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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1996 Murray promises answers to Homecare muddle Next week's meeting of the Huron County's Health and Seniors committee will bring answers to issues raised over the homecare sit- uation, Ron Murray, board chair promised at the March 28 meeting of county council. Bill Mickle, reeve of Exeter, introduced the subject of the con- troversy regarding the move of the homecare offices to the new county office building in the former Faced with reduced funding, Huron County Children's Aid Soci- ety has changed the focus of its ser- vice to prevention, Tom Knight, CAS executive director told the March 28 meeting of Huron Coun- ty council. The CAS has tried to use its staff time to work with parents to try to solve problems and keep children in their homes. "It's cheaper to keep children in their homes than to take them into care and it's also less damaging to the children and the faMily," he said. In the past three years the num- ber of days children spent in care of the CAS declined by 20 per cent. The organizing committee for the 1999 International Plowing Match in Huron received its first cheque for $5,000 from county council March 28. Huron Warden Bill Clifford pre- settled the cheque to Neil McGavin of Walton and Paul Betties of Kip- pen. It's the first installment of a loan from the county to help finance preliminary costs for the committee planning for the 1999 match at Dashwood. McGavin told councillors that the next step for the committee is to select a logo and a theme so that promotional and fundraising mate- rials can be ordered. *** County taxpayers will pick up the tab for S25,282 of the cost of clean- ing up after the big wind storm that struck Godcrich last July 13. The county had pitched in to help Goderich with the clean up, then invoiced the. town for $42,136, pending the town applying for emergency funding from the province. The town subsequently receive $16,854, 40 per cent fund- Continued from page 1 benefit from roads. You can't set up a little separate county of Clinton or Exeter. I think they should be pleased the 15 per cent isn't going to be dropped this year." "I don't think the reasons for the urban road rebate have changed," said Mitchell. "I sec that the com- mitment to urban roads isn't there anymore." Toni Cunningham, reeve of Hul- lett, tried to calm the emotions, say- ing he sympathized with the situation of the urban municipali- ties but that circumstances were Huronview building and the replacement of the director of homecare. -"I'M deeply concerned by what I'm reading in the papers," Mickle said. Referring to a series of letters to the editors of county newspapers, he said he knew there were reasons for the county to have taken the action it did but "it begs for us as councillors to make sure that. the public rem iv information on what is going on. Since 1993, the society's hoard of directors has reduced its expendi- tures by $180,000 (7.2 per cent) and last year actually had a small surplus, a portion of which was returned to the county. In an attempt to provide more service for less cost, the society has also worked with the Huron County Board of Education, Human Resources Development of Canada and the Women's Shelter to share . in programs. Public assistance in donating for the construction of a new CAS headquarters building (which came in $180,000 under budget, Knight said) has saved the society $60,000 ing, from the province. The county agreed to take the additional amount from its 1995 surplus and forgive the rest of the bill. The Agriculture and Public Works Committee has begun con- sultation meetings with road department staff to develop a plan to provide the best service at the most economical level. The first in the series of meetings was held March 14 in; Auburn while meet- ings with staff from the Wroxeter and Zurich patrols and with fore- men all tok place before the end of March. More meetings will be held in May to develop suggestions with a report coming back to the Agri- culture and Public Works Commit- tee. *** A motion that would have reduced the maintenance grants (rents) to municipalities with libraries was defeated at the March 14 meeting of the Library Board. Instead the board asked for a report on reducing hours at all libraries in order to meet budget restrictions. changing. "Roads do more than they did in the past," he said, point- ing to how important County Road 25 was to the industries of Goderich. Furthermore, he said, the county is taking over more provin- cial highways, with Highways 83, 84 and 87 to be handed over by the province shortly and there arc rumours that the county will be given even more highways. "As we assume more and more provin- cial highways, the reason for the urban rebates becomes less." Mason Bailey, reeve of Blyth, said his municipality is also con- "I find it somewhat uncomfort- able to have it pointed out as a councillor that I have a responsibil- ity when I know that the board of health is an independent organiza- tion." Murray promised-answers would be coming. "When we reach the end of our reorganization we'll be' issuing a bulletin to get information out and try to calm fears," Murray said. in rental costs, money now being used to provide preventative ser- vice to families. Further savings will be accom- plished with the sharing of Knight's -services with the Bruce County CAS. Bruce Society first approached Huron last fall to dis- cuss a study in the feasibility of merging the two agencies. There is a similarity in the communities served and the services provided. In December, without an executive director of their own, Bruce again approached Huron about sharing Knight's services. The counties arc now exploring this becoming a per- manent arrangement with the MM- " Pending required zoning changes, the county has reached a deal to sell the former library head- quarters building in Goderich. Now it must decide what to do with the proceeds. For the time being the money will be put into the general capital reserve fund. Being explored are plans to refurbish the office of the senior justice, install a new- tele- phone system, and refurbish the county council chambers. The expenditures have been delayed, however, until the county finds out more about the province's plans for courthouse closures. cerned about the reduction in money available to urban munici- palities for their roads hut suggest- ed a different route. Referring to Blyth's proposal for a tax revolt against collecting education taxes unless the system is changed, he said "We feel we've got to bring about a tax reform to make the tax system fair." That would free up money now collected for education to be used for local services, he said. Mickle and Mitchell's motion to reinstate the road rebates was easily defeated. Mickle pressed for quick action to address the concerns of the pub- lic. There are changes coming which will take homecare out of the hands of the county, he said. Point- ing to accusations the county is now paying rent on two different headquarters for homecare he won- dered where the county will be left financially when the province sets up a new agency to control home- care. istry of Community and Social Services. At $126 per child per year on welfare services, Huron's cost is well below the provincial average of $157 per child per year, Knight said. The' 1996 CAS budget is $2,140,054, with county taxpayers picking up $429,049. Huron, Middlesex HUs merge If things go well in a trial period of a month or so, Middlesex Coun- ty's Medical Officer of Health will become Huron County's MOH on a permanent basis. Ron Murray, McKillop Town- ship reeve and chair of the Huron County Board of Health announced the arrangement at the March 28 meeting of county council. Huron has been without a permanent MOH since the resignation of Dr. Maarten Bokhout to-ehter private practice. Middlesex provided tem- porary service for a while then Dr. James McGregor of Wingham served as acting MOH until Mid- dlesex agreed to take a more per- manent role. If a trial works out satisfactorily, the arrangement will be formalized, Murray said. TO CLEAN • CARPETS • UPHOLSTERY FURNITURES • CAR INTERIORS Murray promised an information package "of where we started and where we ended up" will be issued at the April 10 meeting of the Health and Seniors committee. County council briefs County gives $5,000 to IPM The welfare rate in Huron contin- ues to decrease. While there were 23 more cases with 34 more benefi- ciaries in January over December- (a 4.34 per cent increase), the year- to-year numbers dropped by 85 cases and 151 beneficiaries, a drop of 11.18 per cent. Huron has the fifth lowest percentage of the popu- lation on welfare of 62 municipali- ties in the province. Councillors defeat motion CAS cuts budet, changes priority • Easy to handle - weighs only 45 lbs. approx. • One machine - 4 operations washing/brushing/rinsing/drying • leaves no residues • 12 feet long hose for upholstery and car interiors Bring in this ad & save $5.00 on 4 hours or full day rental. Save $2.00 on 2 hour rental. Valid until June 1/96 6 1000 for 2 hrs. 6 18" for 4 hrs. $28" full day