The Citizen, 2013-02-21, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2013. PAGE 19.
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Warden George Robertson told
Huron County Council at its Feb. 13
Committee of the Whole meeting
that he was eyeing a committee to
help honour emergency services
personnel in the county.
Stemming from a recent meeting
of the warden’s task force,
Robertson said that he was lookingfor several councillors to serve onthe committee alongsiderepresentatives from the EMS, the
Wingham Police Service, the OPP
and the Fire Department of North
Huron to help honour firefighters,
police officers and paramedics.
Councillors Bernie MacLellan,
Neil Vincent and Bill Dowson, all
past wardens, volunteered to serve
on the committee.***Morris-Turnberry Mayor PaulGowing proposed a motion that
would see county staff prepare a
report on the feasibility of
downloading initial septic
inspections to lower tier
municipalities, which council
approved.
At the Feb. 6 council meeting
Gowing informed councillors that heintended to make the motion at anupcoming meeting.Gowing told councillors that he
felt local building officials would
know the properties in question
better than those with the county and
since local chief building officials
would already be on scene for
building inspections, it only made
sense to do both at the same time.
Goderich’s Deb Shewfelt was told
that there were likely to be no
ramifications from changing how the
inspections are administered and
said there was no harm in looking
further into it.
Council then passed the motion.
***
Daryl Ball from the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture made his
first visit to Huron County Council
as the rural economic development
advisor.
With the retirement of the former
advisor Jane Muegge, council was
unsure if they wanted a regular
monthly visit, or if simply a report
and a quarterly visit would suffice.
Ball, who is a Huron County
resident, said that he would like to
continue visiting on a monthly basis,
at least until he gets a handle on the
issues Huron County Council is
facing and how he can help.
North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent,
among others, welcomed Ball back
“home” to Huron County, as he had
been stationed at the ministry’s
Stratford office before returning to
the Clinton office.
Shewfelt said he hoped to work
closely with Ball as the months went
on.
“Agriculture is our biggest
industry,” Shewfelt said, “and it’s
just so important for these small
towns and for jobs.”
***
With hopes of hosting next year’s
Southwest Economic Alliance
(SWEA) annual meeting in
Goderich, Huron County Council
approved a $5,000 contribution to
the effort.
The recommendation came from
the Huron Economic Development
Partnership. In addition to the
request from Huron County Council,
the partnership also recommended
that the $5,000 contribution be
matched by Goderich Town Council.
Goderich’s John Grace, who sits
on SWEA on behalf of the county,
said that such a contribution hasbeen the tradition from a hostcommunity.The contribution would make both
Huron County and Goderich
platinum sponsors of the event.
The contribution was approved by
council.
***
After a lengthy discussion, a
recommendation made by Director
of Public Works Dave Laurie was
approved, authorizing the purchase
of four new two-wheel drive half-ton
pick-up trucks for the Public Works
Department.
The argument was made by
several councillors who felt that the
department should be spending the
extra money and buying four-wheel
drive vehicles.
Several councillors, including Neil
Vincent, Neil Rintoul, Paul Gowing
and Jim Ginn all said that they will
only buy four-wheel drive vehicles
for themselves, so it only made sense
for the Public Works Department
considering the work the vehicles
have to do.
Other councillors, however, like
Howick’s Art Versteeg, said that he
wasn’t comfortable altering a
recommendation being made by the
Director of Public Works. He said
that if the department has thoroughly
researched what kind of trucks they
need and have landed on two-wheel
drive trucks, who was he to
argue with that research and
knowledge?
After a recorded vote was called,
the motion to approve the purchase
of the two-wheel drive trucks, as
Laurie had recommended, passed by
nine votes for and seven against.
Another motion approving the
purchase of two more two-wheel
drive pick-up trucks with slightly
bigger boxes was also
passed, despite the earlier
conversation.
***
Director of Planning and
Development Scott Tousaw told
council that a potential septic system
loan program just wasn’t a good fit
for the county at the time.
Tousaw was asked to prepare a
report for council, but in his findings
said that the program simply didn’t
seem feasible.
Council accepted the report and
didn’t move ahead with any such
program.
Committee suggested to honour service people
$3 million in revenue added
to revised school board budget
Family day face painting
Whether families were looking for a chance to sharpen their skating skills or get their face
painted by Jennifer Black, left, they could find the opportunity at the Blyth and District
Community Centre on Monday. Students like Kyrah Haak, right, had the day off to celebrate
Family Day. (Denny Scott photo)
Continued from page 15
provincial grant for teacher
qualification and experience. The
grant allows for grid movement for
teaching staff halfway through the
school year.”
Wagler said special grant and
deferred revenues increase by $3.28
million from the June estimate. He
said this increase comes from grants
such as a literacy basics skills grant
worth $150,000, the Ministry of
Education allocating an extra
$730,000 in special grant revenues
and deferred revenue proceeds from
the disposition of school property,
like Maitland River
Elementary School valued at
$750,000.
On the expense side, Wagler said
the largest update was seen in
operating budget to include the cost
of future benefits, about $1.3
million.
The Avon Maitland District
School Board approved the
operating revenue and transfers of
reserves totalling $194,765,007 and
expense estimates in the amount of
$194,765,007 for the period of Sept.
1, 2012 to Aug. 31, 2013.
The board also approved the
capital allocations and spending in
the amount of $26,411,655 for the
period Sept. 1, 2012 to Aug. 31,
2013.
Continued from page 16
issues being dealt with at county,” he
said. “Everyone is seeing delays and
this is actually hindering
development in our area.”
Councillor Neil Warwick had one
idea about how to reduce the amount
of time spent on individual cases; do
away with the presentations council
receives on severances and
applications.
“The fantastic presentations we get
here for a simple zoning amendment
is hardly required,” he said. “The
time and effort is far above and
beyond what is necessary and I
believe some streamlining can be
accomplished there. I don’t think we
need pictures and power points for
every little application because all
that costs time and money for
someone that could be used
elsewhere.”
Gowing said he would also pass
along that idea.
Continued from page 7
potential rules and regulations that
will have to be imposed will also
have to be discussed.
He told councillors, however, that
council wouldn’t be starting from
scratch, saying that there “are
models out there” on how to
maintain such a trail that crosses
through several counties.
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh’s
Neil Rintoul said he was concerned
with the effect the trail may have on
farms that run adjacent to the trail.
VanderMolen assured Rintoul that
he came from a strong agricultural
background and that farmers had
been kept in mind during every step
of the process.
Council approved Tousaw’s
suggested motion that council
approve the project in principle and
refer it to the planning department
for a report and further
recommendations.
Farm concerns
recognized in
trail planning
Warwick suggests smaller
planning presentations
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen