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Come to Medigas Summer CPAP Event! Dr. H. Birman and Dr. V. Naraine will be presenting on Obstructive Sleep Apnea and living with C.O.P.D DATE: Saturday, June 14th 2008 TIME: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm LOCATION: Romas Place - 5980 Shawson Dr., Unit # 5 Mississauga Call Medigas at: 416-365-1700 for information Churches & Temples www.gcrc.on.ca (Affiliated with World Christianship Ministries) St. Georges Anglican Church 116 Main St. South Georgetown, ON (905) 877-7585 a Time for Fellowship & Friendship KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday Worship: 11 am Rev. Dr. Kobie Du Plessis www.aztec-net.com/~KPC Service Dial-In: (905) 702-1629 SUNDAY SERVICES 11:00 AM (Nursery Services Provided) .knoxgeorgetown.ca REV. DR. JAMES COOPER Gods Word for Todays World. GEORGETOWN CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH welcomes you! 11611 Trafalgar Road (north of Maple Avenue) 905-877-4322 Lead Pastor: Rev. Gary vanLeeuwen Associate Pastor: Rev. Ted. S. Bootsma Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 am & 6:00 pm Georgetown Alliance Church 290 Main St. (S. of Maple 905-873-0249 www.togetheratgac.com St. Johns Anglican Church, Stewarttown est. 1834 Trafalgar Road and 15th Sideroad - The Friendly Little White Church on the Hill Welcomes you to a New Time for Sunday Services: 10:00 am Canon John Roberts will be the Guest Preacher Interim Priest in Charge: Rev. Canon Marni Nancekivell Church Office: 905-873-0235 Sunday Worship* at 10:00 AM *Nursery & Jr. Worship for Children 60 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-877-8044 Additional parking at Georgetown District High School www.stgeorgesgeorgetown.com SATURDAY MAY 10 - 4 PM - 6 PM MESSY CHURCH - CRAFTS, WORSHIP, SUPPER SUNDAY WORSHIP 8:00, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. KNECT KIDS - 11:15 a.m. Nursery Care - 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. THURSDAY WORSHIP 10:00 a.m. 60th Wedding Anniversary Drop in at St. Albans Anglican Church Hall, Glen Williams Sat. June 7th 1 pm - 4 pm Best Wishes Only HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Love from your FamilyGilbert & Elva Preston Congratulations Heather on graduating with Honours from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Kinetics . We are very proud of you. Love Mom & Dad & Your Family Got Ya! Happy 65th Birthday Rhona Love Jim, Jan, Deb, Greg, Madison, Paisley & Carter xoxo Acton/Georgetown, Friday, June 6, 2008 11 After several hours of debate and many failed motions, Halton Regional Council approved a new batch of development charges (DCs) for Halton and discounts for some of the fees. At its meeting last Wednesday, council endorsed charging area-specific DCs staff had recommended region- wide that bring about double-digit percentage increases for most of the rates. It also supported giving DC dis- counts of about 30 per cent to manu- facturing, office and warehouse devel- opments. The lost revenues from the new dis- count will add about $10 onto the typi- cal tax bill. Combine that with the mandatory DC exemptions the Region must grant under the Provinces Development Charges Act and the dis- cretionary exemptions already made for things like agriculture uses and it equates to around $70 for the average household based on a $300,000 assess- ment. This is up from the $53.60 the typical homeowner has paid over the past several years to cover DC dis- counts. Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette said he was disappointed with the decision on the DCs. Bonnette said Halton Hills council- lors were supporting a region-wide rate. We (Halton Hills) have the lowest industrial/residential ratio in Halton. This isnt going to help it at all. The mayor said he was concerned we may have just priced ourselves out of the market, and keeping incentives for the whole period would have encouraged people to invest here. Halton Hills Regional Councillor Jane Fogal said she believes the dis- count should have been kept in place for the entire two-year period in order to be competitive and attract industrial development to the 401 Corridor. Even discounted, our DCs would be the highest in the GTA, said Fogal. She believes the process at the Region was hijacked by Oakvillegreen who settled on the mantra that devel- opment should pay for itself. In my opinion these folks are killing the goose that laid the golden egg. When business investment dries up and they are wondering where their kids are going to work, maybe they will come around. Halton Hills Regional Councillor Clark Somerville said the new DCs are not perfect. Were still going to have a lot of challenges, said Somerville. I would like to have seen us be more competi- tive to make Halton the destination of choice for all kinds of commercial and industrial development. Halton residents turned out in full force at a Region meeting earlier to voice their dissatisfaction with how the discounts will affect their taxes. While only a small handful of citi- zens spoke at Wednesdays meeting, both Kurt Koster of Burlingtongreen and Burlington resident Tom Muir urged council to defer the DCs by one month to hold further public meetings for residents on the issue. The whole process has been domi- nated by the development industry, contended Koster, who noted the request was also supported by Oakvillegreen. Commissioner of Corporate Services and Treasurer Jane MacCaskill said its important for the process to proceed, since the current DC bylaw will expire in August and its preferable to have the new bylaw passed before then. She also noted that a public work- shop and public meetings have already been held on the issue, in addition to 14 stakeholder meetings. We conducted the process openly and transparently, she emphasized. Oakville resident Brian Burton also spoke and claimed that Region staff was beat up and overwhelmed by developers lobbying during the DC process. Halton CAO Pat Moyle defended his staff, saying that the finance depart- ment cannot be overwhelmed. They are extremely professional, very competent and very diligent, he said. Council heard once again from the development community and local chambers of commerce. Lyn Townsend, who represents the Halton Industrial Development Group, asked council to extend the 30 per cent discount to March 31, 2010. The dis- count is slated to be partially phased out by next April and then fully phased out in 2010. Both the Oakville and Milton cham- bers of commerce asked for the same extension. Townsend reiterated the develop- ment communitys position that the high DCs will act as a deterrent for businesses looking to set up shop in Halton. After hearing from the delegates, regional councillors went on to make a series of motions about the DCs, most of which were defeated. Council ultimately supported the area-specific DCs and the discounts thatll be phased out. DCs are levied by municipalities to recover growth-related costs associated with things like roads, water and sewer infrastructure needed to service new development. The new DCs are expected to cover 78 per cent of development costs, or $56 million per year, leaving 22 per cent to be paid by the taxpayers, or $15 million. Currently the Region charges Halton-wide DCs for roads and general services and area-specific DCs for water and wastewater, with the latter fees being higher in Halton Urban Structure Plan (HUSP) areas where rapid development is taking place, like the 401 Corridor. Now that the area-specific charges are continuing, the cost to develop a home in a HUSP area will go from $22,752 to $28,864 and from $13,677 in a non-HUSP area to $23,764. The price for a retail development in a HUSP area will rise from $12.09 per square foot to $14.79, while non- HUSP retail will pay $11.23 per square foot, up from the current $10.36. Manufacturing, office and ware- housing businesses will have to fork over a discounted rate of $10.74 per square foot in HUSP areas, up from $9.59, and $7.18 per square foot in non-HUSP areas, which is down slight- ly from the current $7.85. Once the discounts are phased out though, these fees will be the same as those for retail developments. The new DC bylaw comes into effect on August 18. With files from Lisa Tallyn, staff writer Local councillors wanted charges to be region-wide New area-specific DCs approved MELANIE HENNESSEY Special to The IFP In my opinion these folks are killing the goose that laid the golden egg. HALTON HILLS WARDS 3/4 REGIONAL COUNCILLOR JANE FOGAL