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The Citizen, 1991-10-30, Page 37THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30,1991. PAGE 37. Grey ratepayers hear candidates debate Continued from page 1 have been putting away money so the mill rate wouldn't have had to be increased so dramatically. He wondered, if a roads and bridges needs study was being followed completely, saying some of the roads that had been high on the pri­ ority list were not being completed. He questioned the cost of the new tanker truck for the Grey Twp. Fire Department. "Did we really need that expensive a fire tanker," he wondered. Incumbent Deputy-reeve Graeme McDonald said the $56,000 tanker had been purchased on recommen­ dation of the township fire chief and his captains. "We believed we owed them (the firemen) the best equipment we could possibly give them," he said. He said the township couldn't have planned for the purchase of the Walton landfill site because it was never for sale before by the owner who had leased it to the township. When the owner this spring said he wouldn't rent the land anymore "we were obligated to buy it or we wouldn't have had any place to go." Incumbent councillor Helen Cullen also said the landfill site wasn't for sale earlier. The onus is on the owner of property to provide a buffer area and other require­ ments so the township had to act, she said. Robin Dunbar, an incumbent councillor also defended the pur­ chase of the land. It cost a lot, he said but the property was special because "it has a piece of paper that (from the Ministry of Environment) says it can be used for a landfill. If the township didn't buy the land it would be force to try to find some­ where else to accept the township’s garbage. "Turnberry spends its money trucking to any landfill that will accept its garbage," he said. "If we work this well it will last at least 15 years." Both he and Councillor Cullen emphasized the importance of the township's blue box recycling pro­ gram in prolonging the life of the landfill. Looking ahead, Councillor Dunbar said, the township will have to look at a better recycling program. Saying he was unhappy to find out four of the six candidate sites for the county were in Grey, Coun­ cillor Dunbar said that as long as Time not right for recycling Blyth's Reeve Wasson says The time is still not right for Blyth to take on recycling, Reeve Albert Wasson told council at its Oct. 22 meeting. "I've been reprimanded for my stand on recycling but my stand is still the same," the Reeve said. "When the time is right we should get with it, but the time still is not right." The Reeve restated his position at the end of a discussion on waste disposal for the village. Councillor Dave Lee had led off the discus­ sion, saying he hoped that Huron County wouldn't take over existing landfill sites as part of its Master Plan. He said he had no problem with taxpayers of Blyth being responsible for capping and moni­ toring the Blyth-Hullett landfill site and his children and his children's children having to be responsible "but I don't want them to have to pay for somebody's landfill miles away that we had nothing to do with." Reeve Wasson said he thought the county was very aware of those problems of looking after used-up landfills and didn't want any part of taking over local landfills. But, he said, it take perseverance MOE guidelines were followed, the township could only make sure the county was fair with its people if Grey ended up with the final land­ fill site. There were even possible spin-offs, he said. A composting facility could employ upwards of 10 people, he said. On the issue of the roads needs survey, Councillor Dunbar said plans had been made to reconstruct the eighth concession but council had been unable to reach agreement to hold your own against pressures put on you. The Ministry of the Environment couldn't find anything wrong for 20 years with the local site, he said, but then came along with a Plan of Operation for the site and wanted to change things like burning of garbage and he had to stay and argue to allow some burn­ ing to continue. "We won't operate as well for the next 20 years as we did in the first 20 years," he said, referring to the reduced burning now allowed. Still, he said, the municipalities using the site are successful in getting rid of two- thirds of the bulk into the burn hole. EAST WAWANOSH NOTICE of final installment of 1991 taxes is due November 1,1991. with a landowner so had decided to spend its money elsewhere rather than battle the owner in court. Dale Newman, the third incum­ bent councillor said he had put his name forward as a councillor three years ago, because he had been told he couldn’t attend a joint meeting of the councils supporting the Brus­ sels, Morris and Grey Community Centre because he wasn't an elected official, even though he was chair­ man of the board of the centre. He was elected and continues to be chairman of the Community Cen­ tre. He called for more openness in council and more information from meetings published in The Citizen. Challenger Alvin McLellan said he would try, if elected, to keep taxes in control. With farm income down, expenses have to be cut, he said. He also supported recycling, saying it was an investment in the future and people must be educated to keep at it. It only lakes a few minutes to separate recyclables, he said. During the question period, Mr. Uhler tried to get township clerk­ treasurer Brad Knight to back his claim that Reeve Armstrong had brought information to council five RE-ELECT HENRY F. EXEL FOR BRUSSELS P.U.C. COMMISSIONER After 13 years as commissioner, I again ask for your support in the November 12 election. years ago that the owner of the landfill site had said that was the last time he wanted to lease the site and he would want to sell it next time the lease was negotiated. Mr. Knight said he had promised he would stay out of all council-relat­ ed questions, even though Mr. Uhler felt it was unfair that council­ lors were denying what he had said. Development in the township was a favourite topic among ques­ tioners. Some felt there should be more severences allowed, particu­ larly on poor farmland. Reeve Armstrong explained that while severances in some areas might do no harm, in other places they might put restrictions on nearby farming operations. Mr. Thomas pointed to commu­ nities like Belgrave, Wroxeter, Gorrie and Fordwich where there has been development that helps increase the tax base and lighten the load on farmers. "Grey has been too restrictive on development," he said. But Reeve Armstrong said the province has been discouraging development in small hamlets with­ out sewer systems and a freeze had been put on further development at Belgrave. /”CAL LTD. 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