Times Advocate, 1999-09-15, Page 22
1
Exeter.ThileseAdvocate
Wednesday, September 15, 1999
Regional
wrap u
Coundl turns
down ' •
generators
•
GODERICH -- A
back-up power source ,
for Huron county's two•
homes for the aged in
the event of a power
failure on Jan. 1 will
not be there, reports
The: Huron -Expositor.
At its Sept. 2 meeing,'
Huron County council
defeated a motion to
purchase, a generator
for -Huronview in Clin-
ton. and Huronlett in
Brussels.
. Both sites have back-
up generators for elec-
trical services but
nothing for gas service
back-up. The $45,000
generator would have
been transported be-
tween the two sites.
• Councillors didn't be-
lieve there will be a
problem on Jan. 1,
2000.
Development
ch ges
lowered
ST. MARYS --= Coun-
cil here has approved
a new lot development
charge bylaw, reports
the St. Marys Journal -
Argus.
Lot development
charges on detached
single family dwellings
will be reduced from
the previous rate of
$1,980 to $1,773.
The fee, collected by
the town at the time of
application for a build-
ing permit, is designed
to. cover long term ex-
penditures paid for by
the town which are re-
lated to residential and -
industrial growth: •
Tip), need to change
the previous bylaw
was dictated by the
province after the. De.-,
velopment . Charges Act
was passed in 1997.
Refugee
children
enrol
LISTOWEL -- Koso,
vnr children living in
Listowel have started
the new school year at
the town's school, re-
ports the Listowel ,Ban-
ner.
The school will re-
ceive additional ▪ Sup-
port to help with the
students if necessary,
according to. Marie
Parsons of the Avon
.Maitland District
'School Board.
1_.
I
In the News
Public says ambulance system is working well
Continued from front page
Ontario Public Service Employees Union rep-
resentative said the union predicts ambu-
lance services will become profit-making
venturts.,
American companies are bidding on ser-
vices in other Ontario counties, she said and
are making a profit on transfers between
hospitals or nursing homes.
• Warriner said parameds want a not-for-
profit delivery service, want to- be considered
an essential service and want to, be fully
funded so they can do essential work.
-She •added, parameds want their jobs guar-
anteed'because they want to stay in Huron
County and if they become county employees,
they want to be in a separate bargaining
unit. ;, ,.; t .;:t.
Metzger said the county could build job
guarantees and other staffing Issues intothe
request for proposals if they wished.
Rob Verberne who works for Hoffman and
Thames Valley Ambulance Services, said ser-
vices in the area can be better with increased
staffing and more training.
Verberne said he doesn't feel the level of
care in Huron County is sufficient because he
has seen the higher level of care in London
and the increased chances of survival. He
added county council has the opportunity to
improve the level of service.
Metzger replied the county is making a
request to the province to train paramedics ,
to a higher lev91. He said he has heard esti-
mates of costs of $30,000 per paramedic to
get to the next level.
Bob Brown of Zurich summarized the
meeting by saying the existing system should
be a foundation upon which to base refine-
ments.
"I'd say you're likely halfway there
already," he told Metzger.
Huron County has a total of 68 paramedics
with 24 full-time and 50 part time para-
medics (some part time paramedics work for
more than one service provider in the coun-
ty). Land ambulance services cost $3 million
per year.
Following this round of public meetings, a
report will be presented to, the county's
Administration, Finance and Personnel com-
mittee on Nov. 18 and its recommendations
will gq,2to county council for a decision on
which management option it will pursue.
angerous dogs specificallfthiee
Continued from front page
The bylaw also states:
"No person owning, har-
bouring or possessing a
dog shall fail to remove
and sanitarily dispose of
any excrement of the said
dog." There is a $53.50
fine for failing to remove
the excrement.
Once, a dog has been
designated as potentially
dangerous or dangerous,
the owner will be served
notice to comply with sev-
eral requirements.
When the dog is on the
land or premises of the
owner, it shall be confined
within the premises or in
a fenced yard or enclosed
pen which is humane for
the dog while preventing
it from escaping or allow -
in new bylaw
ing a child to enter.
The dog must only be
walked by an adult and
must be muzzled while
walking and comply with
all other bylaw conditions.
The conditions apply to
dogsaiving in _ or visiting
the village.
The registration fee for a
dangerous or potentially,
dangerous dog is $100
and fines for failing to
comply with the restric-
tions are $100.
Councils
HENSALL — " The
amalgamating Bluewater
municipalities are . now
ready to take their
restructuring proposal
back to their respective
councils.
Last Wednesday's
meeting in Hensall saw
the group finish the final
amendments to their
amalgamation proposal
and, with approval from
all five councils, the
proposal will next go to
county council for
approval.
