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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-04-05, Page 22PAGE 22—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, APRIL 5 , 1979 Ice cream stand issue is sticky one for town BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER Maurice Gardiner has received permission from Goderich Town Council to go ahead with renovations to an ice cream booth moved onto his property at 34 Stanley Street, despite the fact the building is in conflict with the town's zoning bylaw and with the Ontario Building Code. . On a recorded vote, the motion passed 4-3 Steady on If property taxes in Huron county go up in 1979 it won't be because costs increased at the county level. Huron county council approved its 1979 budget Thursday approving a 1.79 percent increase, a tota'k of $48,000 on a $2,711,000 budget. The remainder of the county expenses will be handled using $4.4 million in provincial grants coupled with fees for county services. County clerk Bill Hanly said a $421,236 sur- plus from 1978 was used in the budget to hold the county levy down. He said the surplus, along with an increase in assessment of slightly more than two percent, enabled council to give ratepayers in the county a break this year. Hanly added that the county budget enables individual municipalities to determine their own mill rate, putting no pressure on them to pay higher county costs. The biggest chunk of the county expense is in public works where a $186,000 increase brought the total costs for roads and services to $3,335,000. The province pays the lion's share of public works. The county contributes $1,186,000 and had to pay just $48,000 of the $\186,000 the costs for public works increased by The town of Goderich, the largest contributor to the county coffers, had . its apportionment increased $2,234 to $371,925. Exeter' will pay $179,862, $13,140 more than last year. Clinton costs went up $4,295 to $141,968, Wingham will pay 86,389 more for a total of $138,074 and Seaforth's levy increased46,909 to $90,063. Most townships and villages1 were handed slight increases in the county levy but some actually had decreases. Brussels and Hensall both enjoyed decreased county costs, Brussels by $2,939 for a total county levy of $36,729 and Hensall by $3,160 for a 1979 levy of $51,125. The townships of Ashfield, McKillop, Stanley, Stephen, Usborne and East Wawanosh had decreases in their county levy. with Chairman Stan Profit breaking the tie in favor of the request. The building, formerly located at the corner of East Street and The Square as a temporary business, was purchased by Gardiner and later moved onto his property at Stanley Street. Gardiner told council he plans to comply with county health regulations for sanitation and to paint the building before opening it, but said he would like to have assurances that the business could operate for at least three years, preferably five years, in that location if he goes to this expense.. Commissioner of works Ken Hunter was on vacation when council met Monday evening, but had left word with Clerk Larry McCabe that the building complies with neither the Ontario building code nor the zoning bylaw. Councillor John Doherty said he could see no harm in granting Gardiner's request on Gar - diner's terms. He said the ice cream stand would provide three or four summer jobs for students, and felt this should be a prime factor for council members to consider. Reeve Eileen Palmer agreed. She said the ice cream booth would be operating on a seasonal basis and since Goderich was a tourist town, she felt it was a legitimate enterprise. "This is one area when zoning and the official plan have to have a certain flexibility," the reeve said. "The official plan is outdated. We all know that. If any area of town should be zoned for this sort of thing, this area should be and definitely will be when the official plan and zoning bylaw are reviewed and updated." "If we allow this, we might as well go out of the business of planning," said Councillor Elsa Haydon who reminded council the request was in violation of the Ontario Building Code, not just the town's official plan and zoning bylaw. Gardiner argued the town had accepted taxes on the building for 1978, even though he had not been allowed to operate it a full season at the downtown location. He added there is "plenty of parking" at the new Stanley Street site. ' "I've always been in the ice cream business at that location," insisted Gardiner who is also the operator of Gardiner's Dairy. "I don't know where you come up with these things." Those voting in favor of Gardiner's request were Reeve Eileen Palmer, and Councillors Jim Searls, John Doherty and Stan Profit. Deputy -reeve Bob Allen and Councillors Elsa Haydon and Jim Magee were opposed. Coun- cillor Brian Knights and Mayor Harry Worsell were absent from the meeting. No road show for 1979 budget BY JEFF SEDDON The Huron county board of education refused to take its budget on the road Monday when no trustee endorsed a suggestion to hold area ratepayer's meetings to explain the education budget. Goderich trustee Dave Gower could not even get a seconder for a motion he made to have the board hold public meetings in the four corners of the county to explain education costs to taxpayers. Gower wanted the board to sponsor four meetings, one in the north one in the south and one each in the east and west portions of the county. He said such meetings would provide the board with a good opportunity to explain its budget and may help to develop a better rap- port with ratepayers. "There are a lot of people that don't un- derstand how the budget is formulated," said Gower. The Goderich trustee added that the board has "some obligation" to the people tp explain the complex budget. Gower's suggestion came ,on the heels of a letter from Goderich town council suggesting that the board be encouraged to "formulate a ,system of public meetings to, explain its financial requirements to taxpayers". Board chairman John Elliott. said the board had "taken the initiative in past years to invite council members to budget meetings". The chairman noted that it would be