The Citizen, 2005-10-20, Page 31THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2005. PAGE 31.
Grey residents
have their sav
By Heather Crawford
Citizen staff'
A ratepayers public meeting was
held at the Cranbrook Hall, Monday,
Oct. 17. Grey ward councillors Mark
Beaven, Alvin McLellan and mayor
Joe Seili were present to hear
concerns, comments and questions
and to relay some of the issues that
have been occurring at council
meetings.
Beaven reported that the cell
phone tower in Brussels is
constructed however it is not yet
working. “It should be working
shortly,” he said. “It's good to see
something that we wanted in
action.”
Beaven initiated the project to
give the residents of Brussels cell
phone access. The tower is from
Roger’s Communication. It is still
unclear whether the cell phone tower
will help residents with Bell service.
Beaven addressed the issue of
long distance barriers in the area
stating that he has communication
with “Joe’s friends in Ottawa,” and
Huron East is second on the list of
municipalities. Ottawa is first on the
list to have their long distance
barriers changed and then there is a
group of about 30 secondary
municipalities. “It’s still in process,”
he said.
On Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m.
at the Grey shed, there will be a
meeting addressing the 150th
anniversary for Brussels.
Seili discussed the new meat
packing plant. The biggest concern
from the people in attendance
seemed to be where the money
would be coming from and whether
or not there would be enough
resources of water and sewage to
support it.
Seili said that the planners and
developers intend for the plant to be
farmer owned with money coming
from the federal government as well
as the farmers who invest.
It is estimated to cost
approximately $30-20 million to
build the plant and also for about six
months’ operating cost, Seili
explained.
“The Japanese and Chinese
markets are talking to the
consultants,” he said.
There has also been interest
expressed from farmers near and far.
Seili said he spent “90 per cent of
the time at the plowing match in
Listowel talking about the plant.”
“The U.S. is dropping in beef
export and Brazil, and Argentina are
picking up. These are markets that
could be available to us if we’re not
going through the U.S.,” he said.
Sixty per cent of youth in this area
don’t go to university but they finish
high school and then go to the cities
to get work. Seili said that with the
meat packing plant, young people
might stay in the area to work.
He also confirmed that there are
enough resources to support the
plant. There is a sewage line at the
end of Brussels and the planners are
looking at different technology to
help conserve as well.
“There is European equipment
that requires 60 percent less water,”
he said. Also, there is a reservoir that
fills at night and is used throughout
the day that was discussed. They are
looking into using this technology
and getting the training for operating
it.
Water and sewage is user pay, so it
wouldn’t be al the cost of taxpayers
across the municipality, Seili said.
“Brussels has (wo wells,” Seili
said. “It wouldn’t be until phase four
before we would have to expand the
water which is about 30 years down
the road and 4,000 head per week.”
Also there was concern about
pollution from the plant being close
to the river. Seili said “everything
would be in a containment system."
suggesting that pollution would not
be a problem.
There has been interest in the plant
from organic farmers as well and
Seili said there wouldn’t be a
problem switching from organic to
non-organic. The plant will be able
to fully process some meat but some
would have to be frozen and
transplanted elsewhere.
There has been strong support
from the council for this plant. Seili
expects to hear the final word from
the consultants in late October and
to start pouring concrete in the
spring.“We’re plugging away at it,”
he said.
The chip and tar on the Moncrieff
Road leading up to the cemetery was
a contentious issue at the meeting.
Many of the people present were
upset with the way the job turned
out. The councillors reported that
there have been complaints of the
road being dusty and stoney. Beaven
said council has been told that traffic
needs to put the stone back in.
Tuckersmith has tar and chip
roads which cost half as much as
asphalt, Beaven said and they are
“beautiful." Council said they are
giving the road one year, (from last
spring) to fix itself before they are
going to take any action to change it.
Some of the people present said they
did not think that the road would fix
itself before the spring and that the
councillors, “were taken.”
There is a bridge in Grey that was
brought up as needing to be fixed.
McLellan said that he isn’t certain
when that will be occurring but there
are plans within the next five years.
Beaven reported that he was
speaking to police in the area, and
there has been an increase in the
amount of break-and-enters, and
thefts lately. Police stated that the
majority of the people committing
these acts come from out-of-town.
He said this is a burden on local
police and is requesting that some
recognition of this problem takes
place. “I’m not sure what should
happen yet,” he said, “but we’re
working on it.”
The new provincial policy for
severance was discussed and Seili
reported that the new change in the
policy is that if someone severs land
(of a certain acreage), then they
would not be able to build a surplus
dwelling.
Many of the residents at the
meeting said they were not happy
with the amalgamation and would
like to de-amalgamate and think that
there should be a vote. Beaven said
that a business plan might work and
that he supports people ‘getting
support for this even though he does
not agree with the decision himself.
There has been a petition signed
and a business plan is being
discussed among the residents.
Councillors also discussed current
value assessment. “It is no reflection
of someone’s ability to pay,” Beaven
said. One resident said that she lives
close to the river and her assessment
doubled. “I intend to complain,” she
said. “When I have an entire
morning off just to sit on the phone
waiting.”
Seili said with the market value
assessment, “higher assessments pay
for lower assessments.” Also
councillors said they were
concerned there would be little
incentive to keep up property
Continued on page 32
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Meet & Greet with M.C. Tom Melady
CKNX UPDATE
Introduce the Harmony Kings
Thank the Harmony Kings and acknowledge their contribution
CKNX UPDATE
Lucy Peacock: Performs a number from Hello Dolly
CKNX UPDATE
Introduce: Chris Lee (Thank you for Moto-Cross)
Laura Elligsen: Vocal Solo
CKNX UPDATE
Elvis Gospel: Vocal
CKNX UPDATE
Introduce: Bruce Whitmore and Bill Strong (Thank
you for Homecoming)
Thomas Murray: Vocal Solo
Lucy Peacock: Farewell & Thank you
CKNX UPDATE
Lunch - Pizza
CKNX UPDATE
Tom Melady and Fiddle Tunes
CKNX UPDATE
Tom Melady and Fiddle Tunes Continue
CKNX UPDATE
Tom Melady and Fiddle Tunes Continue
CKNX UPDATE
VARIETY SHOW : Featuring Sherry McCall’s Cloggers &
Steppers and Elvis (Jack Storey)
CKNX UPDATE
WRAP UP