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• Editorials • Babies of 2020 • Agriculture • Obituaries
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The
THIS WEEK
Citizen
Huron County’s most trusted independent news source
Thursday, January 14, 2021
Volume 37 No. 2
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0
Budget process begins By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen
All smiles The McDowell children were out and about last week, taking advantage of all the snow the area’s White Christmas left behind after that big dump of the white stuff
over the holidays. Kaitlyn McDowell submitted these pictures of her children on a sled ride with three-year-old Lucy, front, and fivemonth-old Sam enjoying the Huron County winter. (Photo submitted)
Over 100 active COVID-19 cases in H-P By Denny Scott The Citizen COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Huron and Perth Counties with 113 cases being added to the cumulative total since last Monday, with cases in Stratford and North Perth climbing drastically. The area now has 888 cumulative cases, as of Monday, with 106 of those cases being considered active. During an online press conference hosted by Huron Perth Public Health on Monday, Huron and Perth Medical Officer of Health Dr. Miriam Klassen said that there was reason to rejoice, however, as vaccines were making their way to Huron and Perth Counties. “We’re preparing to move a limited amount of vaccines to Huron and Perth, possibly within this week,” she said.
The vaccines would be earmarked for long-term care residents and staff she said, following the Phase 1 framework instituted by the province. “Unfortunately, it’s not coming as quickly as we would like in terms of the number of vaccines rolling in,” she said. “However, the speed at which things have developed from the first reports of a suspicious pneumonia, it has all happened very, very quickly.” While Warden Glen McNeil had speculated that vaccines could be available for the general public as early as the end of the month at last week’s Huron County Council meeting, Klassen said that wasn’t likely. “It’s going to be many months yet before it’s offered that broadly,” she said last Thursday, before saying it will likely be late spring or early
summer before that kind of service is offered. Also during Monday’s press conference, Andrew Williams, President of the Huron-Perth Healthcare Alliance, said that reports of patients being moved from “hot zones”, or areas with full intensive care units (ICUs), to Huron and Perth Counties is likely in the future. He said it was part of an ongoing conversation, but, due to the relative calm nature of the pandemic in Huron and Perth Counties and the number of ICU beds available across the area, it may just be a matter of time before patients from harder-hit areas are moved here. While no local hospitals are currently under outbreak, there are numerous long-term care and retirement facilities facing COVID19 spread, including Braemar
Nursing Home in Wingham, currently in its second outbreak with two staff members having tested positive; Exeter Villa’s long-term care wing, also in its second outbreak, which has 36 confirmed cases in residents and nine confirmed cases in staff; Greenwood Court in Stratford, also in its second outbreak, with one staff member testing positive; Knollcrest Lodge in Perth East, in its fifth outbreak, with two staff members testing positive; Casserant Care Retirement Home in North Perth, in its first outbreak, which has 10 active cases in residents and one staff member test positive; Exeter Villa’s retirement home wing which has one active case in its first outbreak and Livingstone Manor in North Perth which has two active cases in residents and two in staff in its Continued on page 18
Huron County Council is considering a 2021 budget that includes a 4.33 per cent levy increase for a total of over $45.6 million. Treasurer Michael Blumhagen presented the first draft of the budget at council’s Dec. 6 meeting. Assessment in the county has increased by just under $150 million, meaning that, if the county were to maintain its 2020 tax rates, it would support a 1.14 per cent increase to the levy. As a result, Blumhagen’s proposed levy increase would represent a tax rate increase of 3.16 per cent. He told councillors that for the median residential home in Huron County, valued at $208,000, the proposed increase would mean a tax increase of just over $30 per year. For the median farm property, valued in Huron County at $985,200, the increase would amount to $35.53. In his report to council, Blumhagen said that, acting on council’s wish to limit staff salary increases, non-union salary increases will be set at 1.5 per cent for 2021. The county is still on the hook for several grants in 2021, including $66,000 to the Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre, $20,000 to the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) and $150,000 to the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich. He also noted that a recentlyapproved grant to the United Way Perth-Huron’s Social Research and Planning Council in the amount of $30,000 had not yet been factored into the budget. Blumhagen also detailed numerous ongoing pressures to the county budget, including rising union salary costs and the loss of Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) money. In 2021, the county’s OMPF allocation was reduced by $187,000 and Blumhagen said he estimates the funding to the county will soon be eliminated entirely. He also said that rising insurance costs will also affect this year’s budget. In 2021, the county’s insurance costs have risen by $416,900, which is just under one per cent of the county’s entire budget. Goderich Mayor John Grace said he really felt the county should utilize its reserves this year. While they are stored away for future Continued on page 2