good public '•- relations to set up budget meetings in each municipality but said there's a time factor the Deputy -reeves cut to three for 1981 Huron Council - `llY JEFF SEDDON Huron ,county council trimmed its ranks Thursday when it changed requirements for municipalities to send deputy -reeves to the county council chambers. By a 36 to 16 vote council reduced its size from 45 members to 29 beginning with the 1981 term. The restructuring means that only -municipalities with 2,500 or more voters will send both a reeve and deputy -reeve to county council. At present municipalities with 1,000 or more voters sendtwo representatives to the county level. Under the new system only Goderich, Exeter and the township of Stephen will send two representatives to county council. The restructuring was done to attempt to streamline council. Under the old system the 45 member council, considered by some to already be too large to be practical, was about to become larger.. West Wawanosh township is eligible for a deputy -reeve in the 1981 election THIS SPRING... For that cool corner in the porch, try a... PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATER FAN HEATER Compact design with antique finish 1500 watts of instant fan - forced heat. Safety tip - over switch liaieiGoa"rrl Racier W "- 1500 1500 watts of blower forcid heat. Dual thermostats 1Y4//11.Esi1r,&2, WHY BE COLD SEE SERVICE DOMINION HARDWARE 30 VICTORIA ST. NORTH GODERICH 524-8581 under the old system and Bayfield is also very close to deputy -reeve status. Under the new system several townships and two towns are "very close to the 2,500 electors needed for a deputy -reeve. The townships of Tuckersmith, Goderich, Howick and Hay will probably be electing deputy reeves in 1981 as well as the town of Clinton. Some members of council balked at the idea of trimming deputy -reeves. Wingham deputy - reeve Harold Wild felt that the councillors should take the matter back to their respective councils for discussion and direction. Wild said he felt he couldn't make a decision adding that he would like to "talk about it at home". Turnberry deputy -reeve Harold Elliott said he felt the position of deputy -reeve was "a good opportunity for younger people to get into this (county council business) for the time they step up to reeve". Elliott also felt reeves left at the council table would be unable to handle all the county business and committee work. County clerk Bill Hanly said about the only thing that would be altered by the reduced size is the number of councillors sitting on council. He said the voting powers of the individual municipalities would change very little. Hanly said he didn't like to talk about rural versus urban situations but pointed out that' every once in a while it "rears its ugly head". The clerk pointed out that where a rural municipality has three votes of a total of 57 it will now have one vote of a total of 30. He pointed out that rural votes still outnumber urban under the new system. Voting power for individual municipalities is established by population. A municipality is given one vote per 1,000 population to a maximum of four votes. Hanly told councillors the rural vote was still stronger under the new system. He said rural Votes are now 65 percent of the total and urban 35. After restructuring rural votes would. —amount lb 17 percent of the total and urban 43 percent. The clerk said restructuring is not doing away with deputy -reeves just reducing the size of county council. - 'Lloyd Mousseau, deputy -reeve of Hay township, told council he felt a vote to limit deputy -reeves would be discriminatory. He said learning now that his job as deputy -reeve was going to end may have an affect on the job he will do as a member of county council. He said if the vote was taken at the end of the two year term he may feel different than he does now. ' Hanly explained to council that the vote was taken now to allow both members of council and voters to understand what it will mean. He said if the vote had been taken just prior to the election it may have caused a great deal of confusion amongst candidates and voters. "Deputy -reeves aren't going anywhere. They're still going to be here (county council) for two years," said Hanly. "The only dif- ference is that in two years deputy -reeves are not going to be elected to come to county council but to represent electors at home." Hanly added • that the reduction of size of county Council would save taxpayers money. He said he couldn't state how much saving would be realized but estimated eisch council member to cost about $2,000 a year. board has to consider. He added that budget meetings the board has promoted in the past have been poorly attended. Gower said the drop in attendance may be due to restrictions placed on those meetings by the board. He said the board concentrated on municipal officals and politicians setting up budget meetings in the past pointing out it was "not fair to choose or eliminate those who can come". He added that the board has a "total responsibility" to the people who want to know about and understand the budget. Elliott commented that all board meetings are open to the public. He said the board has sent out letters to councils inviting them to attend a budget session with the board but added that the letters are simple reminders not restrictions. "I get the feeling that these letters specify limited attendanoe," said Gower. The board sends letters to mayors, reeves, deputy -reeves, members of ' council, fincance chairmen and clerks inviting them to a speical meeting called to pass the board's budget. Seaforth trustee John Henderson felt the explanation of the board's budget was the responsibility of individual trustees if they felt special meetings were necessary. The Seaforth trustee said trustees could arrange meetings on their own if they felt they were needed or necessary. Shirley Hazlitt, trustee far Goderi'ch- and Colborne' townships, said all budget meetings are open to ratepayers, members of councils and to the press in the county. THE ONLY 'STORE' IN TOWN WHERE YOU CAN SHOP 24 HOURS FOR ALMOST ANYTHING! 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