Times Advocate, 1994-11-9, Page 2Page 2
Times -Advocate, November 9, 1994
iNTHF. NF,W.S
Both mayor
candidates
confirm platforms
Both point to their experience
and visions for a more
co-operative Exeter future
EXETER - In the first election for mayor in the Town of Exeter in
14 years, both candidates are holding up fairly similar platforms as
reasons why they deserve our votes.
Both Lossy Fuller and Ben Hoogenboom pointed to their past ex-
perience on council, their visions of Exeter as a centre for the region,
and the hope that future coop-
eration will bring more ef-
ficient government to the area.
Ben Hoogenboom - He said
the office of mayor demands
the candidate possesses a num-
ber of important attributes,
which he described as ex-
perience, proven management
skills, and an understanding of
the issues that are of im-
portance.
Hoogenboom said he be-
lieves he has shown those at-
tributes with his terms on
council, and as a member of
the South Huron Hospital
board.
Exeter, he said, faces "some
uncertainties, but basically the
future looks quite bright".
He said the town needs to be
working more closely with
neighbouring municipalities, as
evidenced by his work to bring
Lake Huron water to town in a
future pipeline.
The next step, he said, will
be a combined sewage treat-
ment plant with, Hensall, and
Stephen Township, and pos-
sibly Zurich, and Hay Town-
ship.
Hoogenboom, said, if elected
his number one priority would
be "to salvage the uncertainty
of the infrastructure grant that
has been designated to serve
the community of Exeter."
He said he worked on the
original committee to save the
Old Town Hall, and now feels
he has a duty to "save the
present library".
"I was really upset when I
found. that would be the ul-
timate goal of the committee,"
he said of the project's plans to
demolish the present library in
favour of a new building.
"I'm all for saving the Old
Town Halt. I'm also all for saving the library."
Lossy Fuller - She said the mayor must have a personal phi-
losophy "tha centres on the future", and said she will avoid making
promises deaing with needs and issues.
Leadership, she said, is to take opinions and ideas and make them
into workable •olutions. Council, she said, needs to "develop a team
approach".
"It is very important we cooperate," said Fuller, noting it will help
draw new developments and industry to town.
Future servicing needs are already being met with plans to bring a
new water pipeline to town, and in proceedings to consider a joint
sewage plant.
But, she said, "A town is not just sewers and water. It is also the
things you don't see, the heart and the soul".
Fuller said the town has been given funds to renovate the Old
Town Hall into municipal offices, to provide handicapped access,
and to create meeting space.
"We have room in our budget to finance the project with no in-
crease in taxes," said Fuller. "Let's work together to preserve our
heritage."
In the future, she said, it will be harder to satisfy all residents
needs with fewer grants, and pressures for no tax increases.
"I can assure you I will lead a council that will protect the values
of this community," said Fuller.
Ben Hoogenboom
Lossy Fuller
A tight battle for Exeter
Only one of eight council candidates openly opposes the Town Hall project
Joe Rider
EXETER - The format of last
Wednesday evening's all -
candidates meeting allowed each of
the candidates three minutes to
present a basic platform to the audi-
ence of about 150 people gathered
at the South Huron Recreation Cen-
tre.
Here is a brief summary of where
they stand'otfthe'issues:
Wendy Boyle - An Exeter res-
ident for six years, who operates
the White Squirrel Inn bed and
breakfast, said she wants to see all
the individual ideas about the
town's future formed into a master
town plan.
Boyle said she will "increase
awareness of needs, and develop
programs to meet these needs."
"I will motivate the community to
reach beyond the status quo..," said
Boyle.
Edwin Cosman - A first time
candidate, who said he has been an
area resident for "most of my life",
said his concern about the well-
being of the town led him to seek
. office.
Cosman, a sales representative at
AIS Communications., said he
agrees the town has to look to serv-
ing future needs.
"Some money does have to be
spent, but we can't ask the taxpayer
to dig deeper into his pockets," said
Cosman.
Bob Spears
"Expansion is the lifeblood of a
community," he said, but noted fis-
cal responsibility has to be stressed.
