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2 e En A Wed 13 MAIN ST RENEWAL The survey does make clear thai Urban Renewal Scheme as presently proposed does not meet with Ihe fawn- of the majority of the taxpay ers of Newmarket Mr Hodges told Mr Surgeoner that about 25 per cent of those called had little or no knowledge of the scheme but it had been a surprise to know how many did know a lot about it would suggest that per cent of the people failed to comprehend what it is all about said Sir Snrgeoner many of the ratepayers seem confused with the stories relating to which build ings would be torn down and which would Mr Hodges replied I think this points to the value of research the need for a product I was honestly amazed at what the five girls who con ducted the survey knew about it I would consider the answers received would be in about a ratio from females Answering Councillor Mr Hodges said that the five girls re ceived most of then- knowledge of the scheme from himself Mayor Drew asked Mr Hodges if he had read the report and what was his opinion Mr Hodges said he could lake some time on the subject but in brief I am no expert but some few thing have me I cannot see three not be projected beyond the first five to the tax figure presented The mayor said Would you say you are scared of the costs And reply Mr Hodges stated would like to see something done in the Main St area as long as there is no great increase in taxes but I hear of a proposed Cane Parkway water sup ply problems and hear senior go vernments asking for more I feel some extra strata of government must learn to live within its budget When asked by the mayor if he thought the report was beyond the ave rage taxpayer Mr Hodges said I have Mr Salisbury said The down town area appears opposed to this scheme they are saying lets go for the ring road system but would the merchants be willing to pay for the same under similar circumstances as they pay for the parking lot POOR PUBLIC RELATIONS Mr Hodges told council that he considered the lack of knowledge was due mainly to poor public relations on the part of council If this could have been given out perhaps via press in some under standable language many more ques tions could have ben answered would have been very useful to council The mayor said that he consid ered with the problems involved the news media and the local press had per formed an excellent job in informing the public since the Scheme was first Town Council approves Scheme by vote Mr Malcolm said the official plan was approved in and that plan suggested a downtown mall at that time The final report has been re ceived by council and it has few contro versial points said the delegate What it will cost appears to be the main con- little comparison between the City of Hamilton and a small municipality like Newmarket Mr Malcolm considered the ratio of assessment and taxation was lit le different He also thought that It was in conceivable that the Federal government would pull out the rug at this stage when he was asked by Mr Cook if there Mr Cook told Mr Malcolm COMMON SI ft I billed for is rf application sSSSSSsSi force on housing completes Is studies and from Hansard expended Sir Speak until edit could be changed or stopped at any lime Councillor said will make no platform speeches A new council will have lots to decide but if we dont do this tonight it quite likely will not be done at all fail to see why there has been no objection before this said Mrs Com There is a Merchants Associ ation here and they must have known this was contemplated I have not seen the merchants do very much to the Main St area and I am positive we have to take a stand tonight If our fore fathers had taken the same attitude as some here we would have no town to renew Councillor Surgeoner told mem bers I am in favor of renewal but it is the manner of its application I object to I like the ring road idea and I tike the stores as a merchant I appro would be re of this which would be and we could pay the entire cost of cur rent expenses I say we can afford it Mr Malcolm said When the buildings are torn down first there would be a loss in assessment and taxes but at the end of the first five year period we would gain considerably in both Hamil ton lore down buildings assessed at million and in five or six years that as sessment had jumped to million Regarding the proposed Mall Ottawa and Kitchener have both shown that it will work I have no doubt that if done on the cheap it could end in Mr Malcolm questioned the fair ness of carrying on without a plebiscite from the ratepayers You have elected this council he said and I see no rea sons why cannot be trusted to en act responsible business Maybe there is a moral obliga tion for a plebiscite but would this mean the public could give any better consider ation to Urban Renewal a liquor vote is an entirely moral decision let this council make a business like decision by a democratic vote Speaking of the merchants Mr Malcolm said This could be worth the disruption and result in far more business it would be unrealistic to state there are no problems but if these businesses close there would be serious learn that only 31 per of those polled shopped on the Main St The alternative Is to do nothing and In a year or two another plaia could start and kill move this Urban Renewal plan ahead Councillor Seneca Cook ask Mr Malcolm if he did not think there You sat on council when a Main St Mall was talked about before and the council a that time considered that the area was too hilly Councillor asked if Ot tawa and Kitchener were Urban Renewal projects and he was told they were not Mr Surgeoner said I have heard no objections to this ring road plan but there is a carrot being dangled be fore us by this per cent subsidy idea 1 have seen beautiful pictures of the proposed mall and feel the sum suggested is inconsistent with the plan If we go for the first five years we will be forced to continue for the next five and if go vernment opt out we will be left with half finished job Mrs Mary Comissiong said she approved the adoption of the Scheme A former industrial commissioner here sub