Times Advocate, 1994-7-20, Page 2f
Page 2
Times -Advocate, July 20, 1994
911 on hold
for Bruce
County
WALKERTON - Plans for a
911 service in Bnt'ce County
failed to get unanimous approval
by County Council at its June 27
meeting.
Kinloss Township proved to
be the only hold-oht, casting the
future of the $760,000 project
+t into question.
"I fell very bad to say no,"
said Kinloss reeve Jim Boyle.
911 chairman Paul Eagleson
argued that his committee's task
was over with the failure to get
unanimous support for the pro-
posal.
But Boyle was optimistic that
the service could be approved
before municipal elections next,
year, it was reported in the
Wingham Advanced Times.
"I don't think it's a lost cause
yet, said Boyle. "I think we can
swing it," he said.
Transport
company
may leave
ST. MARYS - Future plans
for Ulch Transport, a 13 -year-
old St. Marys business, are on
hold after town council refused a
request for a parcel of land by
the company.
The company's lease at its cur-
rent location expires August 20.
Owner Bob Wilhelm told the
Journal Argus he won't make
any firm decisions about the fu-
ture of the business until after
town council's next meeting
which he called the last chance
for his company to stay in town.
A statement from the last
council meting read in part,
"Council felt this acreage was
• better suited for an employer re-
quiring a larger square footage
facility.
Wilhelm had hoped'to buy
land in one or two places, both
on James Street South, but has
been denied.
District
Health
Council
meets
MITCHELL - At least one
'geeing acquainted' meeting has
been held with the 20 new %em-
bers of the Huron -Perth District
Health Council, chairman Jeff
Wilbee told the Mitchell. Advo-
cate last Monday.
"The members have got to get
a good understanding of the is-
sues," he said. As well commit-
tees will also have to be estab-
lished.
The health council will take a
lead role in local health planning
as well as making sure residents
get the most out of the health
system in terms of care and effi-
ciency, for example.
Little
interest in
Huronview
renovations
GODERICH - A two-phase S3
million renovation to the old Hu-
ronview building didn't draw a
lot of interest at a recent meeting
in Goderich.
Barely half a dozen people
showed last Monday for a public
meeting on the massive project.
Demolition of therrtta l por-
tion of the building arfie re-
moval of asbestos has already
begun.
The next phase will involve
renovation of the north building
and improvements to the south
building, it was reported in the
Clinton News -Record.
Architect Charles Hazell said
renovations, "will have a dra-
matic impact on Clinton, and the
county.
Heated debate over Town Hall project
Mayor cautions losers to drop complaints over final outcome of vote
Continued fforn front page
the design, and agreed some of their concerns could be
factored into the final design of the property.
"What will happen to library in the meantime", asked
councillor Ben Hoogenboom.
"It'll stay until some future council decides what to do,"
said mayor Shaw.
"Or until it falls down," came a whisprh from the gallery.
Councillor Robert Drummond pointed out the $1.1 mil-
lion cost estimate for all three phases did not include archi-
tect's fees, landscaping, or service relocation.
"So when you add those in you can probably add another
quarter [million] to it," said Drummond.
Works superintendent 6Ienn Kells said an estimate to re-
place present sewer lines on the property and to add two
new manholes would be about $16,000. Hydro, gas, and
telephone lines would have to be moved also, he said.
When asked about architect's fees, Robertson replied "We
have not negotiated that yet." He said typical fees can run
10-12 percent of the total project, but -can be less.
Councillor Robert Drummond said an earlier proposal to
join the town library with the Public School would cost less
than the $500,000 of phase two. Shaw noted that proposal
proved unpopular with those who want to see the library re-
main downtown.
"If they're going to have a new library in the middle of
town, they'd better get their hands out of their pockets and
pay for it," said Drummond, arguing a "majority" of tax-
payers might feel otherwise.
Shaw noted the library does have 4,500 subscribers in a
town of 4,300, thus many are coming from out of town.
But he repeated his point that the evening's vote only con-
cerned phase one.
"Of a project you can't afford to finish," said Drummond.
"So you don't do anything?" queried councillor Bob
Spears.
It was reeve Bill Mickle who finally forwarded the mo-
tion to apply for federal/provincial infrastructure funding
for phase one.
"I look upon this as one of the focal points of this com-
munity for many years," said Mickle, who said arguments
about which portions of the project costs came from prop-
erty taxes were pointless.
r"It's all taxpayer's money...we were given an allocation of
so many dollars per community....we have spent a third of
it on things that will be happening underground," he said.