The amalgamation
committee sent a motion
to the individual councils
suggesting they accept
the proposal by the end t
of September. Zurich
and Hensall councils
both accepted the
to decide on Bluewater amalgamation
proposal.
The group -- Hensall,
Zurich, Hay, Stanley and
Bayfield - also. finally
made a decision on how
to , include the Bayfield
'Marina, in the
amalgamaion proposal.
For the past two
amalgamation meetings,
Bayfield Reeve • Doug
Grant and Coun. Diane
Denomme have
maintained thattourism
and the Bayfield, Marina
must be prornOted and
protected after
amalgamation. • The
group decided -lash week
that income . from the
Bayfield Marina will go
into a reserve fund,
which will be used for
operating the marina,
expanding and
maintaining the marina
and promoting tourism.
In exchange, the
marina will pay an
annual tax to the new
municipality based on
assessment: and an
annual rent to the
municipality based on
the expenses accrued by
the marina.
After amalgamation,
the Bayfield marina will
be run by a committee
consisting of: a member
of council elected at
large; * the member of
council from the Bayfield
ward; ' a representative
from • the Bayfield
hospitality industry; a
representative from the
Bayfield retail industry;`
and a representative
from the Bayfield service
clubs.
Grant explained his
original idea for a
committee also included
a. representative from
the other . Bayfield
marinas.
He ' removed that
representative because,
since the other marinas
are in competition with
the municipally -owned
marina, they may be
against any expansion to
the Bayfield Mama.
Including a
representative from the
other marinas would
also make it a committee
of six, which could Lead
to ties in voting.
The committee also
discussed the possibility
of putting a five-year cap
on municipalities
spending their general
reserves before all
reserves go into the
same pot, but no
decision was made.
Stanley Township
Reeve Jack Coleman also -
raised concerns about
where revenues from the,,
Stanley gravel pit. in
Goderich Township will
go after amalgamation.
Again, no decision was
made, although ' the
committee agreed the
transition board will
look at the issue.
The transition board
will be formed after
approval. from Huron
County council, which
• will probably be in
October.
. _
Lucan Blicidulp comic to wai
months to decide
T,• ,
By Scott Nixon
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
LUCAN BIDDULPH --- To sell or not to
sell. That is the question Lucan Biddulph
council was unable to answer, concerning
its hydro Last week.
Council discussed the issue at its Sept. 7
meeting, two weeks after consultants
KPMG estimated the municipality could
sell its Lucan Granton Hydro Electric
Commission for as much as $1.2 million.
Instead of deciding to sell, council de-
cided after much discussion to "invite po-
tential purchasers to submit a purchase
proposal", and also allow the Lucan Gran-
ton Hydro Electric Commission six months
to submit a business plan showing the
municipality why it should keep the hydro
commission and run it as a business.
Several councillors, including Glenn Sil-
ver, Doug Anderson and Perry Caskanette
said they were uncomfortable making a
decision now on whether or not to sell the
hydro.
Deputy Reeve Bob Benner, on the other
hand, argued council has waited long
enough to act on the issue and said the
future of hydro
hydro commission has already had plenty
of time to submit a business plan to coun-
cil. Benner also explained the advantages
t #2<Y
of selling.
If Lucan Biddulph sells its hydro, Ben-
ner said, the ratepayers "will have $1
million in their pockets," which can help
finance the Granton sewer project. He
also said he has seen no indication the
township wilt be able to make $1 million
by keeping hydro.
In fact, the KPMG analysis suggested
the township will make between $35,000-
$40.000 annually if it keeps the hydro, al-
though hydro general manager Randy
Kraut said he thinks revenues can be
higher than that.
The decision to sell or not to sell is not
an historical decision, Benner argued, it's
a business decision.
He encouraged council "to get on with
it" and make a decision.
Caskanette wanted more time, though.
"I want to wait and I want to review
things," he said.
Representatives from the hydro com-
mission urged council not to rush into a
decision and suggested council look at all
the options before reaching a decision.
Some options, in addition to keeping or
selling, are to expand the current hydro
system or amalgamate with a neigh-
bouring system. '
Coun. Harry Wraith said he is against
selling the utility to an outside bidder.
First, he said he believes the Lucan Gran-
ton Hydro to be worth more than KPMG's
estimated $1.2 million. Secondly, he said
the $10,000 council paid to KPMG for the
analysis was a waste of time and money.
Reeve Earl French later disagreed with
Wraith that the study was a waste of mon-
ey.
While Coun. George Marr originally said
the hydro commission should be given
three months to come up with a business
plan for council, Kraut said that was not
enough time, resulting in the extension to
six months.
Coun. Paul Wallis said the hydro com-
mission's business plan should show coun-
cil in what kind of shape the commission
thinks it will be in four or five years.
Benner said he wants to see council
schedule a public information session on
the issue to get the public involved.
Apprillinwr
•
•