The Citizen, 1999-12-08, Page 28PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1999.
County clarifies
policing bylaw
With the Town of Wingham having
commenced action to determine the
legality of the county’s bylaw
assumption of policing, Huron
County council passed a new bylaw
Thursday clarifying the original
bylaw.
The new bylaw says the county did
not intend to assume any liability for
the operation or disbandment of the
Wingham force and that the county’s
police services board has no
authority to assume Wingham's lia
bilities without approval of county
council.
Lynn Murray, county clerk-admin
istrator, said the county had been
given a legal opinion that the new
bylaw should be passed.
Council also passed an “agree
ment” which will be sent to
Wingham spelling out the county’s
terms under Bylaw 9. Wingham
Clerk-Treasurer John Stewart said
later, however, to the best of his
knowledge there is no agreement on
the matter between the county and
the town.
On Nov. 22 Wingham’s solicitor
John Skinner had filed an application
in Superior Court, Goderich asking
the court to determine the validity of
Bylaw 9 and if the bylaw is legal, if
the county had assumed costs of
operating and disbanding the
Wingham police force.
The new county bylaw created
debate among councillors.
“I have trouble passing a bylaw .
that clarifies a previous bylaw,” said
Lin Steffler, reeve of Seaforth.
“Why not rescind the first bylaw?”
Blyth Reeve Mason Bailey said he
felt Wingham’s application to the
court would clarify the original
bylaw and a new bylaw wasn't need
ed.
Murray said the intent of the new
bylaw was to “put council’s purpose
on paper”.
Bruce Machan, reeve of Wingham
said the town was just trying to find
the legal way of disbanding its force,
now that the county has taken over
policing. He didn’t see why the
county needed a new bylaw.
But Jack Coleman, reeve of
Stanley, said the county could not
harm anything by clarifying the orig
inal bylaw.
County to operate
ambulance service
County service
cheapest of
3 options
The public gallery erupted in
applause Dec. 2 as more than a dozen
paramedics cheered Huron County
council’s unanimous decision to
make ambulance service a county
department.
The vote came after paramedics
from three different ambulance serv
ices urged council not to accept a
recommendation from the county’s
administration, finance and person
nel committee to seek bids from pri
vate operators.
Operating the service as a depart
ment of county government was the
cheapest of three options put forward
by a consultant hired by the county
and nine other southwestern Ontario
municipalities after ambulance serv
ice was downloaded by the province
to upper-tier municipalities.
Also considered was carrying on
with the same operators who current
ly provide service
and asking pri
vate ambulance
services to pro
vide proposals to
provide the serv
ice.
The consultant estimated the cost
of operating the service by the coun
ty to be about $3 million a year com
pared to $3.1 million by contracting
with existing operators and $3.7 for
new private operators. In addition,
where private operators were hired
the county would still require staff to
co-ordinate with the province, the
private providers and hospitals.
“Having staff is something we’re
looking at either way,” said Craig
Metzger who is co-ordinating the
county’s efforts on ambulance serv
ice.
Brian McBurney, reeve of
Tumberry explained that the admin
istration, finance and personnel com
mittee had leaned toward a county
system but one of the existing opera
tors had made a strong case at the
committee meeting in favour of
being offered a chance to operate the
system. It was on that basis he and
Laurie Cox, reeve of Goderich Twp.
had proposed seeking proposals from
private operators.
The three paramedics who spoke at
the meeting, however, argued that
the county could operate the system
with less expense and province job
security for paramedics as well.
Mark Borrmann pointed out a private
operator would have to hire staff to
, dq things like payroll while the coun
ty already has a payroll department.
In addition, the county would have to
pay GST to a private operator,
increasing its costs. A county-run
system also allows more flexibility
to change the system without having
to renegotiate with a contractor, he
said.
“We want to see the best service
being delivered to the people of the
county, our neighbours, our
friends and our relatives,” said
Borrmann.
Lin Steffler, reeve of Seaforth, said
coming to a deci
sion on what was
the best route to
go with ambu
lance services
had been diffi
cult.
“If I have to be responsible for this
system and responsible for the cost
of this system, then I want to have
more than an arm’s length relation
ship,” she said. “I strongly support a
county department but it must be put
together with care.”
Robin Dunbar, reeve of Grey
agreed saying he felt the county
should run the system and base the
ambulances at the hospitals.
Mason Bailey, reeve of Blyth,
while ultimately supporting a county
system expressed caution.
“My biggest concern is that we
don't rush into a situation where we
end up with a system that’s con
trolled by half a dozen bureaucrats in
this building,” he said. “How can we
do this without putting absolute con
trol in a few hands? Is there some
sort of advisory committee?”
McBurney expressed confidence
in future councillors to be able to
keep control of the service and not
allow it to be run by staff.
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