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

Theres no way Georgetown hospital services can be cutMorris FRED MORRIS administrator of Georgetown and District Hospital points to plan for an addition to the hospital The Georgetown District Memorial Hospital was spared a visit from health minister Frank Ham hospital did not exceed the criteria Miller used when he found It necessary to close hospitals in Ontario said hospital administrator Morris in an Interview this Milter a criteria was to change the bed ratio from five beds per thousand population to four per thousand and if an area had surplus beds the local hospital was closed To further cut cost hospitals of related size were examined and those whose costs of were high faced cutbacks in the amount of money they could get Its a fairly broad cost cutting proposition Morris But even If the Georgetown hospital escaped without having any beds closed or curtailed pressure on the hospital facilities still remain Morris said The pressure of population growth la increasing on us he To adequately serve the needs of Helton Hills beds are needed Morris said Now there are TO beds but the hospital has the capability to go to beds with little change In support services he said If you exclude Acton you re stilt dealing with people so we re fltill under the bed formula ratio he said But If Acton Is Included It obvious the facilities wont accomodate what we call Hal ton Hills To accomodate Hills adequately Morris the has not to be some growth He pointed out however that the Georgetown district hospital is well prepared for growth We have darn good base to build on he said limited only by the availability of nances In the first stage of ex Morris said beds can be built economically and quickly on existing foundation taking into regard the built in facilities of the hospital The and third floors are ready to go any time we get approval he sold adding mo we could use the facilities now if we were to a- Hills properly r responsibility now and no one has said is not thats what our area or responsibility Is We could move to one of those doors Immediately Morris said of the hospital We ve got congestion because patients have no nursing to go to He said mat from to In the hospital because of the lack of nursing homes in the area He said that the cost per day to keep a patient In a nursing home is tie while the cost per day of a patient in the hospital is According to the ministry of health formula there should WFDSESDAY Home Newspaper of Halton Hills be three and a half nursing home beds per thousand of population Morris adding that a nursing home In the area has got to be built Why t there be a nursing home he asked On a regional basis it a perhaps little bedded Morris said but the distribution is in and Burlington If you take the Georgetown population or the Hills population he said about a hundred beds Morris was proud of the way the Georgetown hospital works We operate very he said We have no qualms about stating that in terms of statistics or data available As examples of the hospital efficiency he said that the automated boiler plant enough money to finance a proper maintenance program for the hospital Further a modern dictation handling system eliminated the need for duplication of dictating equipment and was available on a hour basis to doctors and administrators There s no duplication of services Morris said The capital equipment Is well utilised But when It comes to why the Georgetown hospital Is well run Morris sold to the community as well Town taxes may go up at least 120 He had nothing but the service clubs which sup port on worthwhile and meaningful projects Public support is ding he said You cant help but look at the volunteer ambulance service There are darn few communities that have total volunteer service The Red Cross are always very available he said Community support of the Georgetown and District hospital ia as secure as anyone can suggest When Morris me absence of psychiatric faculties in Hills he termed it shocking We got to start coping with the psychiatric requirements of Halton Hills he said In terms of efficiency of the hospital there no foreseeable way we can cut beds or ser vice he said in summation We re having to work very hard to the population with the services we have and he board of education indicate the Hilts taxpayers will be facing a minimum mill rate increase this coming year of 16 mills or roughly more for home assessed at 500 And the town has yet to indicate how much if it has to It will be Increasing its portion of local taxes All three branches of local government- board of education the region and the town- blame the provincial government cutbacks In local spending as the prime reason behind the tremendous projected Jumps In tax bills Lost year Hills taxpayers saw their tax bills jump from a low of 13 mills in Georgetown to a high of mills In Acton Esqucslngs mill rotes increased by mills The first sign of the big increase this year was given by he Board of Education early this year when the director of the board Em Lavender Issued an early warning that taxpayers may face a mill rate increase of mills as a result of soaring educational costs In last year local budget education spending