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P\IMGE,, W \IDNL)SDA APRI L 8, WilTI Y I Rt I PRISS. Herrema says idea will be laid before region.... Region will discuss deal with CBC By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff The Region of Durham has "established a procedure" by which it will deal with the proposed development of Brooklin. According to Regional Chairman Gary Herrema, the proposal will now be laid before the region's planning department. Comments on the proposal will also be sought from the finance and public works departments. This was the result of an in-camera meeting of the standing committee chair- man after last week's Durham Regional Council meeting. According to Herrema, the region has now set up the criteria by which the rest of the negotiations with Con- solidated Building Cor- poration, the developer, will proceed. He also said that the financial deal CBC offered the region has been changed although he declined to give specifics. Instead, Herrema said that the region's chief ad- ministrative officer, Don Evans, will be asking for a formal letter of proposal from CBC, a letter that will be made public. The recently elected chairman said that when this document has been received, the process will continue. Under an agreement signed with the Town of Whitby last year, CBC said it would develop the 1,600 per- son hamlet into a town of 10,000 within the ten year life-span of the project. CBC has also promised to pay for the cost of extending the sanitary sewer system from Whitby to Brooklin, a project that has an estimated cost of $5 million. During the council meeting, Regional Coun- cillor Bruce McArthur (Oshawa), a long time op- ponent of the scheme, chastised Herrema and the committee chairmen for holding these meetings in- camera and then giving reports to the press without giving the information to other members of council. "I find myself disadvan- taged because the majority of council have not been privy to this,'" McArthur said referring to recent meetings with the developer. McArthur repeated his previous stand saying that the hamlet's development was "grosslypremature." The councillor, who serves as the vice-chairman of the region's planning commit- tee, pointed out that no for- mal hearings on the plan have been held and in- dicated that the meetings were unnecessary. However, Herrema said that the complete package on Brooklin will be presen- ted to council at its first meeting in May. Talks behind elosed doors: Emm By MICHAEL KNELL hamiet 0f Brooklin into a Free Press Staff town of 10,000 people. The development of "We only know what Brooklin should be discussed Somer Rumm (CBC vice- behind closed doors accor- president) is teliing us by ding to Whitby Regionai letter," Emm said adding,, Councillor Gerry Emm. "We don't want Somer Emm defended the in- Rumm to know what our camera meetings that the position is, either." region has held recently to "We must strive for the discuss the proposal saying best deal possible," he said that they are necessary to noting that this can only be prevent the region's done "in a forum that is not bargaining position from made public at this point." being jeopardized. If these meetings were Emm.hchairman of the heid in the public view,