Lucknow Sentinel, 2009-12-30, Page 1C
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Week 1 ' Vol. 137
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Publications Mail Registration No. 07656
•
Bringing Together
Huron & Bruce
www.lucknowsentinel.com
►uncil puts
•
Photo by Sara Bender
The Lucknow and District Fire Department responded to a house fire at the farm of
John and Tracy Husk, near Kinloss, at about 8 a.m., on Monday, : Dec. 28. The Ripley -
Huron Fire Department was -cad to assist. The cause of the fire and total cost of
damage was unknown before press time on Monday.
Expect social assistance
cases to be less in 2010
vt
BY PAT HALPIN
Special to the Sentinel
Bruce County. social services reports
signs that the Ontario Works caseload is
leveling off,
There was a 17 per cent increase in
applications for social assistance from
2008 to 2009, said director Terry
Sanderson. But he does not expect as
big a jump through the coming year.
"I'm expecting to project about eight
per cent increase for 2010 but so far our
intakes have been fairly low and we've
been Join$ quite well," Sanderson said.
Sanderson is cautious about reading
too much in to the figures, but said it's
a good indication that the local econo-
my is improving.
"I think it's a good sign. I can't say it
conclusively but I'd say it's a good sign
that the economy is starting to turn
around," he said.
Bruce County had a monthly average
of 497 public assistance cases in 2009.
BY SARA BENDER .
Sentinel Staff
Huron -Kinloss Twp:
Council will not be
increasing their remunera-
tion this year.
At the Dec. 21 township
meeting, council decided
to freeze their remunera-
tion for a year, to allow the
next council t0 then make
a decision.
"It's just in good faith
(to oppose anincrease),"
said Deputy -Mayor Wilf
Gamble.
Mayor ' Mitch 'Nolan
said Bruce County council
also decided to freeze their
remuneration early this
month.
"It's hard . to make a
decision about this when
we are in the public eye
but we were elected bythe
public to make these deci-
sions," said Twolan. "We
compare our pay to other
municipalities and that's
how. we base our deci-
sion."
Coun. Jim Hanna said a
new council should be
allowed to consider any
increase to the remu nera-
tion. He added "I hate to
put them in any awkward
situation. It is difficult to
be negotiating your own
salary."
A bylaw was brought
forward to accept a one per
cent pay increase but was
rejected by council.
Council did approve a one
per cent increase bylaw for
non-union municipal
employees and for part-
time casual wages for
2010-2011. The township
has 12 unionized employ-
ees which . includes the
public works and landfill
r staff, and the chief build-
ing official.
Colin. Lillian Abbott
said she likes the county
council's idea of having a
separate sub -committee
consisting of members of
the public and former
mayors and councillors
who would consider these
issues for council. Twolan
said that issue could _also
be decided upon by the
new council.
Wind turbines
Huron -Kinloss Twp.
Council endorsed a resolu-
tion
esolu-tion from the County of
Grey petitioning the feder-
al and provincial govern-
ment to instruct their agen-
cies responsible for public
health, energy creation and
management to complete
the following:
• Dedicate resources to
the necessary scientific
research to consider the
impact of low frequency
noise; electrical and elec-
tromagnetic disturbances
in areas of industrial wind
turbines with the intent to
confirm/ deny public
health implications; and
technology and infrastruc-
ture being used.
Continued on page 2