GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

LETTER TO THE EDITOR


RE: SMALLEST ISSUES CAN BE CHALLENGE FOR MUNICIPALITIES
by John Kastner
Stratford Beacon Herald
Saturday, December 3,2001


I read with interest your point of view on the continuing issues with the Municipality of North Perth and Perth County. Not only was there an unfortunate change in Provincial leadership with former municipal council member Randy Pettapiece getting voted in but also the majority of municipal council was voted out and a new council was voted in. People were looking for major change.Whether they got that change is still debatable. The Municipality of North Perth has had many issues that still need to be fixed, one of which is being business friendly, hence the loss of 650 jobs when the Campbell Soup Plant closed down due to municipal politics. As a previous business owner from North Perth who had road block after road block placed in front of her to stop my business from continuing , I am personally aware of the major issues and I think that North Perth is finally trying to allow businesses that are unique and will benefit the Municipality to open and they are taking a stand against Perth County trying to decide what they, as a Municipality, would like for their community. And about time, but too late for me. Julie Behrns the Mayor of North Perth and previous Warden of Perth County will have her hands full dealing with this issue and all the issues left by the previous council and needs to take leadership to make North Perth a better place to live for all and to allow business to open with out all the road blocks that are now in place that make it impossible for business to succeed in North Perth. Perth County is an unneccesary road block and only leads to the Ontario Municipal Board and a lot of money spent to allow you to legally do what you want with your own property.
The insurance business that wants to open is on a one block street that is one block away from a municipal parking lot and library and a factory, across the street from a law office, a few houses away from a resturant in a house and just houses away from what previously was a B&B. The person wants to run her business from her home and do it legally....What is wrong with that? Provincial Polcy Statement or a flawed Master Growth Plan that shows that North Perth has an over abundance of commercial, residential and industrial land or using these two documents in real life situations. Sometimes common sense should be used, if it was not dead, to make decisions. Where is the line drawn for the commercial district in North Perth, half way across the road, 3/4 across the road, at the sidewalk, it all just seems like a waste of time and money to argue this small point and it should be an easy decision, unless of course you involve government bureacracy, the stumbling block for any business. And if a Municipality or County can not make such a simple decision about a home based business why would we allow them to make such a major, possibly health related issue with regards to wind farms. Common sense is dead, but maybe it is time to bring it back.
JUST MY OPINION