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Sewage capacity halts growth the province and Hills have agreed the huge Acton East residential and commercial development east of Churchill Road will have to be put on hold Recently Minister of Environment George McCague met with town to discuss sewage treatment plant facilities and development In Hills He said In a letter received by Halloa Hills councU Monday that until there is a re- evaluatlon Actons sewage plant wont be expanded beyond a capacity of one million gallons a day He added there wont be any until the plant is up to capacity All this means that there la very little room for growth in Acton The province also agrees with region consulting firm which says sewage from Beardmore shouldnt go directly Into the sewage plant Discussion was held regarding the possibility of the town running the spray for the Industry rather than per mitting redirection of waste waters to the Acton sewage plant McCague said a brief report was Issued by the province two years ago at which time the expansion of the Acton plant was allowed He said Acton East should be placed in a holding category pending a reevaluation of the receiving stream and plant at a later date Up to now the province says the capacity of the receiving stream the Black Creek Is one million gallons a day despite the fact some consultants say the capacity could be as high as million gallons a day One Hundred and Third ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY MARCH TwentyEight Pages F If Men Cant Towns average tax is up 1568 BRAD BUCHANAN AND Martin Osso watch as Ron Van De gets the rebound for Bayridge in the game which knocked Acton from the championship round of the AllOntario Saturday afternoon Story and more pictures in sports section The towns share of taxes is up in Georgetown in Acton and in Esquesing on an average home But thats not the total tax hike education and regional tax boosts have to be added to that figure The average assessment used is 4616 in Georgetown in Acton and 4619 in The increase in mills is 279 in Georgetown 350 in Acton and 338 in The total budget is 1 Georgetown this year are million up per cent over Henry Mary and James last years expenditures Street Cleaveholm and Council aimed for no more than an eight per cent in- In Slderodd crease in taxes and hit that between the Seventh and figure almost exactly Eighth Line the Tenth Last minute cuts to get down and part of the Sixth Line are totheelghtpercentamounted to be repaired Sargent Road to including an in- crease in revenue to town Rutin or based on ice Included Is for a study rates at the arenas by an slope stabilization on Arm- hour and fees to the strong Avenue for pools public skating and work on Metcalfe ravine swimming registrations and and Tor the Regan other adjustments Nore of Crescent ravine these increases have been In the Acton area Is allocated to the storm sew era Roads to be reconstructed In the biggest cuts in the roads budget Is for the reconstruction of Main Street South Georgetown This work will not be done this year Main Street South in Acton was cut The total roads and affili ated services budget Is the RKiudau Next highest budget is recreation totalling The largest cuts were made in the recreation budget to get It down to that figure Libraries are Included in this budget The library board has been asked to cut from their budget The pilch at is out for this year but the much debated master plan A new roadway and bridge at estimated at is also scrapped Council felt library plans should bo known before this expenditure Is considered Also cut to stay within the overall eight percent tax hike Is a sprinkler system at Georgetown Memorial Arena dressing room alterations plexiglass along the sides of the rink and an additional Work will go ahead on the Acton tennis courts at a cost of Fire Cuts totalling were made the fire budget after consultation with Fire Chief Mick Holmes In the Acton area equipment for the rescue van amounting to is out as is a base station a radio for the van and rescue tools In Georgetown area cuts in the fire budget totalled including repair equlpmeni an overhead door a radio for the pumper a talkie and one confer ence Lib mid Halton Hills Library Board budget totalled but the own has asked for a cut The towns share of the budget would then be The province contri butes in per capita grants and fines and rental of films records etc accounts for an estimated Grand The grants budget remains at with cuts con templated last week decided against This leaves Acton Acton Agricul tural Society Halton Helping Hands and North Contact Centre still in the list to be considered at the amount requested Finance Chairman Miller said no increase in staff is allowed for in the budget He pointed out there ore no debenture items so there would be no increased debt charges Treasurer Ray King described it as one of the tightest budgets he has ever worked on Town agrees to pay taxes on Acton Y Tax Score to date Acton house assessed at 4480 For town purposes tax up Education tax upl528 Acton Increase so fax up And the bad news The regional tax has yet to be added house assessed at Town purposes only up Education