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BOWMANVILLE LIBRARY ! 163 Church Street 1.1.05 -Bowmanville, Ont. L1C 1T7 $1.00 GST Included Wednesday June 2, 2004 Orono Town Hall Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard, Newcastle, Newtonville, Orono, Starkville and Tyrone since 1937 Regional chair issues linger Regional councillors voted Wednesday to continue electing electing their leader from within their own ranks. In a 15 - 9 vote (with six councillors absent) councillors defeated the motion introduced in March by Clarington's Mayor John Mutton to have future Regional Chairs elected at large. Mayor Mutton and Councillor Charlie Trim were among the six Regional Councillors absent for the vote. One of the reasons given in Mutton's motion for electing electing the chair from the population population at large was the fact that the Chair now earns a base salary of over $150,000 per year plus benefits which is approximately equal to the base salary of the Premier of Ontario. Arguments given against electing the chair at large are that it encourages party politics politics at the municipal level. At the tail end of Wednesday's lengthy Regional Regional Council Meeting councillors councillors approved a motion put forward by Mayor Marilyn Pearce of Scugog, that closed debate on the issue of electing future Regional Chairs. The motion they approved was to 'Receive for Information' which tabled the agenda item dealing with the Election of a Regional Chair. What's Inside see Fiddling around see page 4 Directly following the adoption of that motion, Councillor Brian Nicholson of Oshawa put forward a 'Notice of Motion' for the next council council meeting to rescind the tabling motion. Following the introduction of the 'Election of a Regional Chair' motion in March, councillors decided to take the issue back to their local council's council's to see if there was support support at the local level for the matter. Scugog, the last council to vote on the issue, decided against the direct election, which tied from the lower tier municipalities at 4-4. Before the Province would consider enacting appropriate regulations to allow the Region of Durham to directly elect their future chair, a triple majority is required. This . means the majority of the Region's eight municipalities, majority of the electorate and the majority of Regional Councillors. "The lower tier municipalities municipalities have made a decision," said Councillor Jim Schell at Wednesday's meeting. The direct election did not pass the litmus test of a triple majority, he said. Following her presentation to Regional Council in support support of the motion to have future Regional Chairs elected at large, Linda Gasser of Orono was asked by Pearce, "Are you not concerned that by direct election we will be creating a Super Mayor and be putting far too much power in the hands of one person?" Gasser replied that the Chair still has only one vote. "They arc not an entire council, they arc not a voice unto themselves, themselves, and they are held accountable every three years," she stated. "The issues facing the region are getting more complex complex and people need more say," stated Gasser. "Someone needs to run on a platform where their views are known, and elected on that," she said. REGION see page 4 ©ary Thertell of DP» Pizza hangs up a "No Smoking" sign in the front window in compliace with the new smoking ban which took effect in the Region Tuesday. Neighbourhood designation loses teeth jz. srsSLS ;Si.ss- d «» inappropriate dwellings, and Neighbourhood residents both for and against heritage designation for the area, council voted to move on to phase two of the process. However staff did modify phase two so that no action on the designation of the neighbourhood neighbourhood would be taken till the Guidelines are complete. Residents stated that the Heritage Designation was needed to preserve the unique heritage features of the neighbourhood neighbourhood which is bounded by Wellington, Liberty and Concession Streets in Bowmanville. Without Dcsig- the present building stock could be compromised. While those opposed to designation claim insurance costs are increased in a designated district, district, the pro designation forces disputed the increased insurance premiums for homes in a heritage designated designated area. The consultant team who conducted phase one ol the Heritage Conservation District District Background Study conclude conclude that 'the building stock in old Bowmanville, combined combined with the surrounding examples in the province of residential heritage conservation conservation district." Those opposed to the designation refer to this. statement as reason enough not to follow through with the designation, since the area has been so well preserved on it's own. Phase one of of the Heritage Conservation District District Background Study which cost the Municipality $34,000 consisted of a background study that served as a primary support to justify the area as being historically significant. NEIGHBOURHOOD see page 4