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Orono Town Hall boWA^'^s®^ 1 - 104 g 0 vjrn3^ 1 ...,aer 79 $1.00 GST Included Wednesday May 14, 2003 Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard, Newcastle, NewtonviHe, Prong, Starkville and Tyrone since 1937 Councillors keep lid on municipal grants "The problem started on grant we gave all the money away. " -- C'oun. Jim Schell Michael Thomson (L) and John Slater (R) along with many other volunteers planted close to 1500 trees on Saturday at the Orono Crown Lands. Region grants university $10 million The growth of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) took Dr. Gary Polonsky by surprise. surprise. "I confess I had not realized realized it was going to grow so fast and so big as it has," he told Regional councillors at Wednesday's regional council meeting. Polonsky, the university's founding president, appeared before council to ask for a $ 10 million donation to the university university which is being built in Oshawa and will open its doors this September. The project, originally expected to cost roughly $700 million, needs an infusion of capital. "We need to raise $100 million quickly for this to go on," said Polonsky. Though Ajax Councillor Mayor Steve Parish spoke against funding yet another non core service, the motion passed with 27 councillors voting in favour, with Parish casting the lone dissenting bailot. "This is another in the line of items that are special one time extraordinary endeavours," endeavours," stated Parish, which combined with the approval of funding requests for the cancer cancer centre in Oshawa, and the Ajax/Pickering hospital now total $21 million. "We're adding to the property tax bill for items that are not our core responsibility," he stated. "There should be a university in Durham Region," he said, it should be funded by the province and the feds." Councillors voted in favour of granting UOIT .1% of the <( Region's taxable assessment growth - approximately $250,000 starting in 2004, and doubling that amount each year for eight years. The Region of Durham will also contribute water, sewer and road infrastructure costs to the university at a maximum cost of approximately $2.13 million. million. The combined contributions contributions are capped at $10 million. Finance Committee Chair, Councillor Jim McMaster said he believed this was an excellent investment investment for the future. "Sometimes you havè to spend money to make money," he said. "It's a $700 million project in which we're putting in $10 million, I have no problem supporting this, in fact, I'm very pleased UNIVERSITY continued pege 4 There will be no free ride for volunteer groups who missed out on the municipal grant process this year. Clarington council voted to deny waiving rental costs for two volunteer organizations organizations holding events this summer. summer. The Massey Show committee committee sent a letter to council requesting they forgo the cost of renting the Newcastle ball diamond for ------ two days-- June 21 and 22 during the Massey Show in Newcastle. They plan to use ^the ball diamond as an outdoor display display area for Massey farm equipment. The Terry Fox Run com- m i t t e e requested - council waive the rental fee for the Garnet Rickard Centre so they could hold a dance in the evening after the Terry Fox Run. The committee hopes to raise additional funds for cancer research by holding a dance involving people who could not participate in the run. Councillor Jane Rowe made the motion to deny the funding requests. "I'm making making the motion because someone someone has to, but I'm doing it with regrets," she stated. Both funding requests were denied on the basis that there was no money left in the municipal grant fund. Each year council sets aside $1 per capita to be funneled back to the community by way of volunteer organizations. Groups apply for grants and early in the year council divides up the fund which this year was $76,000. In the past council saved some money in the fund so they could address funding applications which come to them throughout throughout the year. "The problem started on grant process day, (Feb. 3, 2003) when wc gave all the money away," stated Councillor Jim Schell. He warned that if council granted these two groups their request, the precedent would be set for a potential onslaught of requests from worthwhile organizations. "If we open this up, we will also have to go back retroactively, to all groups who applied after the grant process was competed," stated stated Mayor John Mutton. "We had set the criteria, once we break that mold it's over and we'll be doing it every time we get applications like this," he said. Councillor Charlie Trim said he thought money could be found in reserve funds ■*^**"" or elsewhere to assist these two events which are very significant to the Municipality. "Both are worthy items, both are organized organized and carried out by volunteers, volunteers, to say no to these groups doesn't shed a good light on the Municipality," he stated. The motion to deny the funding requests was passed unanimously. Don't Miss 000 Backyard Festival (Live Music) Sunday 5 p.m. Mosport Park Fireworks Display at dusk Free Admission