Whltby Free Pieus, We<*iesday, Januavy 17, 1M.6 Page 3 Items from Whitby council agenda(s) MondRy. January 15. 199e Recommendations firom the go% nning* end development committe. That a ait. plan application fromn TDL Group Ltd. for a llm Horton's restaurant and drlv-trough facllty at 516 Brock St. N., b. approved. In January 1993, councli approved a gas bar and minute-tube shop as well as the restaumatý on the site af the former automobile dealershlp. However, only the 3,030- square-foot restaurant Is proceedlng at this time. Future development on the southem portion of the property will b. sub1ect to a separate ah.e plan Carried That a request from Invar Building Corp. f or a miner varance te the Town's slgn bylaw for its commercial development at 1650 Victoria St. E. be approved. Invar la seeking a reduction ln the minimum required distance from the gmound te the bottom aof the display s urface from three metres te 2.8 metres for two proposed pylon signa. Carried That a request from Arbor Mem oril Service Inc. for a minor , iac he -Q~ ;sg~ ya for ts cemhetey at 1650 Dundas St. E oapproved. Thecoempany is seeklng an Increase In the maximum permlitted number of ground signa from one per lot ta twe per lot for a cemetery. Carrled Recommendations, from'the operations comumittee Thet applications for cancellatian and/or refund af taxes totalllng $12.367 for the 1994 and 1995 taxation years ho approved. Among the campanles ne longer dolng business ln Whltby are the former Douglas Steel Co. Ltd. on Industrial Drive. Carried That $89.234 ln taxation and penalties for the taxation years 1991-1994 ho wrltten off as uncollectlble. ln ewery case, the money could net ho collected as Rt ail partalned ta businesses thet were Insolvent. Carried That a bylaw ho brought ferward te authorize the temporary borrowing of an- amount up ta $10 million, Wt any on. Urne, ln 19g96. The Town annually passes such a bylaw for money that may be requlred te caver expenses incurred early ln the year before theM fis ex istïl-n i rceve That a bylaw b. brought forward appolntlng Gregory Booth, manager of the Durham Reglon divsion of Trentway-Wagar Imc. and Anthony Oxley, assistant manager, as municipal bylaw enforcment officers. The t wllMI have autharlty te enforce parking provisions aleng the Whitby Transit route network. Trentway-Wagar operates the Whitby Transit buses on behalf of the Town.' Carrled j Counci again defends pay, level By MIke Kowalokl Salaries and benefits paid to Whitby couneillors came under fire again Monday. For the second s aight week, councillors were forcèdtooendure a stinging attack from Anderson Streetresident Jim Priest over the amount of money they receive for their municipal duties. And for the second straight week, councillors made no apologies for the level of remuneration they enjoy. In fact, more than one councillor pointed out that in comparison to other Durham Rogion municipalities, Whitby's elected representatives are flot adequately compensated for their work. A furlous councillor Dennis, Fox aven went as far as to serve notice that he will be calling for a pay increaso at the next council meetting. As he did at last week's operations committee meeting, council watchdog Priest took issue with the annual report on wages and expenses. While flot critical of what the report contained, Priest told council he was "disturbed" by what the document did not include., However, Priest was quick to stress that'he was flot blaming Town treasurer AI Claringbold as the report fully complied with the requiremonts of the provincial Municipal Act. .Although the report indicated that Mayor Tom Edwards received $41,706 remuneration plus $10,490 In confrenceand travel expenses in 1995, Priest said it did flot reveal the mayor's $8,400 car allowanoe or approimately $2,500 stipend as a mamber of the Wltby Hydre Electric Commission. 'This, of course, does flot include salary, benafits and other goodies raeived at the Region," he said. (Edwards and councillors Marcel Brunalle, Joe Drumm and Oerry Emm are ail members of Durham Region council.) Priest said the report does flot specifically mention that councillors, who are paid $14,648 in regular salary, can aach collact as zfluch as $2,000 cash if they fibygo thie Town's bonefits package. Howover, regional councillors can also tae advantage of a similar package at that level, Priest said. "Io it morally propor or acceptable that. they take the $2,000 value of benefits* thoy do flot require? This is clearly doublo-dipping,» he charged. Priost then questioned the need for council ta receive benefits at ail. "Moonlighters and part-timers do flot receive benofits. Why should you from Whitby taxpayrar- Priest refuted the argument that council should be entitled ta, the same benefits as Town employees For blanket coverage of ALL the homes and/or businesses in Whitby OR to selected areas only, call the WhitbyFree Press - 668-6111. 