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Huron Expositor, 2005-11-02, Page 2Page 2 November 2, 2005 • The Huron Expositor MASSAGE THERAPIST and REIKI PRACTITIONER Becky Campbell Evening Appointments Available • 137 Market St. 527-2058 JULY 29-31, 2005 WIND UP MEETING Wednesday, Nov. 9 - 7:30 p.m. Seaforth Legion Tt�a wl2 You.! On behalf of the Seaforth Optimist Club, we would like to say Thank You to Rona Cashway, Huron Concrete, Pete Klaver and GW Thompson of Mitchell for their rental equipment and material donated to repair the Ball Diamond and Playground! News Bluewater council decide not to hear de -amalgamation business plan Crystal Stewart As far as Bluewater council is concerned, the process to de -amalgamate, brought for- ward by the Hensall Community Development Action Committee has reached its end. "There's nowhere for us to go with it," says Bluewater Mayor Bill Dowson, about council's decision not to hear the business plan. That decision, made at an Oct. 17 meeting came as a surprise to some committee members. "We were slated to go on the council docket on the 21st of November to present our plan," says committee member Kay Wise. "How it got on the docket for the 17th I have no idea." Wise says she was given a time of 7:30 with almost an hour for the committee to present the business plan. But during a dis- 11 tliAN :LIAM DAIS 3 Day Store Wide Sale November 3, 4 & 5 Come in & Browse through... Fashions by Piccadily, Splendor sweaters, Parkhurst sweaters, Joseph Ribkoff Sportswear by Jeanne Pierrie, Tribal, Lana Lee, Koret, Petite Proportions, Woolrich, Orly, Spanner, Fall Jackets by Capital & Columbia —Jean by French Dressing & Ja *Excluded from this sale are items presently marked down & jewellery Save equivalent to taxes fly gaitt lady 43 Albert St. Clinton 482-7872 cussion at the earlier council meeting, at which Wise wasn't present, it was voted council wouldn't look at the plan until the Minister of Municipal Affairs changed a regulation regarding the creation of new municipalities. "We are just beside ourselves here," says Wise about council's decision. "This is not over." Wise's resolve hasn't faded in the least, she says the decision has just forced her and the committee to look to other options. "We'll bypass them if we have to because it's not going away," says Wise, adding she has already contacted the Minister and Ombudsman requesting meetings. In the Oct. 26 issue of the Lakeshore Advance it was reported that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs said the Hensall com- mittee would have to get support from council before the Ministry would entertain the idea of de -amalgamation. Some Hensall residents have been taking issue with the services they get from the municipality. The first meeting regarding de -amalgamation goes all the way back to July, 2004. At a community meeting this September, over 100 of Hensall's almost 1700 residents stood and voted for taking the next step in the de -amalgamation process. Dowson says the decision not to hear that next step - the business plan - was recorded in a unanimous vote. Council is choosing not to hear it because they say they aren't capable of properly studying it themselves. "We would have to hire someone to take a look at that plan," says Dowson. He questions where the money would come from, both to look over the plan and if de -amalgamation were to take place. "Are they going to supply the money, because it's going to take money," says Dowson, referring to the province. Roger Moyer, manager of local govern- ment with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, says the decision is entirely up to council. "It's up to council if they hear them and if they hear them it's up to council to decide what they're going to do," says Mayer. But Mayor Dowson says the job of deal- ing with the issue shouldn't be up to council and the province should step up to the plate to say they will or won't allow de -amalga- mation, and if so in what circumstances. "Where do you draw the line," questions Dowson, explaining it would be foolish if they spent money on this situation, only to have another group approach afterwards with plans of their own to leave. "Someone has to pressure the Minister to be accountable," says Dowson, "... "It's not between Hensall and us, it's between Hensall and the Minister of Municipal Affairs, They call the shots, we don't." But until the Ministry has a change of heart, the mayor is clear council has come to its final decision. "We're not entertaining it," says Dowson. "That is the end of it." Jeff Heuchert photo Four-year-old Alyshia Williamson digs through a bin of markers looking for the right colour to finish her Halloween picture at Optimist Hall Saturday afternoon.