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Times Advocate, 1998-01-28, Page 1Centralia Airpark to remain open for now By Kate Monk TT AA Kronur HURON PARK - The dost has settled at Centralia Airpark after a wild week of rumors about the fu ture of the aviation facilities. The land, runways and buildings are owned by Ontario Development Corporation (ODC), the crown cor- poration that owns the rest of Huron Park. Rumors were _ circulating through the- community that ODC. was going to close the airport. On Monday morning, John Sim-. mington of ODC's head office in Toronto said there arc no plans to close down the airpark in the near future hut couldn't say it' ODC will always own not only the airpark, but the rest of the buildings as well. "Huron Park as a whole is one of the properties owned by the Ontario Development Corporation • and ODC is looking at various different alternatives fotall its properties he cause the corporation itself is wind= ing down. But there have been no SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 NEW! Top 20 Pocket Novels plans made at this time to close it," based at the airport and an aircraft Simmington said. refinishing company each had leas - Developments during the last es for the hanger. These companies week at the airport are positive, ac- have sublet space to private pilots cording to Tom. Lawson for airplane 7 storage. of Empire Aviation Stewart said Phoenix (formerly Academy "We've got may extend the current Aviation Services). - something leases or serve eviction • Crown Phoenix Avia really good notices. tion, . a complete. air- Eviction -notices have plane 'paint shop, has here..Let's not • been posted by Ontario leased the entire Hanger screw it up. Development Corpora- -2 and holds the headLet'S work tion to terminate the lease. Simmington said with it." leases of two COM- ODC feels Phoenix is a panics in Hanger 2 -for viable tenant. - . the non-payment of The Phoenix lease rent: Huron Aircraft provides a secure source of income Refinishing and Delta Bravo Avia- for ODC which, aecording to Law- tion. son. spent $5 -million upgrading the Simmington said the situation hanger in the early '90's. He es- with these two companies is simply _ timated it'costs $150,000 per year a landlord -tenant -dispute. to heat and maintain the hanger. "lt in no wayrelates to vacating "We've had a number of dis- cussions (with Phoenix Aviation) and have . had full co-operation." Lawson said: - in the past, aviation companies space so -we can close down any- thing. ' The Phoenix lease has resulted in changes in ot►eration of the hanger • Continued on page 2 Future up In the air? While the future 'of the Centralia Airpark is on solid ground for the time being, Ontario Development Corporation is evaluating its land holdings across Ontario. Serving Exeter and area since 1873 O 0 SWednesday, January Exeter Rodeo on its way See page 2 Snow birds are heading south See Crossroads Second front Exeter staff receive two per cent raises EXETER - Exeter council ap- •' proved a two per cent salary/wage increase for its employees at last. Monday night's meeting. The mileage rate for employee use of personal vehicles for town • . business will he increased from 27 • cents to 30 cents per kilometer. The safety work hoot allowance for those full-time employee~ re- quiring such tootwear'will he in- creased to 5125 per year: • The matter of continuing henefits . for retirees was deferred. , ' Deputy Reeve. Dave Urlin pre- ._ sensed the results of the wage re- view committee. Council approved . the recommendations with little dis• - cussion, SEIP'S valu-mart 4 &.83 Exeter 235-0262 Film Developing 4.99 24 roll Council receives more information on police contract The new contract includes budget figures based on average costs across the province and sees Exeter paying for new items previously paid for by the OPP By Kate Monk T -A Reporter force 'five years ago was signed under a 1982 costing for- mula which didn't reflect all the expenses horns by the OPP. EXETER , The author of the proposed Ontario Provincial Police contract for the Town of Exeter met with the coin-' - mince of the whole -Monday night. to explain the•contract." Although couneit was-notacs *. ' ►4eaced with the mes- • sage. they appreciated the detailed presentation. Throughout his- presentation. Staff Sergeant Harry de- Wolde .of the OPP answered .questions -from council and, staff. He provided .background to the contract and went through more than 20 Iinc items. • The proposed contract, given to council in Decembcr.'in- eluded increases of- nearly 25 per cent. over the contract kigncd five. years ago and Monday night's presentation did -not include any, significant difference in the bottom 1mc. The hudget considers .the overall- picture with the police . staff re -alignment that will take place on Feb. 2 -When Exet- er's officers come under the umbrella of the London OPP rather than Goderich. ' Through deWoidc's presentation. he' emphasized several line items are -the provincial -average costs which must he • included for budget purposes. He assured the committee that if any actual costs arc less than the provincial average. Exeter will he charged the, actual amount. 