1! you did fot get a lyer which is isted for full distribuion, give us a cal!. flot set their own rate of pay or "can escape paying taxes on one-third of their income." Ho thon challengod Edwards' assertion ofst week that only the Ontatrio governmnent can change this provision., "Not me. With a motion, a seconder and a vote tanight, this body could removo, this repugnant perk." .Faced with the prospect of imposing more user fees and reducing services due to provincial cutbacks, Priesit said council can provide "real leadership" on the issue. "At a time when politicians are about as popular as a pedophile...you have, an opportunity to elevate your profession by substantially cutting the tax dollars you spend on yourselves." While no one directed any questions at Priost following bis presentation, anger over bis romarks prompted several fiery retorts whon the troasurer's report came up for approval later ln the meeting. Fox, in particular, was seething over. Priest "comparing politicians ta pedophiles.* AUl members of council, past and present, were and are* "good, dotent people who don't deserve that type of comment," ho said. "Itfs cheap politickIng at tho beet. Those type of negative commenta only fan the flames of discontent. While Fox did not dispute Priest's reference to the $2,000 benefits figure or tho tax-freo allowance, ho said that ini biq own case, most of it goes back to, the government since it pute 1dm In a bighor tax brakot when combinod withbli. salary as aToronto high school teacheir. Fox estlmated that. councilors average "20 ta 25 hours a week" on municipal business Mi addition to Monday comrnlttee- and council meetings. *Add it to my fuil-time Job and l7m not home vory often," ho said, while noting that that bis family is aie affected Ini that thoy haveta contend wlth the occasional Irato taller. Olaiming that moit peoplo express surprise upon learning "how littie we are pald," Fox said Whitby taxpayerL "don't know wo have a meyor who works for les. monoy than hi. secretary niakea." Fox said no on. "li their rlght mind" would criticize a $16,,000 salaiyand benefits package if they analyzed it objectively. "I'm almoa t tempted to bring forward a motion suggesting a pay ralse, but I will'l ave that ta, tho next meeting." Accordmng ta Brunelle, Whitby residonts are getting full value for Girl,1 5, approached by strange Police are inveastgating after a maxi reportady asked a kIndergarden student at West Lynde Public School ta go with hlm Wodnesday morning. The five-year-old girl, who was in the hall at the timo, said the man called out ta ber. She was frightened and ran back ta hor classroom ta tell ber teacher. The teacher immediately checked theý area but didnt se. anybody. Police were called but were also unable ta find anyone ln tih. school matchÃng the littie ýgirl'. description. Two teachers at the Michael Boulevard school also saw the man, who's described as white and around. six foot, in bis late twenties with brown hair in a pony tail. Board publicity director Mary Brown says there's no evidence as yet that the incident was an abduction attempt. "Yeu, there was a stranger in the school and although the polit. fait the school's security was quite adequate, the administrators have met with the parents anid are going ta b. doing a few more things ta make it more obvious when someone is li the school that doesn't belong there." ithe ,n Rsa uran " e02 bilvacuum (select) " Empire Dnrer (select) " Kira Cope-Elliot - Royal r, at sehool "The fact I., we're the lowest paid. councillors ln Durham Reglon," ho said. Rsponsiblo for a *32-million budgt and nearly 300 employées, council bas not raised taxes i'four years, Brunelle sid. »Anyone who, looks, at the facts fairly and honestly WMllmmeethat wo are a goxid, effective councl and we're flot overpaid. In fact, as councillor Fox say., we are under pald,." .Brunolle also took exception to Prieesa"pedophile" -analogy. "Whals mostridiculous la that this pemsn twice ran for this position," he said. "Perbapa be's suggesting that ho'. somehow different than the rest of u." Rookie councillor Shirley BSott sald ah. did flot realize the toets assoclated- wlth being a politiclan. prior to her élection li 1994. "You have ta take Into account an office at home, car oxpenses...ad for money lni lieu to bonefita you have ta pay tax.on 1t4" she nid. Although Scott nid anyone without an extra Income could not afford to ho a municipal politician in Whitby, Edwards sid the salary and benofits do.. allow Ithose of more modest means ta seek public office. Edwards praisd former, mayor Bob Attersley, a- successau businessman, for always Insisting- that council'. remuneration b. of a sufficient levai as flot ta discourago anyone from running. 'H. didn't, need It, but rm proud that ha set this Ind of example for others," said Edwards., *Appraisals ~on1 Spot .ýe Buy 2 Repairs -GemysTmGemB3irs Pas Biirds Get 3rd at *Remodelling Onginal Handcerafted 1/3 OFF 21 1 Brook St. S., Whitby 666-4612 M I I666-8245 DEBBIIE MORGAN THE WHITBY FREE PRESS has moved ta new location at 900 HOPKINS ST. on the, S.W. corner at Burns (next door-ta the Whitby Inn- Restaurant) Hours: Mon. to Fni. 9am -'5pm Please excuse the mess. We are stifi. under construction. e- 1 -.-.à 1 666-4612