"About 50 Holland Marsh farmers are suing the Townships of West Gwillimbury and King, claiming damage to crops in August because of flooding. The farmers served notice of their intentions through their lawyers last month, saying the two municipalities neglected to clean the Schomberg River, and that the pumps at a pumping station didn't work during the heavy rain of August 16. The petition signed by the farmers was sent to the councils by their lawyer Norman Borins of Toronto. It states that because of the failure of the pumphouse much of the land near or level with the river was covered with water. King Mayor Margaret Britnell said the township has no obligation to the farmers because the cleaning of the canal and pumping operations are under the jurisdiction of the Holland Marsh Drainage Commission. Council agreed to receive the letter and send it on to the commission. West Gwillimbury council has referred the matter to the township's insurance company, Frank Cowan Company Limited."
"Frances Reid, vice-chairman of the West Gwillimbury planning committee, has been appointed to the Simcoe County and Orillia Housing Authority, Minister of Housing John Rhodes announced last week. Mrs. Reid has served on the planning committee for almost two years and has worked with the Ontario Municipal Board and the Greater Toronto Assessment Board for 27 years. The appointment on the authority runs for three years. The Simcoe County and Orillia Housing Authority studies government-subsidized housing in Simcoe County, including senior citizens' apartments and low-cost housing."
"Jim Church, chairman of the Bradford Public Utilities Commission was appointed last week to the finance committee of the Ontario Municipal Electric Association. Mr. Church, a 17-year veteran of the PUC, will work with fellow commissioners from across Ontario for the upcoming year, dealing with the financial operation of the association. A life-long resident of Bradford, Mr. Church is also a member of the Bradford volunteer fire department. The Ontario Municipal Electric Association is the spokesman for more than 340 municipal utilities, including Bradford. The OMEA represents more than two million residential, commercial and industrial customers served by municipal distribution systems. These customers consume two-thirds of the electrical power in Ontario."
"At the urging of Mayor Roy Gordon, the role of Bradford's planning consultant on the town planning committee is being reduced. 'I have had the opinion the board is being run by the planner, when he should be there just for advice,' Mayor Gordon told the committee last Thursday. After the meeting, chairman Art Kneeshaw said he would "tone down" the work of consultant Bruce McLaughlin of Proctor and Redfern engineering firm. He said more work would be placed on the shoulders of committee secretary-treasurer Pat Storey. He told committee members that planning decisions are their responsibility and the planner should only be asked for advice. Mr. Kneeshaw said during the meeting that the planner has helped with his experience in other municipalities, dealing with many sorts of development proposals. And committee member Gord Compton said the committee 'would have been lost' at times without the planner's guidance. Mayor Gordon said later that he did not know how much money would be saved by having the planner attend fewer committee meetings. He said the main issue was that the committee function had become a 'morass' of planning that confuses most of the people involved."
