The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Thu flnrssolisas, New water plan Region aiming for tax geared to help freeze in 2001 budget çi~7d1~~A E' r~r1~ g:iv'jiu i24~LUII By IRENE GENTLE The Champion Guarding Halton's rural water supply against a bacterial invasion wiIl be a focus of Halton's newly- approved Aquifer Management Plan. Tise ides is 10 prevent bacteria, sucis as the sometimes deadly E- cou, from seeping into rural wells through preventabie means such as agricultural mn-off. That means working with area farmers to build proper manure storage and keep livesîock away from waîerways. Planting anti- erosion vegetation ialong river banka can also help. A similar program is aloeady running in the Region of Waterloo tbrough tise Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). Haltons program, which was approved at Wednesday'a ragion- ai council meeting, would provide grant money to encourage local farmers to build items such as sealed manure containers. It's timely in that agricultural mn-off is one of the suspected causes of the recent deadly E-Cou outbreak in Walkerton, Ont. The project was welcomed by Milton Councillor Barry Lee. "I'm very much in favour of tisis. Ive had inquiries from local fanners as to why we dont have a program similar to this," he said. And since the north enti of Naaaagaweya falis under the GRCA, there's currently a disparity in funding available froni neighbour to neigisisour, said Mr. Lee. "One guy is in the Grand River watershed and he's got money for manure storage," ise explained. "A guy haîf a mile down doesn't." Implementing a Halton program will level the playing field. "It's an additional cost, something they don't have to do but tisey're quite willing to do it if they get extra assistance," said Mr. Lee. And tise moment is ripe to pitch the provincefor funda, he added. "I think the timing is perfect to put tise squeeze on tise province," said Mr. Lee. "Theoe's got to be an avenue wisere we can get liseir attention." But tisaI may not Iead to cash, wamed Halton's Planning and Public Works Commissioner Pat Murphy. "There's aome provincial interest, no doubt about it," he taid. "But to date, they havent been extremely forthcoming with money. They've been more forthcoming with regulations." Tise roral water quality portion isjust a paet of tise larger aquifer plan, whicis bas been in tise works since 1994. It aima to identify nensitive amas and restrict inappropriate building along them. Now accepting intermediate b advanced atudents Training & Boarding Specializing in Huntera/Jumpers * Coacis - Chriatina Starînk, ( C.E.E Level Milton - Corner of Hwy 25 & Britannia 905-873-7132 By IRENE GENTLE The Champion Staff should aim for a tax freeze in drawing up the 2001 budget, regional CouBCiI decid- ed Wednesday. Service improvements of up b 2 pet cent, excluding polîcing costa, will alao be considered ns tise upcoming tax bud- get, whicb abould be approved in February. But Miltott Mayor Goni Krantz won. dered wby Halton Regional Police'a budget - wbicb routinely esta up a fair portion of tise tax bili and bat corne in at an increaae for tise peat seversl yeaea - ian't puabed to make tise asme commit- meni "I wonder wby police would be excluded (rom trying to keep it St zero," 1w aaid at Wedneaday's regional coinscil meetin& Police are caugbt between Ilalton's pressure to keep tise budget down and costly mandated adequscy standards passed on by tise Province, explained Oakvlle Councillor Keltis B,.'d, wbo also sus on tise Police Services Board. "We don't bave tise latitude to pick and cisoose or ignore tisoat ubinga," bu said. "We understand tise challenges very clearly, but we can't ignore tise Police Services AcL~' Tise annualization of previously approved new officers wifl alec bave an impact on tise upcoming budget, sasd I O' I " * I & Oakville Mayor Anis Mulvale. Historically, tise lion's sisare of police budget goes 10 salarica. and Halton'î growtis bas triggered a isiring sport 10 keep up. Curoently, tise police portion of tise tax bilI ta separated frons tise Region's sisare to show taxpayers wisere tiseir money is being apent. Ms Mulvale asked tisaI tise police coats be furtiser broken down so il can be clearly abown what percentage of ils budget is spent on fultillîng tise provin- cially-imposed standards. But taxpayers are mainly interested un tise bottons lire, said Burlington Mayor Rob Maclsaac. "It's s utIle like saylng tise Regional tax bih la aI zero, except in tise places wbere ut isn't aI zero," bu said. And la keep a hid on tise total tax impact in spite of escalating policing coats, otiier requirenients bave been put on isold, ssid Oakvîlle Councillor Stepisen Sparling. "Tisere are otiser areas we need b spend money on and we isaven't been able ta dotisat," bu aaitL "We bave mal needa wisere we need to inveat." But bu lias yet ta buar a constituent complain about tht coat of policing, addedM~. Sparling. Tise Region is conunitted ta keeping tise tut btntlen as l~waa pQsaible forats- idenîs, said Halton Chair Icyce Savoline. '~Zests is cor goal I know how diligent we are ta keep it atzero~ Epi-louen yecnnoîogy otJorsyon a sn.ooo.nv.s. n,~.gv, ~ waxing or chon.lcat depiatones Tht neweSt Technology iii Laser Hait Removal, the Atlas ColGilde, as tht only hait temoval laser on tht martel that cao safely ond effectively treatALL SKJN TYPES an Jets thon 20 manutev Cati or visai ou, office today to learn hon' qaickly andeasalyrou can gel that 50 sncolh feeling. L t~./y.en '~'~* 550 Ontarin St. S. &4c*een 6'eavte'e Unit 16, Milton <I*{yQU(l (f «5"' CCt. CPt tDT RtgsitoedDtrnal Therapsi 876-1711 asdoltatsn faon npr*y J t:t~ and Caub~ai, ~ FREE HEALTH SEMINARS Mammacheck: Breast Seif-Examination Workshop Wednesday, Oct 4th 1:00 pm Milton Loblaws.Upstairs Stressed Out and Loving It! Seniinanvith Sharron Stasuik Tuesday, Nov. 2&h 7:00 pni Milton Toreserveaseatorobtaùs more informo.tionpleosecail9OS338.4379. Seatingis limitedsocalltoday.