to visit huronhealthunit.ca or call because the rules are changing this year. One of the new rules that may affect vendors is that anyone handing out samples must have the Safe Food Handling Course. Vendors are also responsible to make sure that all packaging and labelling is complete and compliant. The vendors voted to keep the 2-6 p.m. hours the market has kept for several years. Terpstra encouraged everyone to keep track of the number of early -birds and latecomers in order to consider extending the hours in the future. Despite rumours to the contrary, vendors will not be able to leave items in the barn between markets. Due to insurance and liability concerns, the organizers require the space cleared after each market. Stephenson told the vendors there will be weekly entertainment and organizers are advertising the event. They have also approached the Rollin' Roaster (Scott Saunders) to provide hot meals throughout the season and are seeking other prepared food vendors. After the meeting, the vendors were given the opportunity to tour the new space and many took advantage to claim booth space. Organizers are still seeking more vendors to hopefully expand the market. Anyone interested in getting involved with the market can contact Stephenson at 226-889-2276. `Citizen' honoured provincially The Citizen was honoured provincially on Friday night with a first -place finish in the Ontario Community Newspaper Association's Better Newspapers Competition. The newspaper placed first in the Best Community Website category for newspapers with a circulation under 9,999 in 2017. The Parry Sound North Star placed second behind The Citizen, followed by The Huntsville Forester in third and The Fort Frances Times, which received an honourable mention. The Citizen was nominated in the same category in 2015, but finished third. With a circulation of approximately 2,000, The Citizen was in the same category as newspapers with circulation up to five times larger, but prevailed regardless. To view The Citizen's website, visit northhuron.on.ca. For more information on the awards or a full list of winners, visit ocna.org.