January 25, 2018
About 15 Bancroft residents came out the Jan. 17 water and wastewater committee meeting to hear the town’s plans to raise water and wastewater rates in 2018. Mayor Paul Jenkins stepped in to chair the meeting after former chair Councillor Bill Kilpatrick handed in his resignation at the last council meeting on Jan. 9. With only two members of council composing the committee, Jenkins and Councillor Mary Kavanagh, Councillor Wayne Wiggins sat in to observe the proceedings. During the meeting, Jenkins, Kavanagh and CAO Hazel Lambe shared the history of the water and wastewater issue.
Back-to-back-to-back resignations by North Hastings library CEOs have left the community wondering how it can better support its libraries. To do that, it first has to ask what factors contribute to the area’s high turnover rate and how best to address them.
On Jan. 9 some 50 Bancroft residents, including members of the Gnomes for Social Justice and Equality, entered a closed session of council at the Club 580 and refused to leave. Since then, Bancroft Mayor Paul Jenkins and CAO Hazel Lambe have been reviewing the town’s and the province’s policies and procedures to ensure the safety of council members and staff.
Three North Hastings library CEO resignations in rapid succession have brought rural public libraries — and the way they’re run — to the forefront of the community consciousness. Especially when, as Southern Ontario Library Service CEO Barbara Franchetto tells Bancroft This Week, the high turnover rate is not common in the industry generally.
Concerns are being raised for North Hastings’s most vulnerable residents as the second half of winter 2017-’18 holds nothing back.
Ever since Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberals decided to sell Hydro One, people across the province have been struggling to keep their lights on. Finally caving to the loudening public opposition, the government announced last spring that they would be reducing residential hydro bills by an average of 25 per cent.
Bancroft’s community safety and well-being committee met on Dec. 20 to discuss the impact of the 53 per cent increase to water and wastewater rates that kicked in at the start of 2017 and whether to impose another five per cent increase in 2018.
When the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation learned of the Hastings Prince Edward District School Board’s decision to slash school budgets throughout the district by an average of 30 per cent in September, OSSTF president Scott Marshall says they immediately had concerns. Since taking effect at the start of the school year, the cuts have negatively affected students and teachers, he said.
Area public schools are facing cuts at a reduced rate thanks to government funding — for the most part. For two schools however, the cuts equal out to what other schools across the board are facing.
In response to the infrastructure committee’s monthly report, council discussed the town’s strategy for waste diversion heading into the new year. Speaking on behalf of the committee, Deputy Mayor Charles Mullett put forth the recommendation that the bag tag distribution program continue without change in 2018. It was approved by council.
« Previous Page — Next Page »
You must be logged in to post a comment.