1f the actual fig- ures arc ahovc the'Provincial average. the OPP picks up the. difference. - - - Exeter's initial OPP•.contract which- replaced the town DeWoldc said the new costing formula. developed by the Solicitor -f;eneral and the OPP. is based no fair -cost :re- covery which is the basis tor police services in Ontario.: Exeter- Chief Administrative Officer Rick Hundcy asked deWoldc it historical figures based:on actual costs.in Exet- er could he included in. this contract. DeWolde responded by saving that the items are not negouahlc where the lor- inula prevails hut the .town could end up paving legs it the - expenses are not incurred. - Exeter's contract includes new items the province paid for in the. past as well as items. such as wages d materials which .increased wit ► inflation since the. last contract was signed - DcW<ikle admitted although he put the contract together. several costs were out of his hands ;end were hased on •pro- vincial averages regardless of the history of Exeter budgets_ Mayor I3cn Hoogenhoom questioned him townships en- tering into OPP contracts will effect • overall costs. De- Wolde said townships will pay for current levels of po- -(icing based on the percentage of the detachment workload. "If they want an increase in service. they (townships) will "If the cost is there, it must he paid," pa) more. They will pay the same formula:- dcWoldc ex - plained. Councillor Robert Drummond said ten per cent of the contract is essentially provincial downloading. DcWoldc would not agree with Drummond but said police -services have to he revenue neutral. "if the cost is there: it must he paid.- / . --Clerk Liz Bell said if the municipality pays for police -ser- vices. it .should also receive the revenue from. fines. De- Wolde said the province has indicated this will happen in theory but - the proportion of the fines and the extent to which this will happen has not been defined. - Councillors asked whether increasing .or decreasing the number of constables would decrease costs in the long run. - Staff Sergeant Don McInnis of the Exeter OPP Office re- plied that getting the community involved in solving prob- lems is the best way of decreasing police costs. "Community involvement and community awareness to .deal with occurrences is the cheapest route." McInnis cx- plained. - Mcinnis said the OPP's mandate is not to make a. profit but docs have to recover its costs. • - "1 think we've proven ourselves. Efficiencies have been passed onto the town." he said. adding areas . where the town contract did not cover the full cost of service were not added to.thc town's tab. The contras% covers the period of Jan. -1. 1998 to Dec. 31. • 2002 and should he signed M the end of March. Charity wants to thank Lucanite LUCAN - A Kingston charity was went a,httic tar too north in its attempt to thank an anony- mous donor on Saturday's Read- er to Reader page in -the London Free Press. Leukemia Research Fund of Canada Kingston (Andy) . branch's Lili Harriss sent a letter to the Free Press about -someone who mailed $6,000 cash in a box to the charity from postal code NOM 2J0. Harriss was right ;hat ,the code pointed north, but not to Bayfield where she thought the code represented. Lucan administratdr Ron Reymer said he noticed the wrongfully identified code when he was reading the Free Press on - Saturday. In her letter. Harriss added "we would Tike to thank the gen- erous donor, or donors. The money is already at work fund- ing leukemia research. Sign of the times Making tracks .New signage. Lucan will finally get new entrance/exit signs along Hwy. 4. Shown here is a rough drawing of what the front of the sign will look like. Community groups that want to put their emblems on the sign must confine to the vil- lage's criteria on size. The traditional shamrock will be re- placed by Lucan's crest in the centre of the sign and shrubs and perennials will be planted beneath the sign. The sign committee is still working on how the color sand- blasted wood sign will look. The two signs will cost $800 each and the committee is looking for help in funding the project. Sledding It. Sheila Murray, left, hauls her charges, Alyssa Sweitzer and her son Derick, to Exeter Public School along Gidley St. on Monday morning for their junior kindergarten class. The light dusting of snow overnight made their trip to school a smooth one. By the way, De - rick will celebrate his fifth birthday on Monday. janua rr¥ C, ear(:: X 111 ( (-' , FINAL 5DAYS SALE ENDS FEB.1 Al Storewide Savings ALL MERCHANDISE RE ave Up to OTables, Lamps, Sofas. Chairs, 0 Bedding, Chairs, Bedroom Suites, Dtntngroom Suites, Sofa Beds, Sewing Machines, End Tables. Cottage Tables, Leather Furniture. Wall Units, Area Rugs, Pictures, Mirrors. Entertainment Centres, Cedar Chests, Ceramics, Etc. Off Reg. Prices tnnegs Fine Furniture & Window Fashions 467 Main St. Exeter 235-0173