South huron Council briefs

By John Miner

Volunteers take on beach cleanup

Port Blake beach has gone from being described as “disgusting” to “amazing,” thanks to volunteers who have pitched in to clean up the garbage left behind by visitors.

Coun. Marissa Vaughan raised the condition of the beach last month, saying people were leaving garbage and it was hurting the municipality’s reputation. “It looks disgusting,” she said then.

This month Vaughan reported that Carrie Noyes and her grandson, Blake Whitcroft, had volunteered to clean up the beach. She said they were doing an awesome job.

South Huron CAO Rebekah Msuya-Collison said the municipality had put up extra garbage receptacles and continued to offer garbage bags and grabbers for any volunteers who came to the beach. If needed, the municipality will do a cleanup.

“At this point it is being assessed,” she said.

Equipment to reduce firefighters’ cancer risk

South Huron council has applied for a provincial grant to help pay for equipment to protect firefighters against cancer-causing materials. The money, if the application is successful, will be used for the purchase of portable decontamination showers to remove heavy residue, and firefighting gloves to limit skin absorption of carcinogens. Community and Emergency Services General Manager Jeremy Becker said in a report that firefighters are exposed to dangerous cancer-causing carcinogens on a regular basis.

Kirkton Fair has noise bylaw exemption

The Kirkton Agriculture Society asked for and received an exemption to South Huron’s noise bylaw for two events at the Kirkton Fall Fair on Sept. 11 and 12. The fair has scheduled fireworks on Friday, Sept. 11 and a tractor pull on Sept. 12. The exemption to the bylaw runs from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. for both events.

No change recommended for council meeting start time

In reviewing the municipality’s procedural bylaw, South Huron council is recommending that the start time for council meetings remain at 6 p.m. for now. There have been suggestions the time should be moved up to 5 p.m. The new council after the Oct. 26 municipal election would have the option of changing the time.

Contracts awarded for grass cutting and trimming, snow removal

McLellan Group Rentals and Services and Casey’s Landscaping Management Inc. were awarded the contracts for snow removal services, while HoneyDo Landscaping and Casey’s Landscaping Management Inc. were awarded the grass cutting and trimming services contracts. The companies were the lowest bidders for the contracts that cover three years.