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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 17, 2002 - A5 Town ponders financing of fig h t at OMB (Continued from page 1) legal proceedings have commenced; the proceedings aren't before the OMB or Environmental Assessment Board for Ontario; the Town is not a party to the pro ceedings; a significant number of Oakville residents have contributed to legal fees illustrating widespread community sup port; a minimum $25,000 has been con tributed by the residents toward the fees; and. if a funding request is accompanied by an opinion of the Town solicitor on the merits of the citizens' position. Gates recommended that policy "be strictly adhered to in order to avoid setting a precedent." He warned that any citizens' group that disagrees with a council posi tion could seek Town funding to dispute the decision and "make it impossible to deny similar requests from other resi dents' groups." The item was passed as a consent item at Monday's Town council meeting with no discussion. At last week's Budget Committee deliberations, Sylvia Ma of Residents' Association North of Dundas (RAND) told councillors various groups headed to the OMB have funding except for the 100 residents currently living on Bumhamthorpe Road, north of Dundas Street. RAND president Laura Knowlton said RAND has had legal advice to have "$200,000 in its war chest to protect our homes." While RAND had advocated the Town's adoption of a revised OPA 198, the Town has so far failed to take a stand, instead sending OPA 198 back to staff to investigate doing further environmental studies. A report is expected later this month. Meanwhile, Oakvillegreen Conser vation Association has advocated the Town take a no-growth position and won support from Environmental Defence Canada to help fundraise should it head to the OMB. Last week, the Town's Budget Committee heard criticism that the Town keeps talk about its OMB funding strate gy behind closed doors. Ward 4 Councillor Jody Sanderson who chaired the 2002 Budget Committee said it's legal strategy that the Town does n't want revealed to the public, particular ly challengers at the OMB. Council made no monetary provision for an OMB hearing about growth in its 2002 budget. Instead, the Budget Committee recommended the Town "vigorously and aggressively" defend any position Town council takes on future growth and left it to council to set a budget limit to finance an OMB defence. Financing was recommended to be by debenture to be repaid in future, including by taxpayers who may then live north of Dundas Street. Because no money was attached, the issue was separated from the budget, which was passed Monday, and discus sion continued in camera. The Town could face a price tag between $2 million to $4.8 million to defend itself at the OMB, a pre-budget breakfast hosted by the Town for local ratepayers' groups was told. Barrie Erskine · O akville B eaver WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS?: Pine G rove Public School em erged vic torious at the recent All H alton Finals J u n io r Think Bowl Com petition held in Burlington. G ra d e 6 Pine G rove students (from the left) Sachin M onga, L au ra Stevens, J o n a th a n V olpatti, C h ristin e M eissner, T heo K oolen, A ndrew Neuwald are all smiles as they hold the trophy. They will go on to com pete in the Provincial T h in k Bowl C om petition in Dorset in early June. Council to hold public meeting to discuss banning use of pesticides (Continued from page 1) tor Chris Mark recommended spending $90,000 this year (Option A) to reduce pesticide use on the three per cent of Town parks still sprayed with chemicals. Option B at $235,000 would further reduce that and pay for better turf care to fight weeds in the absence of pesticide use. Last week at the public Budget Committee meetings, Ward 1 Councillor Kevin Flynn proposed -- and the commit tee agreed -- to the $90,000 Option A this year, but move to the $235,000 Option B for 2003. However Monday, Flynn want ed the $90,000 bumped to $162,500 for 2002 -- splitting the difference. Not only did councillors agree, they unanimously jumped at Ward 6 Councillor Janice Wright's uiging to go the distance with Option B. Encouraging to many, who came out advocate a ban on pesticide use on Town land, is the temporary moratori um on using pesticides on Town land. Council is looking at a ban of pesticides on private property and staff has been meeting with golf course operators and lawn care companies. It will hold a public meeting this spring. Neyagawa Park in north Oakville will also become a pesticide-free park test site. "It's one thing to talk about it, but what we do has to be the right thing," said Flynn. Mark said the additional funds will be used on an expanded organic fertilizing program, which is "what we need to start to wean ourselves off pesticides." Councillors have heard that weeds will come on strong after pesticides are discon tinued, but that improved care, though more costly, will eventually produce acceptable turf. Among the members of the public who pleaded for a pesticide ban Monday was 31-year-old Alysa Burkus-Rolf, who has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a cancer she said has been linked to pesticides. A commitment to start Sunday bus service next spring, however, was more contentious. Ward 3 Councillor Keith Bird called the need "extremely limited" and wanted a referral until after an internal staffing review. Ward 1 Councillor Ralph Robinson said many long-time Oakville residents and seniors have called for Sunday busing. "It's every bit as important to them as pes ticides is," he said. Ward 3 Councillor Tedd Smith said he hoped taxis could pick up' the slack and Ward 5 Councillor Janice Caster said Sunday busing should wait until a transit study is released this spring. Ward 5 Councillor Jeff Knoll said that as much as Robinson has heard from sen iors wanting Sunday busing, he's had peti tions from youths who want it. The Town had first predicted a 17 per cent budget hike, cut it to 9.2 per cent then cut again to 7.6 per cent -- before settling on 7.9 percent Monday. Mayor Ann Mulvale made some cuts by removing $650,000 for new buses and a fire rescue truck in hopes that provincial grants will come through. Another $232,000 was taken from a $432,000 contribution to the $ 1.2-million road repaving budget (still the largest such program ever). It's likely the Town can repay the cash since it's likely a reinstate ment of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) will happen later than anticipated. Many delegations Monday questioned the Town's 2002 $37.8-million capital budget -- or rather an anticipated $136 million shortfall in the Town's 2002-2011 10-year $276 million capital forecast. Town officials say the shortfall is being created by the unexpected downloading of responsibility for bridges and highways; reduction, if not elimination, of grants; and, aging infrastructure. ATHENA celebrates 6 years SPONSOR PROFILE Celebrating the potential o f all wom en as valued members and leaders o f the com m unity, and recognizing those w ho support them . ATHENA Oakville enters it's sixth year. W ith o u t sponsorship, th is would not be possible. ATHENA Oakville recognizes th a t a huge part o f ATHENA'2 success is duo to the generosity o f sponsors. This ad is an ongoing series paying trib u te to our sponsors and in th e ir own words they tell us w h y they feel involve m ent w ith ATHENA is im portant. I v U / w O l: v - v Cogeco is proud to be a sponsor of the ATHENA Awards Program. As a sponsor, we have the pleasure o f being able to meet and introduce the nominees for the ATHENA Award to the community through television. It is truly inspiring to be in the company o f such caring individuals. Each has a story to tell, often o f courage and dedication. Each in their own way, has contributed greatly to the community, and each has impacted the lives of womenthrough their mentoring and support. We feel E d ith honoured to have this opportunity to illustrate G w y n n e -K e a n ey "leadership from the heart." F o r in fo r m a tio n o n A T H E N A c a ll D ia n a S aulez 9 0 5 -8 4 4 -5 2 9 0 THE UlMUliE REIVER M a ry C ard a m o n e > 1 9 Royal BankCHAMBER ' . r j joWLEW Coach and Four Pub Team ·tKmmnmmma. 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