Mickle noted if the entire project were dropped the town
ratepayers' only tax savings would be municipal. Their fed-
eral and provincial portions of the infrastructure will be
spent in other regions, he said.
Councillor Ben Hoogenboom spoke against the motion
insisting "There's far too many uncertainties."
"I can't believe we're accepting a project of this mag-
nitude with so many uncertainties," said Hoogenboom.
"I think it's a great project," replied deputy -reeve Lossy
Fuller.
"I don't think it's wanted. I don't think it's needed, and I
don't think we can afford it," restated Drummond.
Mickle asked for a recorded vote, including the mayor.
in the end those in favour included Fuller, Dave Urlin,
Spears, Mickle, and Shaw. Those against were Hoo-
genboom, Drummond, Bert Branderhorst, and Ervin Sil-
lery.
At the end of the meeting Drummond commented to
council that the whole issue left a "bad taste in my mouth".
"I do hope the taste remains long enough that enough
people run for council," said Drummond. He said many
people tell him they didn't support the "Heritage Square"
project.
"I know bloody well that the people who talk to me tell
me it's a bloody good idea," replied Shaw. "But people will
tell you what they think you want to hear. You should
know that as a politician."
"This is a minor project compared to what we're doing
with the water a96 sewage," said Shaw.
"1 would like to remind council it wasn't that long ago we
criticized the Children's Aid Society for building a million
dollar facility without the money to fund it," said Hoo-
genboom. •
Shaw, visibly annoyed, cautioned council that after
lengthy debate the issue had been settled. He suggested the
fall's election would not be decided on votes of each coun-
cillor, but how well they conducted themselves in the de-
bate.
"I doubt very much if any of you is going to be elected or
defeated on the way you voted tonight," said Shaw, adding
that continued complaints from the losing side would not
help the issue.
"Dammit, it's over," Shaw snapped at Hoogenboom, and
later apologized for his outburst.
Board of Education
reaches agreement
with teacher reps
The Social Contract as well as col-
lective agreements finalized by teach-
er representat'ves and the board
CLINTON - Long term n 'ations dealing with the Social Con-
tract Act and collective agr encs have been reached for some
teaching staff with the Huron County Board of Education.
Last Thursday board officials announced that negotiations with ap-
proximately 271 secondary teachers has ended on a positive note as
a two year agreement has been reached.
As well the board announced an agreement was reached for 371
elementary teachers to deal with implementing the Social Contract.
For secondary school teachers represented by the Ontario Sec-
ondary School Teachers' Federation - District 45 the agreement
means concerns such as benefrtplyns and retirement of teachers will
be addressed.
•
As well the collective agreement deals with changes due tot he
Social Contract such as teacher workload since 12 full time teaching
positions were cut due to the Act.
The agreement with those elementary teachers represented by the
Huron Women Teachers' Association and the Optario Public School
Teachers' Federation for Huron, covers the three years of the Social
Contract and indicates staff reductions will take place over the next
two school years.
The reductions will come through attrition.
The agreement also touches on how salaries will be affected over
the next few years because of the Social Contract.
Secondary teachers have been negotiating since mid-February and
elementary negotiations have been ongoing for the past 11 months.
Moncurs lived on
William Street
A woman who remembers the
family is able to fill in more gaps
about the people behind the high
school's Moncur Scholarship
EXETER - A few more pieces have been added to the mystery of
the South Huron District High School.
A longstanding Exeter resident, who asked her name not be used,
said she could fill in a few missing details about the Moncur family
after last week's Times -Advocate published the results of research
into the origins of the scholarship by Dave McClure of Crediton.
Although it is possible the family may have operated a pharmacy
in town, the William Moncur she remembered was a travelling sales-
man who left Exeter on the train every Monday morning, returning
Fridays.
The Moncur's daugnter Edith, believed to have been a graduate of
Exeter High School, died in about in 1921. A few month's after her
death, the family left town.
Described as "rigidly Presbyterian" the family lived in a brick
home, still standing today, on the east side of William Street be-
tween Gidlcy and Victoria Streets.
Lucan water for sale
LUCAN - At the July 13 meeting
of village council, works superin-
tendent Doug Johnston reported
that water would bekavdilable for
bulk sales in about two weeks from
the tower of the newly installed wa-
ter system.
Johnston said he was completing
the changes necessary within the
next few days to make water availa-
ble in large amounts and the rates
to be charged will be set by council
on August 2.
Taking advantage of this service
will be those who need extra water
for swimming pools, farming oper-
ations including spraying and those
with wells going dry.