Roy Triebner - A retiree after 35
years with Canada Mortgage and
Housing, has served as a PUC com-
missioner for the past year.
"I am deeply concerned about
Exeter's economic future," said Tri-
ebner, who has attended council
meetings regularly "as a spectator"
for the past year. He said govern-
ment spending cuts will require
"creative solutions, as opposed to
simply raising property taxes" for
Exeter.
He said the revitalization of the
downtown core is equally im-
portant to the town's hard service
development, and "for the same
reason I also support the re-
development of the civic square".
But he said council must but must
avoid "cost overruns and costly
mistakes".
Joe Rider - The retired manager
of the Nabisco plant came to Exeter
10 years ago to help guide the ex-
pansion of the canning factory.
Rider said he does support the
civic centre renovation project.
"I think that town hall deserves to
have the money spent on it...with
proper renovation so it's good for
another hundred years," said Rider.
He said he believes the renova-
tion plans will come in within bud -
Wendy Boyle
get, and will meet the needs of the
community.
Bob Spears - Is completing his
first term on town council, and said
Exeter "is a town with a sense of
confidence."
He said Exeter survived the re-
cession without raising taxes, in-
curred little debt, and he pointed to
new businesses in town such as the
McDonald's restaurant, and the ex-
pansions of banks and car dealers.
"They don't invest in dying
towns," said Spears.
He said he would like to see
some provisions in the garbage col-
lection program for small users.
Robert Drummond - Was first
elected to Exeter council three
years ago and said serving on pub-
lic works, and as chairman of the
fire board for the past year has been
a good experience for him.
"However, I do have a dis-
appointment from council, and that
has been the Heritage Square _pro-
ject," said Drummond.
He said he estimates it will cost
$1.5 million to complete the pro-
ject's three phases "and could be
higher". All, he said, to make use
of a $373,000 grant.
"It is like buying a car to make
use of the hubcap you find on your -
lawn," he said.
Drummond said the town can buy
the present Municipal Office for
Tom Hughes
$45,000,
"If those facts do not bother the
people of this town, then I propose
council could be replaced with a
troop of monkeys and no one
would even notice," said Drum-
mond.
Thomas Hughes - A retired Min-
istry of Transportation employee
said he dealt with planning matters,
and large development proposals
during his 34 years.
Hughes said he supports the pres-
ervation of historic buildings and
believes the renovation of the Old
Town Hall will make it a cen-
trepiece of Exeter's downtown.
"A top priority will be to attract
new industry to town," Hughes said
of his platform, and added that he
supports the quick introduction of a
911 emergency telephone system.
Don Winter - A former coun-
cillor, and present representative on
the planning committee, said it is
apparent times are changing for lo-
cal governments.
"Fiscal responsibility is a given in
today's world," said Winter, but
noted the town still has to find
ways to accommodate its immedi-
ate and future needs.
Winter said the town has to re-
solve its conflict with other govern-
ments and municipalities, including
possible amalgamation that "has to
come," he said.
Roy Triebner
Robert Drummond
Don Winter
Edwin Cosman
Town Hall issue dominates meeting
Will the old library be preserved, or demolished, and what will it all cost were favourite questions
EXETER - As expected, dis-
cussion about the Old Town Hall/
Heritage Square/Civic Corner pro-
ject dominated much of the ques-
tion and answer period at last
Wednesday evening's all -
candidates meeting. In fact, when
one man stood up late in the eve-
ning and said he would ask a ques-
tion about something other than the
project, he received a round of ap-
plause.
Here are some excerpts from the
question period of the meeting:
Police lawsuit? Andy Deboer
asked the candidates for an update
on the lawsuit of former police
chief Jack Harkness against the
town.
"How much has this cost so
far...and how much?" asked De -
hoer.
Mayor candidate Ben Hoo-
genboom said the town has paid out
about $75,000 in legal fees, and
now understands the chief has new
legal council.
The whole case is in limbo right
now," said Hoogenboom, but point-
ed out that "We as council were
never involved in the police ser-
vices board."