up 17 Total so far up Georgetown house assessed at Town purposes up1566 Education up 1437 Total far up3003 An agreement to sublet Regional Police part of the town of Halton Hills space in Actons building sailed through council with ease Monday night nut the dickering about the towns lease of the building took more than an hour In the agreement with the police the police will pay a portion of the towns rent pay a share of all util ities will pay for any alter ations they need and will pay for a portion of taxes it any The police detachment will have three parking spaces designated for their use and the subletting agreement will run for five years the same length as the towns lease with the with the police paying half the legal coats of drawing up the lease The hourlong hassle developed on the last clause which says the agreement with the police Is subject to the board signing the lease with the town Councillor Miller sold the has not signed the lease He explained the town has been paying insurance on the building and said the Is worried they would have to pay taxes on the building If the new provincial legislation is enacted Mayor Tom Hill said the had tipped the rent a month He said the town shouldnt be expected to pay the insurance since they dont own the building David Hunter of the Acton board said it la mostly the Acton youth KW hospital Tim Rosa Daigle of RR 3 Acton is In satisfactory condition In the Kitchener- Waterloo Hospital following a traffic accident on Highway Saturday night Mr ge U yean is in the Intensive care unit K- W Hospital spokesman Carol Beadle said Tuesday MT Dalgle was transferred to Kitchener from Guelph General Hospital early Sunday morning after be wo examined in the hospitals emergency room A hospital spokesman there said the transfer was made because no brain surgeon was at According to Milton OPP Mr Daigle was walking on the road against the traffic also state no charges have been laid against the driver of the auto involved taxes the board is worried about He said they are aware they will have to pay the Insurance Councillor Pat Patterson pointed out the police agreed to pay a share of any taxes at the morning meeting to nego tiate the lease Clerk French contended the board wanted the town to pay any taxes on the whole building including the apartment up stairs Councillor Les Duby ex plained the building was left to the town provided it is used Hesaidtherehadbeen cooperation for many years If we knock this around well simply open up an old can of worms He said the building is useful to the town and useful to the Y He warned if the council Is not careful they could lose the building for the and the Public Trustee could sell it for any purpose He said the has been trying to keep and maintain the building and provide pro grams for the youth and des cribed the building as one of the finest on Mill Street Patterson stated the police said if the rental Is not han dled properly they would pull out of Acton and Georgetown and move the whole division to Milton Mr Hunter said only the upstairs apartment Is tax able unless the provincial legislation is enacted taxing all buildings Councillor Marilyn Ser- said paying the taxes on the whole building would be a bargain if it keeps the police in Acton and Georgetown Councillor Mike Armstrong claimed the Y was only asking for an escalation clause In the event the building became taxable He said as full tune tenants the town should pay and prorate it with the police If the town emphasized this Is an pointed out the town unique situation where the never collected taxes on the Councillor Peter Morris building was left to the town building since the day it was claimed the rent should in- certain conditions He built so were not giving elude taxes fie warned If the said the building could revert anything away provincial tax law goes back to the town and the town Morris claimed the town through the town could be would have to operate It as a setting a precedent for other and pay all the costs such buildings wants Were talking small potatoes setting a precedent for other and pay all Councillor George Mallby 4 men charged in street fights was locking itself into sup porting the In Acton Blehn contended the Is doing the town a favor by space on Mill Street or the police and the town Well we at least kept using the town hall replied Duby Mallby pointed out the legislation demanding taxes might not be in force until and stated only then would any money be spent Im against paying taxes on a building we dont own commented the mayor Serjeantson said she was Region Police charged four men In con nection with a fight that started on Mill Street and finished at the intersection of and Churchill Roads last Tuesday March 14 A twoman fight on Mill Street In the evening was Seniors out on street Regional Police are not the only ones who have found themselves homeless with recent claims the old town ball is unsafe Actons senior citizens who frequented the drop in centre In the building now must go elsewhere to enjoy an after noon out Golden Age Club president R Davidson said his club members decided not to go Into the ball after receiving a letter from the town of Halton Hills exonerating