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

New 11- c:ommittc-ýc formed to address business owners' concerns a-bout core work By RICHARD VIVIAN The Champion With anxiety rismng about the affects of closing por- tions of Main Street for re- design, Town staff are join- ing with memrbers of the Milton Downtown Business Improvement Area (DRIA) and Milton Chamber of Commnerce to air concemns. A new committee - announced Wednesday - will act as a liaison betwecn Town officiais and busi- ness owners who fear heavy losses when access to their locations are hampcred. The first phase of the redesign witl sec Main Street betwecn James and Charles Streets closed for about threc months starting "as soon as tise ground thaws." The redesign will include both functionai and esthetic aiterations to improve pedestrian traffic and better meet thc accessibility and parking needs of downtown patrons. But if that section of Main Street is completely closed off for three months, that will mean bard times, say business operators. "1 understand you have to do the work, but we're the ones who are going to feel the affects," Quality Greens owner Andrew Casais told Town staff at Uic annual DBIA meeting Wednesday. "That Mary Street construction cost us $40,000 and Uiat was only 10 days, this is three monUis. 1 have 55 employees and l'm conccmcd about themn. You can't just start Iay- ing people off." The Region of Halton undertook a project to replace infrastructure on Mary Street between Charles and Hugh streets about six weeks ago. Notice of thc work was given to boUi Uic Town and merchants one business day before construc- tion began. The new conmitter wiil work wiUi Uic Town to dcvclop a plan so construction wiil Ieast affect busi- ness, cxplained Jennifer Reynolds, director of community services for Uic Town. That could mean doing Uie work in sections, or keeping one side of Uic street opcn for pedestrian traffic as ail times, or any oUier nusuber of options, shte cxplaincd. "We've said ail aiong that wc want to work wiUi Uic merchants on Uiis. The timeline is bascd on when would have Uie least impact on business and Uic contract will be tendered in such a way Uiat there wifl be bonuses offered for carly comnpletion," Ms Reynolds said. "We stiil have to talk about Uic details of Uic work to be donc.' Town staff intend to have Uic final draft of Uic concept re-desigo compîcte for town council's con- sideration Uiis fail, Ms Reynolds continued. The tendcring process will bcgin pending council approval of the plan, with a detailcd design process follow. But even wiUi a committre in place to ensure businesses are accessible in Uicory, that doesn't mean it wiil work in practicaity, Mr. Casala argucd. "TMe contractor is going to want t0 get Uic job donce as fast as they can. Thcy don't care about my cus- tomers," he said, adding that Uiere were difficultics wiUi workcrs nos wanting to move equipment so customners could access his store during Uic Mary Street reconstruc- tion. Kcn McAplinc, Uie Town's coor- dinator of parks and facilities, assured Mr. Casaia and other busi- ness operators Uic tender would be awardcd to a company wiUi a good record of accommodating Uicse sorts of things. 1fSig New Yorkor (1 topplng) , f M m 2~c V<~r jÇ,It~'IZ7%~ ~ CVft t'O 1 1Wngs: 880 Medium, Hot o Mix Match M"u,~. M ilM 585M %APK - I The Canadien Champion, Tuesday, September 18, 2001-3 Optiiiiuiii USED VEHICLES JO-daytz5e£,. i(M no nassie 24-hoUr--r-oOCFSICFO exchange privilège tance ')o. M mom pet litom, 20 PUIC #Pl785 C M> 7041. 1999 Cadillac Catera 1997 Ford Escort Wagon pet MOEM #Pl7l7 p M. or MOM . lu 001, per Monm 2000 Grand Am 1999 Buïck Century pef m» p«On 13« MOM 7#117781 #117M 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue 2000 Montaria 4DR Extended Van oMiUel 8420 #177NOA #Pl842A Ï60 ierra TFic Up Extended Cab 4x4 1998 Savana. Full Size Car-go Van Pef Mo* w rime 3D 30 #P18U2 #11155A 20 #m832 Pr. m 1 F 7 Z-Ta a 10 m y L p Payments are based on 4 years, 24,ODO km par year lasse. ayments are plus taxes. Money down plus first payment, securdy deposit, lirAý. and all applicable taxes 1 D-41,000 down payment, 2D--U,000 down payment 313--U,000 dcywn payment, 51345,000 down payment, 7D47,000 down payment PONTIAC À 801 M MM ST. E. BUICIKK MiLirou &4wýà0 w MON. - THuRS. 9:00 Am - 9:00 Pm FRI. & SAT. 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM