How much can be cut? She's bound for China Solid gold showing The chief forester's in town this Jean Thomson's heading to China Downhill skier Jana Trappl sped to week figuring out future logging in this May for her third tour in four the only local victory at the the North Kalurn\NEWS A8 yearsNCOMMUNITY B1 northern zones\SPORTS C1 WEDNESDAY JANUARY :1.8, 1995 TA__N Recreation-to cost a lot more TEE CITY'S drive to reduce sub- crease of 37 per cent. costs this year and the figure for He also noted a check of com- sidies of the pool and arena will Those figures have provoked. the pool will be approximately 58 parable sized communities in the translate to sharp increases in howls of protest from several per cent. province showed that even at the user fees this year. youth sports groups (see story on The big jump for youth groups new levds, Terrace's recreation At the pool, single admission Page A3). reflected a council decision to user fees were not the highest. tickets will rise between seven Recreation superintendent Steve peg those rates at half the adult However, if there were con- and 11 per cent while adultgroup Scott explained the new rates group rental rate, he added. ceres about the increases, "We rentals will also go up 11 per were drawn up to match council's will look at them. That's what cent. objective of achieving a better Councillor Rich McDaniel, who we're here for." Skating rates will climb from recovery rate on facilities. recently took over chairmanship McDaniel invited people to seven to 17 per cent and the adult In 1993, he said, the council of of council's recreation com- phone him on the subject. rental charge jumps 9.9 per cent. the day approved a three-year mittee, said the rate increases had The move to hike re.creation Eut those increases pale next to plan to reduce the level of sub- to be taken in context of the fees is but one of several being the hike faced by youth groups sidy to 50 per cent. entire city operation. made by council to cut its costs renting either facility. However, the current council Pointing out the city had to find and raise revenues. The Blueback swim dub will decided it wanted to do better the money for infrastructure im- It's already decided to get out find itself paying $45 per hour, than that, hence the increases. provements such as roads, he of the conmercial garbage collec- up 38 per cent, while ice users Scott estimated revenues will added, "People have got to start tion business and last week, cut Steve Scott will have to fork over $50, an in- cover 54 per cent of the alcna paying their way." three of its senior staffers. Rich McDaniel Thornhill doubts ci i grant plan • ~i/' :~::i:i~:!/,:: ~! ~ ii: By JEFF NAGEL regional district and either"i".. THOR_NEILL TAXPAYERS are corporate or amalgamate. :With :; not impressed with Terrace city Terrace. : • cOunciPs idea that it can give Approving n Terrace cashgrab away their money. would underscore the fact that Peggy Julseth, Thornhill's Thomhili has only one represen. director on the Kitimat-Stikine tative on the board for several regional district board, says her thousand people and could help phone has been ringing "quite prod them to stand on their own; regularly" since the issue came Julseth says the possibility has up. Thornhill residents so worked up Council late last year approved that it could threaten the regional councillor David Hull's sugges- district's process to examine pos- tion that the city attempt to get sible restructuring. rural areas, including Thornhill, "I'm not terribly happy about to start sharing the cost of sup- it, '' Jnlseth said. "I think it's af- porting community organizations. fecting our restructure study and I Hull has a list of $130,000 object to having things jammed worth of city grants to groups like down our throats. the Chamber of Commerce, the Both Julseth and Thornhill's Terrace Beautification Society, previous director, Los' Wat- and Terrace Victims Assistance mough, sat in at last week's city Program. council meeting to observe the The idea would have to be ap- proceedings, proved by the regional district Watmough suggests the council board. initiative will only ,alienate But there's some chance the Thornhill. board would pass such a motion "If they want amalgamation II Snowy silhouette -- over the objections of Them- this is Certainly not the way to go hill m because representatives ALPINE-TOURING SKIER Alan Gilchrist scans the spec- a crystal clear, indigo-blue sky day. He climbed several hun- about it," he said. • ' •::' from other parts of the regional tacular horizon from a high ridge atop Shames Mountain on dred feet above the resort's lift system to get the view. Watmough slammed the move, district don't like the amount of as "taxation without representa- the district's time Thomhill con- tion." : sumes. "Terrace is giving away our City cuts i p iti There's nothing directors from money without our consent. s e n o r o s o n s oth:st][-Iac¢:ltttOwnSouldT~liek~abPehte?lle:kWhereare these guys at," io see Thornhill leave the Cont'd Page A2 : By JEFF NAGEL around," Talstra said. "But we by councillors Ed Graydon and city will see little if any of the CITY COUNCIL's decision to don't anticipate any further David Hull m that states new or savings from the administration eliminate three administrators is layoffs for a while." existing positions that become sbakenp in the 1995 budget year. Hospital ordep I sending shock waves through city Talstra said Lafleur, Colongard vacant will only be filled after a "The real savings in terms of hall. and Hanson weren't dismissed for two-thirds majority resolution of hard money won't happen until Gone are director of permits cause, adding the three did their city council. Ruth Halleck was the last quarter of this year and ultrasound unit .[ and licensing Bob Lafleur, public jobs well. the only councillor to vote against into the following year," Talstra works director of operations John But he said it appeared the city the so-called hiring freeze. A NEW ulUasound machine said. for Mills Memorial Hospital Colongard and water/sewer could eliminate the positions and Councillors have already indi- None of the three will be re- has been ordered and should branch head Charles Hansea. transfer the workload to other cated they intend to contract out placed. All were given severance pack- staff. as many public works projects as I~e installed within weeks. ages in lieu of notice. Details "It's always a bit of a shock to possible in 1995, Colongard and Hanson had Michael Leistnger of the weren't released although the system," Talstra said. "These It all adds up to the most ag- worked for the city for 20 and 26 Terrace Regional Health Care raised $100,000 of the cost [ estimates place the total at well are real people that you've dealt gressive attack on city spending years, respectively. Society said the finn Accuson through donations and efforts [ over $100,0~. with for a long time that have and inefficiency in years. Lafleur, a relative newcomer to was chosen among four bid- fi'0m various community [ Last week's dismissals were friends in the system. It's not an "The aim is to be as productive the city's bureaucracy, oversaw ders. groups and individuals. ~ ] aimed at cutting costs and sent easy thing to do -- it's not easy as we can be using the least licensing and permits for a con- "We're paying less than Mills is covering the pur- ] sUuction boom in the city which the signal that nobody is safe for me anyway." amount of money from the tax. what we had expected, which chase cost of the ultrasound [ has exceeded $20 a million a year from budget-trimming knives. Council unanimously passed payer as possible," Talstra said. is nice," said Leisinger of the machine from its own operat- r [ for the past three years. "Council is taking a very long councillor Gordon Hull's motion He said council's first step was $174,000 cost. lug capital and will be repaid [ and hard look at the entire opera- to eliminate the positions at an in- to go through the budget and "cut City adminisUator Bob Hallsor Health care officials had as money is raised, i • [ tions of the City of Terrace," camera council meeting last every scrap of fat that we could will oversee bylaw enforcement estimated the new device Although medical equip'i ] mayor Jack Talstra said. week. Hull's chairman of the find." and building inspection, which is would costS220,000, ment is subject to the 7 per [ "I don't want to sound ominous public works committee. The second stage, he added, is carried out by senior building in- Accmon's bid includes the cent provincial sales tax it [ or anything, but we're going to be The decision came the same to go through all city departments specter Paul Gipps. price tag for sending two does get a break on the federal ] looking at other deparlments with night that council approved plans and examine staffing. Business licensing and animal people from Mills away on a GST. [ a view to making them as effi- to end its city-subsidized com- "We're cutting down," Talslra control will now report to city training course, : That break amounts to 83 [ cient as possible." mercial garbage collection and said."We don't think we're com- treasurer Keith Norman.