accounted for approximately percent of the total tax bill The board of education dire predictions were followed last week by the announcement by Halton chief administrative officer Ernie that he presently foresees a per cent Increase in spending by the region In 1976 which represents an average OBSERVING WEEK As part of Thinking Week he 1st Terra Explodin septic tanks mill rate increase of six mills across the region The region hopes to raise over million through taxes In Meanwhile Hills treasurer Ray King notes that his department work on preparing budget forecasts for the coming year Is running about one week behind schedule However he to id the finance committee Monday night that they will be receiving their first look at deport menial budgets within two weeks and council will begin its review of the proposed budgets In March The completed 197B budget will likely not be finalized until late May or early June Hills may be in a more fortunate position than the three ifaitoh municipalities It was able in its 1075 budget to set aside to be used in stabilizing Its 1976 budget As well while other municipalities have had their grants from the ministry of Iran and communications cut rirantlcallv Hills share has been estimated to be- the same u not slightly more However both those points may be a counter balanced by higher capital building costs accumulated in Councillor Harry Levy pointed out to the finance committee that a great deal of the town major capital building projects were completed midway through last year When Mr King was asked whether he thought the percent increase In con trollnble gross expenditures would be in dicatcd directly In the towns mill rate he replied that until he had had a complete overview of the budget he could not say Burlingtons Mayor blocks Norval MISTER MUSCLE BEACH OF GEORGETOWN Needless to say Georgetown does not have a beach and considering this Is the winner in Saturday night Mr Muscle Contest at Georgetown District High Schhol one has to wonder if GDHS has any muscles Tiger Joe Williams mould have almost to en the show Saturday night at the Beauty wereit not for the selection of a surprised inset Cathy as the Queen of the high schools winter carnival which Is taking place this week More pic tares inside today Ik raid Burlington Mayor George Harrington pulled out all stops last week in attempting to delay if not stop the extension of the Georgetown wa term a in system to Nerval At first trying to worn of the possibility of exploding septic tanks if municipal water Is pumped to Mayor Harrington seeing that he was gathering little support from his fellow councillors hinted that perhaps they should consider If the the In vestment of providing sewers and water mains to is really worth what we re Investing in it How many people live in he Although admitting as Coun Bill Mason put it that water for was a calculated risk we 11 just have to take regional councillors voted In favour or spending on engineering fees for the project That expenditure however Is subject to hearing from the ministry or the environment that the project is approved for provincial financing No word on that has been received as yet We have no choice commented Councillor Mason It has been discussed for two years and wo re fully aware of the problems of possibly flooding of septic tanks but we reolly have no alternative The people of are well aware of our concerns added Halton Hills Councillor Dick They re quite prepared to take that chance The chance Norval residents will be taking is that with the addition of municipal water into the village the flood plain soils will not be capable of absorbing the extra water Septic tanks throughout the village could be seriously affected Wove got a bad situation with con laminated water in said Councillor Mason We have to do what we con do to alleviate that immediate problem The urgency of the need for the water outweighs nil other considerations If In a year lime problems arc created he said the council will Just have to consider taking further steps In a year we may end up having to build a pumping station in and a sewage line back to Georgetown Mayor Harrington however suggested that the plans to extend the Georgetown system to Norval be delayed until further reports ore carried out on the feasibility of installing sewage lines at the same time as the water lines If the whole thing Is still a year or two away why not consider putting in the sewage lines now If you solve one problem by treating another what do you really achieve That suggest Ion Councillor Ernie angrily commented Is nothing more than a stall and no more practical than pushing nil homes in Norval Into the river Oakville Mayor Horry Barrett reported of a similar area In which had municipal water and sewage tanks but ex perlenced no problems at all They have to have water in Let s get on with the Job of getting It for them Under question by Councillor Morrow the regions chief administrative officer Ernie confirmed he report in last week s Herald that stated money for the project in not Included In the ministry of the environment 1076 budget nor Is it high on the list of priorities for 1977 unless a health hazard Is definitely proven Public meeting on landfill sites a