The Citizen, 1989-02-22, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1989.
Bly th Council briefs
Councillors against 911 emergency number
Blyth councillors decided at their
Feb. 7 session they wanted nothing
to do with a 911 emergency number
system.
Reeve Albert Wasson said he
had spoken with Fire Chief Paul
Josling about the subject and the
Chief felt the 911 system was one of
those things that might be nice if it
could be afforded but it might be a
luxury.
Councillor Dave Medd agreed,
saying he had heard the cost of the
system might be $20,000 for a
system that would be less direct
than the current system where the
call goes directly to the fire
department or agency concerned.
Under the system people can call
the one number “911” and have a
central dispatcher send the fire
department or police or ambulance
required. However, such a system
would be based farther away and,
Councillor Medd felt, there was the
possibility time might be lost where
the caller is on a boundary line
between the coverage area of one
fire department and another.
Councillor Shirley Fyfe, a nurse
at Clinton Hospital said the ambu
lance dispatch had been centralized
in London and “it’s one pain”.
Council decided to take no action
on a request for support from the
Huron and Perth Emergency
Health Services Study Committee
which is supporting the 911 ser
vice.
*****
Blyth Hydro Commission has
contacted Ontario Hydro to see how
much it would cost the commission
to purchase the 27.6 kv line coming
into the village from the east that
earlier led to a confrontation with
a local developer.
The line will be moved off the
developers land and be put up the
side of Dinsley Street East as far as
the unopened portion of John
Street where it will be moved north
to the Drummond St. extension.
The line services a Hydro Commis
sion customer (Howson and How-
son Ltd.) but is owned by Ontario
Hydro with the Commission paying
regular charges. Ontario Hydro
had suggested that it might be a
good deal for the Commission to
buy the line. That possibility is now
being investigated with the Wing
ham PUC already having been
called in to check on the condition
of the rest of the line.
Meanwhile the village’s consult
ing engineer B.M. Ross and Asso
ciates have confirmed that the
developer, George Szarek was be
ing charged a frontage charge for
the trunk service of sewers not just
for that portion of the sewer that
went across his lot. Mr. Szarek had
protested that because the sewer
line came onto his property only far
enough for his apartment building
to be hooked up to it, he shouldn’t
have to pay a frontage charge all
across his property. The engineer
did not agree. Council agreed to
abide by the engineer’s judgement.
*****
A committee will be set up to
decide how to properly spend a
$10,517 grant toward $31,552
worth of improvements to Blyth
Memorial Hall under the Capital
Conservation Grant from the Mini
stry of Tourism and Recreation.
The grant had been applied for
under the previous council for
replacing the roofing, repairing the
bell tower and replacing windows.
The committee will decide if those
are still the priorities and see how
to best co-ordinate the work with
the Blyth Festival’s plans for an
addition to the building. The work
must be carried out in 1989 and
1990.
*****
Council increased its support to
the Belgrave, Blyth, Brussels
School Fair by more than 300 per
cent. Councillors last year had
given their usual $40 donation but
wondered if they should be giving
more. This year there was no
doubt.
Councillor Dave Medd who ad
mitted he felt close to the school
fair because he had been involved
with it for many years, said he
expected there might be $250 or
more in prize money coming into
the Blyth Public School from the
fair. Saying he was amazed the
village was only donating $40 he
said “I definitely think we should
be donating more. I’d make a
motion that we up the donation to
$150.” Councillor Dave Lee
seconded the motion and it was
immediately passed.
Council also made a first-time-
ever donation to the Heart and
Stroke Foundation with a little
nudging from Councillor Ken
Brown. Councillor Brown felt the
cause as good as some of the others
which have been supported over
the years and made a motion that a
$50 donation be given. The motion
was supported by ajl councillors.
The Blyth Festival made its
annual appearance before council
to request a grant. Representing
the Festival was Artistic Director
Katharine Kaszas, Fundraising Co
ordinator Lynda Lentz, Board Pre
sident Carol Irwin and board
member Doug Whitmore. Council
lor Medd asked if there wasn’t
some way the Festival could im
prove its communications with the
community. Pointing back to the
all-candidates meeting last fall he
said there seem to be some concern
from people, particularly older
residents, that Memorial Hall is no
longer “their Hall” but is being
taken over by the theatre.
Ms. Kaszas said this was a
legitimate concern but a difficult
thing to address. The staff is
always willing to take time to chat
with people and answer questions
if they drop into the office, she
said. Councillor Medd suggested
an open house and tour for seniors
saying that “if you wait for people
to come to the door, they won’t
come. The theatre is still consider
ed foreign territory” by many
people. “If you want good public
Continued on page 10