themselves from liability Mr Davidson said that the most seniors have not been going to the hall as often in the past few months but will atW miss a regular place to go and visit friends They are currently looking for a new home for the dropin centre he said but hopes the town will have the old building fixed up owner of Jeanettes Home for Senior Citizens said at least six of her residents now have nowhere to go spend an after noon She said these people went to the hall every af ternoon for a few hours to play cards and get together with two residents from Acton Senior Residence Mrs said she thinks the residents will have to stay In the Home for their dally card games The general public Is also left out In the cold with the building closure town ball housed the only public He said tie didnt want to see concerned about the the police kept teetering and of the police pulling suggested the town forego the out of Acton and Georgetown taxes on the apartment as and asked how serious the well as the rest of the situation Is The mayor said it was very serious and said the state ment was made that morning Monday Armstrong said the town was losing nothing and was In fact gaining since they would no longer pay Insurance and would have rent from the police Finally a resolution in structing the solicitor to amend the lease to have the town underwrite any taxes on the building except the second floor apartment If and when such buildings become taxable Councillors Peter Marks Pat McKentle Pete Pomeroy and Roy Booth were absent from the meeting Mr Hunter of the board said the board was not continued shortly after on tag about the apartment but Churchill Road South when just the possible taxes on the four men fought rest of the building One of the men charged Is Youve screwed up our from R town hail now youre going to Addresses for the others were screw up our Y commented not msde available by police Police state that a baseball We didnt screw up the bat was used to damage one town hall retorted the suspects car mayor washroom in town where shoppers could go when home was too far away inside today Rev Beaton writes on Easter Page letters Pages Easter egg decorations Pages Jack heads Royal Page is Rural correspondence Page IS Bart tournament N tourney BowUng trophies Penny PageB6 Classifieds Watch like a hawk Happy EVA leads the way for the Easter parade at MZ Bennett school on Friday March It was also St Patricks day so the grade one students held a combined occasion parade Police refuse to enter unsafe town hall SIGN POSTED on town hall door is keei some police senior citizens and members of the general public outside the old town ball The Department of Labour notice says the hall should not be occupied until directions have been complied with Consulting engineer Alan had pointed out wood rot and deflections in the roof area observed when the fire hall addition cut through the town hall Since the posting of an unsafe sign on Acton town hall door some of the police officers of No detachment have refused to go into their office there They are working out of the George town office instead The decision was left up to the Individual officers Doris continues to work in the office and Cons Phil Hotte was there Tuesday Staff Sergeant Barrett says he comes In each morning before going to Georgetown as he regularly does The refusals came after the Department of Labor sent a which went to Halton finance and ad ministration committee last week It said the town hall Is not safe A copy of the report was put on the town hall door by a member of the town engineering staff Confusion and concern resulted for the police and senior citizens who use the building Some of the police officers took belongings from their lockers last week deciding not to enter the building On Monday councU passed a resolution absolving the town of any liability for oc cupants In the building Superintendent Floyd Sch wann confirms that some Acton officers are reporting to work In Georgetown Staff Sergeant Barrett says the change makes no dif ference to the service the people in Acton and district are getting Weve got 13 men assigned to No division and there ab solutely no effect on the public He said he did not know exactly which officers have decided not to go to the town hall Police were told they do not have to go Into the building if they do not want to Some police officers say they should not be expected to work in a building marked unsafe while outers point out the precinct has been there for almost three years and nothing has happened They doubt If anything will happen In the next two weeks Tuesday afternoon Chief Kenneth Skerrett said the work of preparing new police offices In the will proceed as soon as possible Parti will be erected and the present equipment In use in tin offices in the town hall will be moved to the will be located to the right In the offices On the left will be the town office staff recreation coordinator and fire chief A special meeting was held Monday morning between Halton Hills and staff and police when moving arrangements were discussed Council after lengthy discussion approved the decision Plans for moving were being made at both offices on Tuesday