deliberate Tonight meeting In Burlington to hear public reaction to the M M Dillon report on possible sites for the regional landfill site Is a deliberate obstacle placed In front of anyone who wants to comment effectively on the report states president of the Ratepayers Association and a well known north environmentalist Mr Johnson noted that the haste with which the public meeting was called did not allow anyone to study the report well enough to realty question Its conclusions The report was released two weeks ago at which time the February date for the single public meeting on the report was set I would want to see maps of to visit he an I over them before 1 draw any conclusion Mr Johnwn said then I would lake them to my get their opinions It took mc three weeks o complete y study of the Report he ald The time element is ridiculous Two seeking PC nomination for next provincial election Two men have already announced that they will be seeking the nomination as the Progressive Conservative candidate for Halton Burlington in toe next provincial election Gary defeated PC candidate In last falls however has stated flatly that he a percent sure that I won t be running again The next provincial election he said is still well over one year away Such an extended election campaign would be detrimental to his job as principal of M Z Bennett School In Acton If It was a short term election campaign I perhaps might be Interested in running again Mr Dawkins told the Herald but I don believe there will be an election until spring of next year t possibly run a long campaign while at the same lime still doing a full job as principal The two men who thus for have Indicated heir intentions to seek the PC nomination at the local ridings nomination convention on March 17 are George Gray of Georgetown and George of Homby Mr Gray sought the nomination lost fall but was beaten by Mr Dawkins Last week he hosted a special meeting for Georgetown PC a at which time he gauged his early support He also in a new element into his campaign a dealing with various local political Issues which he In tends to use during his cam if ho is elected a businessman whos not very happy with the way the public monies ore being handled federally or regionally I believe we should be returning to sound business practices In handling our economy to produce a balanced budget A graduate of Ontario Agricultural College he has been Involved with livestock feed sales and Is presently farming a operation at where he produces turkeys nil beef cattle plus another Continued on page decision yet on Vis Councillor Em Hyde told members of the works committee Monday night that If on the south side of Mill St In Acton was not eliminated the merchants on that street would newer provide offstreet parking He said the committee would bo in error toreconstructMfllSt the way It is now It the wrong thing to do Councillor Hyde said It not progress Progress is the merchants In Acton loosing to Improve sltuation by providing parking Councillor Hyde recommended that Mill St be reconstructed with wider sidewalks and that parking on the south side of the street from Main St to John St be eliminated Councillor Dick supported Councillor Hyde He said that unless parking is banned on the south side of Mill St the committee would have to wait A years for the Acton merchants to provide offstreet parkins Councillor said there was lot of merchants In Acton looking to town council for guidance on the issue but in response to a remark by Ward 1 councillor Joe Hurst that committee meet with Acton merchants or at least get a petition y merchants to see what they desire Councillor Howltt said the works committee would be no further ahead with such a meeting Councillor Hurst sold he was to eliminating parking on the south side of Mill St The road Is narrow enough now so keep it as it Is he said Suppose in tenyears we get a bypass He said he would like to get an expression from the merchants on the matter of the sidewalk width Town engineer Robert that the sidewalk from Main fit to J win at and perhaps even beyond be installed with interlocked paving stones instead of con He said the cost was the same Councillor Hyde suggested that although the costs would be the same the cost of maintenance would be greater Engineer Robert Austin replied that If interlocking paving atones were Installed there should be no Increase in maintenance costs Councillor Hyde then naked If It had ever been seriously considered to change Mill St and Church St into one way Engineer Robert Austin advised him that St was rebuilt as a residential street and did not have a foundation that could toko heavy traffic Councillor Hyde showed the committee a photograph of St Alban a Drive and recommended that the works committee allow parking on tho south side of the street but eliminate it on the north side Councillor Hurst approved of this motion Chairman Mike Armstrong felt that the worka committee should meet with tho planning committee on tho Issue of what to do with St because third reading of the bylaw which would permit reconstruction of MID St PAUL of Acton travels up and down Mill St urging the merchants to sign a petition for a mill Increase which would help finance offstreet parking