At the same meeting, Dan Daum
of Kime, Mills and Dunlop present-
ed and reviewed the 1993 audit re-
port for the village. A considerable
surplus for the year was partly re-
sponsible for holding the mill rate
for village purposes when the new
tax rate was set a month ago.
Daum said the fact the village
was able to increase reserves was a
good sign. He continued, " Having
reserves will help meet additional
pressures with ease.
Education tax hike no
fault of Huron, council told
Council understands it better, but does the public?
ZURICH - Janet Baird -Jackson
from the Huron Board of Education
met with Zurich council last
Wednesday evening, attending at
council's request to explain a notice
enclosed in municipal tax bills.
Although the notice was a plea
for understanding from taxpayers
over why the board raised its own
mill rate six percent in 1994, coun-
cil said they didn't understand its
reasoning.
Baird -Jackson pointed out the
province sets a ceiling (per student)
on what it will pay each board.
Any expenditures above that
amount have to be borne by the lo-
cal taxpayer.
'The fact is our trustees can bold
expenditures the same, one year to
the next, but the mill rate still goes
Zurich in
better shape
over finances
in past year
ZURICH - The village's finances
have improved a bit over the past
year, council was told last Wednes-
day evening. Tax arrears in Zurich,
for instance, dropped to about seven
percent in 1993, half of I992's ar-
rears.
Cash reserves arc also double
1992's total, auditor Ted Thorne ex-
plained to council, putting the vil-
lage in good financial shape
The village has trimmed council
expenses, the waste management
budget, but is spending more on the
recreation centre and the sanitary
sewer system.
Capital expenses for 1993 were
half of 1992's, down to $55,456.
"You're in great shape, you've got
133 grand in the bank at the end of
the year," said Thorne.
"Not too many years ago our re-
serves were almost depicted, we
had nothing in the hank," said reeve
Bob Fisher.
Young,
offenders
charged with
shoplifting in
Grand Bend
GRAND BEND - Two young of-
fenders were arrested and charged
with shoplifting in Grand Bend on
Thursday by theflrand Bend OPP.
Police report that four village
businesses, Ripples Fashions, Snug-
gles, Casual Factory, and Fun Sun
and Fit, were the targets of a male
and female who shoplifted about
$165 worth of goods. Only about
$100 worth of merchandise was re-
covered by police.
Both were charged with theft un-
der $1,000. Neither can be identi-
fied under provisions of the Young
Offenders Act.
up," said Baird -Jackson.
She said even if the province in-
creases its ceiling, it can adjust the
split in funding to further download
the cost on the property tax.
"What they did this year was
something a little more perverse,
they attacked equalized assess-
ment," she said.
"They increased those factors that
made Huron look like a wealthier
board overnight," she said.
"There may be one or two people
in the province who understand the
whole concept," she admitted.
"They're theory is Metro Toronto
went down and Windsor went
down [in property values], rel-
atively,..so ' everyone_ else, in the
province wag more we8lthjf," ex-
plained Baird -Jackson. "That's
where we're saying the grant sys-
tem itself doesn't work anymore."
Huron County is spending $485
per elementary student over the
grant ceiling, but Metro Toronto is
paying $2,269 per student over
their ceiling - "it's because they
have that assessment base".
Total expenditures per student
are only slightly higher in Toronto.
"Certainly we've lobbied the
province for finance reform," she
said, but said the notices were sent
in the hope of getting more public
reaction to the situation.
She said the lobbying of the
school boards hasn't worked, so the
next step was to hope public pres-
sure on politicians would help.
"I couldn't understand how the
province could change that," said
reeve Bob Fisher of the assessment
shift. He said Baird -Jackson's ex-
planation has helped him, "But the
ordinary person in the street, are
they going to understand it."
Baird -Jackson warned that the
province may shift assessment
again in an effort to reduce overall
education funding and download
more on smaller board's like Huron.
"I know we're going to be hit
again, I just don't know how badly
yet," said Baird -Jackson.
Huron Park
airport not
affected by
federal cost-
cutting
ostcutting plans
HURON PARK - The airport at
Huron Park is not likely to be on
the federal government's hit list of
facilities to be shut down or sold
off.
Gerry Damm at the Huron Park
Ontario Development Corporation's
office said that while the airport op-
erates under approval from Trans-
port Canada, it otherwise has no
federal involvement now that it is
owned by the provincial corpora-
tion.
Damm said he is still wondering
what is holding up the airport's re-
certification as a flight training fa-
cility from Transport Canada, but
expects to hear more about the ap-
plication soon.
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