>Grimsby could be looking at potential tax decrease / Pg. 4 > Lincoln celebrates best in businesses Pg.6 > Rex Ge suffers major set-back Pg. 5 > Hawk Watch open house Good Friday Pg. 14 Thursday, April 2, 2015 Vol. 3 Issue 48
www.wn3.ca 100% Niagara owned, operated and printed.
Proudly serving Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln & Winona
Circ: 25,733
Town drops Jordan appeal $115,000 OMB award will stand after council decision By Mike Williscraft NewsNow The appeal of an Ontario Municipal Board decision in favour of Jordan’s Greenhouses by the Town of Grimsby has been dropped. At a special meeting of council held last Thursday afternoon, council went into closed session to discuss an independent third party legal opinion sought in the case, which has been onging for nearly five years. In mid-February, NewsNow broke the story that the OMB had awarded Jordan Greenhouses Ltd $115,000 relating to a host of serious problems stemming from a sewer contruction project in front of Jordan’s former Main Street West retail shop in spring 2010. At a council meeting in February, council had opted to seek independent legal advice about a possible appeal of the decsion. “We decided that after receiving a second legal opinion, there were definite errors and problematic areas in the judgment but it would not be in the best interests of our taxpayers to continue spending more money to launch an appeal,” said Mayor Bob Bentley in an email communication. Several councillors were asked for a comment on the outcome, but all deferred to the mayor. All Town officials noted additional steps would be taken – a press release issued and the legal opinion posted to the Town’s website – in the near future. “We are looking to post the legal second opinion on our Town website for all to read and come to their own conclusions,” said Bentley. Nothing was released by press time. Jeff Jordan, owner/operator of the greenhouse business, said he hopes the Town will
See OMB, Page 2
Bunny buddy Puddicombe Estate Farms and Winery was the first to welcome the Easter Bunny when it held its Easter Hunt Eggstravaganza last Saturday. Tenley MacDougald, 3, gets a high five from her new furry friend as Jacob Chamberlain, 2, looks on. See Page 11 for information on this weekend’s Easter egg hunts. Grant - Photo
West Lincoln sees 6.9 % tax increase By Katherine Grant NewsNow Over the next decade, West Lincoln will need to spend $42 million on road repairs according to a roads needs assessment. To that end, the township passed a budget Monday night that will increase its tax levy by 6.9 per cent to support a net
budget of $7.4 million. On average, a homeowner with a 2015 property assessment of $303,103 will see the West Lincoln portion of their 2015 tax bill increase by about $67 ($5.58 per month). Budget highlights include a $1.1 million investment in roads and bridges that will
see improvements made to Young Street, Port Davidson Road and Caistor Centre Road. “Roads in all three wards will be improved,” said Mayor Doug Joyner. The township held a budget open house for the first time, said Joyner. “It was well attended, people
had a chance to ask questions and talk about the needs of the community.” In addition, this year’s process included the development of 10-year capital plans for the first time. These plans outline both present and future infrastructure, capital replacements See TAXES, Page 3