Conservation, authorities to. share services My ILUKV i&WUIUja Ontario ïgovernment funding cuts have forced two area conservation auth- orities ta pool resources. The C entrai Lake Ontario Conservation Auth- ority (OLOCA) and the Ganaraska Region Conser- vation Authority (GRCA) are now operating under a combined staffing struc- ture. Although the neighbour- ing authorities have been sharing services anzdequip- ment on an informai basis for some time, directars of the two organizations recently voted ta make the arrangement more per- manent. CLOCA and GRCA wilI continue ta functjon as separate political and geo- graphical entities, but staff wilI now fali under one management umbrella. CLOCA'chief administra- tive officer Russ Powell will oversee the new structure wicn can be terminated c four-monthe' notice 1 either party. "Basically, bath of us a suffering from the wrathi (Premier) Mike Harris, said CLOCA chair Brié Nicholson in explaining tI rationale behind the dec sion. "We lost about half of ou budget and Ganarask about 80 per cent of theirs said Nicholson, an Oshawý councillor. "We were already bai rowing staff from them ang they were' borrowing froin us, s0 we decided ta try thij on a trial basis,» he said. "It's not a merger just sharing of services. VIor thi purpose of watershec management, we'll lok after aur area and they'l look after theirs.» CLOCA's cverage area includes mast of Durhamj Rtegion, while Ganaraska'e jurisdiction runs from Wil. mot Creek in Clarin#on to Items from Whitby councl agenda(s) M£Qnd yeS be 2 9-ecommendations from the planning and development committee That a rezanlng application tram Dorothy Hachie to permit cantlnued operation af a home care tacility at 1005 Dunlop St. E. be approved. Known as Comfort Cottage,,the home has méen provldlng accommoda- tion ta women requlrlng a varlety af health care services since March 1994. Athough iocated ln a residential area, Hachie prevlousiy told cammittee that her lawyer advised her flot ta abtain a rezoning uniess a coar1iant was made ta the munlcipalîty. flcmondsdto counicil Recommendations from the operations committee That effective Jan. 2, 1997, Whitby Transit impie- ment the fllolang lare Increases: aduit cash lares tram $1 .50 ta $1 .60; student tares tram $1 .25 ta $1 .35; senior tares tram 70 cents ta 85 cents, and chlldren lares tram 70 cents ta 85 cents. In addition, manthly passes wlll Increase as failows: aduit passes tram $46 ta $55; student passes tram $36 ta $45; senior passes tram $21 ta $29g, and chiidren tram $21 ta $29. The increases bring Whtby Transit tares into. nwvracrngta public works department report, Whitby Transit will stili have a $286,000 deficit ln 1997 due ta increased operating casts and declining subsidies tram the Ontario government. To eliminate the deticit, property taxes wouid have ta ise by $9.35 on an average home or there would have ta be a reduction of 5,70 hours In service. Publie works director Wayne Han- cock told cammittee that staff wiil do its utmost ta avold a tax increase. Recommendodto cauneil That council adapt the tollawing user tees praposed by the Whitby lire department: requests for tire reports or letters, $50; single ande two-unit residential Inspectians, $100, and day nursery Insecions, $100. A filat rate aI $100 for the lirst hour and $100 far each addltionai hour wili be charged for lnspectlng residen- tVal buildings of thmee units or mare; commercial and industrial multiple, units; multiple stareys; licenslng inspection requests; licensing group homnes and lectures- and demanstratians ta commercial and industrial property awners. In addition, a tee af $300, for the tirst hour and $120 tar each additianal hour wilI be charged ta nan-residents when Whitby tire- tighters respond to vehicle accidents and tires. This policy has been in effecitfor f ive years tar ail incidents on provincial highways but Is being extended ta ail raads ln Whib. e user tees are expected