Present mayor Bruce Shaw, a
member of the police board, noted
the town does have insurance for its
legal fees, but added that the chief
has changed his suit to not only in-
clude wrongful dismissal, but also
wrongful abandonment of police
force, which was disbanded for an
OPP contract last November. Shaw
said the suit not only names the
town and its police service: board,
but also the Civilian Commission
on Police Services that held an
aborted hearing in Exeter last year.
"We've been instructed by our
lawyers to say nothing until it
comes out in court," said Shaw.
What about the library? Mayor
candidate Lossy Fuller was asked
"exactly what vision do you have
for our lihrary in the future?", and
if it was true it was slated for dem-
olition.
"That decision has not been made
for sure," said Fuller, who said a
new library could be built behind
the Old Town Hall, or the present
one could he enlarged and renovat-
ed.
Hoogenboom, however, said "I
think Lossy evaded it by not an-
swering the question," and said the
present Civic Corner plans call for
a new library to be built behind the
hall in the project's second phase,
and the present building later de-
molished.
"My intention is we would pre-
serve the old huildings as we pres-
ently know them there now," said
Hoogenboom.
Fuller then repeated her position
that the "decision has not been
made", and that the committee has
yet to settle phase two which "will
he the lihrary in some shape or
form on that corner, but no decision
has been made at this time".
Councillor candidate Roy Tri-
ebner said there is much mis-
information about the project.
"The concept is certainly driving
the decision making process right
now", he said, noting the architect
has been frustrated by the lack of a
firm commitment on future phases.
"I believe we have a rushed con-
cept, and underfunding is driving it
right now," said Triehner.
Councillor candidate Joe Rider,
another member of the Corner
Committee, said there are "many
many problems" with the present li-
hrary, an,1 the plans that call for a
new one would solve some of those
issue, particularly handicapped ac-
cess,
"Maybe the old lihrary could be-
come a culture centre, or an arts
centre."
Rider said funding isn't as much a
problem as some suggest, noting
many public huildings receive local
assistance through fundraising.
"Some group friends of the li-
hrary, government, service club
should be able to raise
$300,000...so there will he a library
in the future," he said.
Triehner said public input is
needed to make the final decision
on the present library.
"To tear it down, in my mind, is
criminal," he said, earning some ap-
plause. "You can't please every-
one...I'm sure they're not going to
say 'destroy that library'."
And the old police station? Ron
Bogart asked where the now -vacant
police station fits into the overall
Civic Corner scheme.
"Where does that building fit into
the program... is it going to lie there
vacant?" asked Bogart, who sug-
gested the town might consider a
local sports hall of fame.
"Maybe we could support that,"
he suggested.
Joe Rider answered by noting the
group seeking an Adult Day Centre
for Alzheimers patients is looking
for space, but then said he believes
council would want to rent build-
ing. He pointed out that the archi-
tect established it was too in-
efficient to renovate into a lihrary.
Policing all 24 hours? One
question asked if council was pre-
pared to come up with the cost to
extend its police contract coverage
to 24 hours a day. The present con-
tract leaves a few, early morning
hours without a cruiser on the beat.
Councillor candidate Thomas
Hughes said the introduction of 91 1
would offer an extra measure of
protection, but as for 24-hour po-
lice patrols, he said "I think it is
something council will have to look
at."
Would 911 be local? If 911 ser-
vice comes, will it have a local
switchboard, asked one member of
the audience.
Councillor candidate Robert
Drummond said every indication is
that the central dispatch for Huron
County's future 911 system would
be in Sudbury or Ottawa. But, he
pointed out, computer displays
would automatically show the call-
er's name, address, and which fire
departments, ambulance, and police
services were closest.
"911 will not improve response
time," said Drummond. "If we
want 24-hour police protection, we
will have to sign a contract for 24-
hour policing".
What about cost overruns? A
couple of people questioned wheth-
er or not the hydget on the Old
Town Hall renovation would be
met, particularly if unexpected
costs appeared.
Fuller noted that the corner com-
mittee members "were all very up-
Please see Candidates, page
three.
i