mi led a good plan for downtown and also predicted Davis Dr as a main thorough We j a that same man went to Ottawa and fashioned the Mall there NOT COMMITTED Mr Malcolm told council It does not appear to be realized that you are not committing this town for the next 20 years the plan is flexible and no thing would be done which would com mit us to the later stages Former town Mayor Bert Kent asked permission to speak but the chair man Mr Richardson stated that he had warned before the meeting that only as signed delegates would be allowed to Mr Kent replied You say you are a democratic council and yet you will not allow public to have any say Following the presentation of the Reeve Richardson speaking to the resolution said This Scheme has been under study for two years I be lieve we should accept it and make appli cation to the senior governments if we dont then I feel sure a future coun cil will not be able to carry on with the Scheme said and when I saw the final draft I realized they were planning to take down some of the highest assessment on Main St There are too many omissions in the cost estimates of Bousfield surely subsi dies are available for a ring road sys DeputyReeve Salisbury told council We would have been happy to have had proposals from the merchants all we are asked to do now is adopt the Scheme and the rest would have to be decided by the council By this re solution tonight we are not committing anybody to anything Councillor Bruce Eves took a verbal swing at Reeve Richardson when he said You have indicated you are re tiring from municipal politics HI had put my name on this resolution 1 would stay and see It through Mr Richardson replied I will not change my vote I have made up my mind take a rest and I will con tinue to aid this municipality if 1 can Mayor Drew Doak speaking to the resolution told council I for one am not making a political speech I will not be running for mayor next year and I regret that my livelihood and busi ness makes this necessary Urban Re newal is one of the reasons that I bate to leave at this time I feel we have tried to aid entire municipality and 1 feel strongly about this Under toe Ur ban Renewal Scheme we could receive for every spent but there is no consideration If not done under this Scheme The Church St job alone would cost the town on our own while under the Scheme it could amount to about 12000 Our public relations have been criticized People have told me I never read The Era and yet this is the only way we have to inform the admit Proctor may have dragged their feet I admit we as a council may have dragged our feet and also it has been suggested that the citizens should be in on the im plementation stage that stage has not been reached yet I would suggest that following OMB approval we have that citizens committee perhaps five or six opposed five or six In favor and another five or six uncommitted Then let them bring in a report A statement made by a deputy- minister said To expect a decision gain st this as feel major if an Urban Renewal Scheme from the pub the taxpayers should lic would be to invite chaos There have re put In here to took been some questions here that I sidewalks I am have never heard before far too costly for a A recorded vote was taken on government subsidy Ihe resolution for approval AURORA COUNCIL BRIEFS Approve debentures for new collegiate AURORA Aurora Council Mon day night agreed to issue debentures to raise to build a new secondary school on Wellington St The request from the Aurora and District High School Board brought the comment from Mayor Clarence Davis that it was a lot of money hut the school would be as good as another small industry for Dick lllingworih said the else in Newmarket perhaps nit I it is a lot of money hut we cant a dollars and cents value on need the school for the benefit children Council unanimously agreed to the debentures will be built the directors assistant After a seven for a recreation director council concluded last month it would he man at the salary able to pay So council agreed hire a less qualified man as assistant Rut Monday night council failed accept the Parks and Recreation Com- recommendation to hire only for the job The discussion to hire the man a salary of including expenses 1 into a full scale argument in councillors accused each other of a political football out of the arks and Recreation Committee and Community Centre Counc Evelyn Buck who las convinced council to do an audit on We have to answer to the tax- payers Theyre the ones who have to pay Ihe hill and nobody knows what bill Council finally agreed to meet with both the parks and recreation and community centre groups before hiring Acre of land throws King into a tizzy KING CITY King Townships council school board and library hoard are at loggerheads over an acre of land The land owned by the school board Is on King on the pro perty of the public school And while the school board doesnt want it neither will it give it away The King Public School Board Tuesday opened tenders on land want d by council and the library board for a proposed library Council in a decision earlier resolved to accept the application of King Library Board to Issue debentures for to construct thu library re- Road central to the high school three public schools The library hoard is willing I to pay for the land hut the school hoard refused the offer hinting that It already hail an offer of The school hoard opened tenders Tuesday with an undisclosed reserve bid In a last ditch effort to compromise be fore tenders opened the three groups met night to discuss prohlem No agreement was reached but the lihrard hoard agreed to submit a hid at an undisclosed price for the pro- assistant director International Harvester Co of Newmarket was awarded the contract for a new tractor for the Parks and Recre ation Committee The companys tender of was second lowest of six re ceived The own engineer an architect and the building committee will conduct a 500 study of the old Post Office and vacant Church St school council agreed Mayor Davis recommended the study be made before a decision is reached on the future of buildings