ta generate ap roxiaely $30,000 ln 1997. CommecWtocouncil re Of in ie ir a 'a d n By Mike Kowalski * Local nature loyers May * soon be able ta, make taï- 1 deductible donations ta, the cconservation authority. J The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Auth- 1ority-recently directed its i staff ýta, begin work on esta- 13 blishing a CLOCA founda- tion. If appraved by the Ontario government, the foundatian will be a regis- tered charity entitling it ta i .ssue receipts for incarne taxOCAr o. alsare hopeful that by having this designatian, the authority's ability ta, attract donations from the private sectar wilI ,be4eatly enhanced. ~'e have had a number Of corporations and indivi- duals corne forward and say they would like ta donate ta progrars and projects » said Sandra Hanson, direc- tor of corparate services. "But because we have no charitable nurnIer, they do not »she explained. il %Tis wiIl allow us ta issue a eh aritable--receipt andit- (foundatian) will raise aur profle in the corn- niunity.» Responsible for the management of wetlands and related conservation activities in most of Dur- hain Region, CLOCA, like aIl publicly-funded institu- tions, has had ta, grapple east Of Cobourg and north ta Rice Lake.' With 21 full-time empbayees, CLOCA staff willformn the bulk of the new mnower contingent. Th RA currently has eight ful-time ernployees. Staffing levels will remain the saine, but will be utilized more efficiently, Nicholson said. "It!s not 50 much a sav- ings, but getting more ser- vices for the dollars we have »hle said. "We're trying ta do more with less. There may be sorne savings, but its ard taqnuantify at this time.» If successful, the arrangement could be a apercursor» ta the way other local governinent ser- vices are managed in the future, Nicholson sugges- ted. ai think it's SOmething that the CitY of Oshawa and the Town of Whitby should look at,» he said. "We (Oshawa) could do their pl nh and they CLOCA to establish fudto with declining revenues in recent years. However, the foundation will act independently of the autharity and have its own mandate, Hanson said. Donations will nat - be used ta subsidize CLOCA!s routine operations, she stressed. "The foundation* will establish their own priori- ties and work in comple- ment with the authority,» said Hanson. "«It will fund. prajects where there1 isn't money available frorn the day-to- day aperations that we can Although Hanson. was not aware of any specifie program or prajeet.. that CLOCA has had ta "Put off doing» for lack of funida future initiatives couid depend an the foundation's ablity ta solicit donations.« "There are a number of authorities that have active foundations,» she said., "We're flot looking at it beiny huge, but there is . a ROrARY » CALENDAR$ p41- 2743 0089 1 . 1 35 l'557 2740 1771 there's a lot (pending pro- mature ta, speculate on the jeets) ta be done.» foundation's eventual Hansan expects the foun- make-up or charter. dation ta be "ui and run-- "It will start off with ning» by the miLe of next (CLOCA) baard memberl, year. but if we do the job right, While its inaugural board we're hoping people fromi of directars will-likely con- the commnunity will corne sist of authority mriembers, forward (and serve),» she Hanson said it is, pre-'- added. INVESTMENT MANAGEMENTI *RETIREMENT PLANNING I *TAX / ESTATE STRATEGIESI DEBRIIE MORGAN ROUSLV WARHOUSE SIS eGad aleurRtemn UShe Gand Fina aleoucefrmn SvnSale andyour70%tochantc forin Sinsof Upritm70son -stck iern THIS WEEK! FINAL REDUCTIONS ON CLEARANCE MERCHANDI SE Make hobby sh-opping easier at our 5TH __ Anniversary ~ SALE I 'M i HERITAGE HOUSE limited (905) 668-3483 ýToronto (905) 686-0061 Special Sale Hours: Monday - Glosed - Tuesday & Wednesday - 10-6 Thursdayi& Friday'- 12 8o:Sm ..- . 7ý i . t , N M'- ý ý r ý e ".r 1 - - . 1 1 - - ý 1 > . - . 1 1 , 1 p , . 1 CLOCA, Ganaraska Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, December 4, 1996, Page 3