The Ottawa Journal from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Page 3

1 REMffAKrt TUESDAY, APRIL 1. 1980 'OTTAWA JOURNAL PAGE 3 City employees told to look at alternate police sites By Ed Owen JOURNAL REPORTER The city of Ottawa is examining other locations for a new police headquarters in case negotiations for the proposed University of Ottawa site fall through. Mike Instance, the city's director of properties, said yesterday the board of control at an in-camera. meeting Thursday told staff to get a more precise cost estimate of downtown locations and whether 'they would be suitable for a police headquarters. Although he refused to disclose what sites are under study.

Instance said they could be any vacant land downtown, especially west of Bank Street. Instance said there's mounting pressure on the city to choose a site because the need for a new police headquarters has been recognized for a long time and because of rising costs. General construction costs have been rising by 10 to 12 per cent a year in the past few years and if that rate were applied to the $12 million to $15 million police building, its costs could be increasing by $120,000 a month. But Instance stressed he doesn't know the actual increases. Controller Bill Law said board of control instructed staff to look at-other sites, although it didn't eliminate the university location, during a closed meeting last Thursday; A source, who asked not to be named, told reporters (he board of control decided at the meeting to.

scrap the site because of opposition' from the university. That leaves two sites in the running, one parking lot at Catherine and Elgin and another, bounded by Slater and Albert, Kent and Lyon streets, the source said. But Law disagreed. "I certainly haven't ruled it out in my mind," he said, arguing that the city needs more information on how easy or difficult it would be to build a headquarters on one of the other sites it has considered in the past. Mayor Dewar said negotiations are continuing with the university and city staff is examining a report from the university on what is currently on the site, she said.

City council March 13 decided to build the headquarters on university land bounded by Nicholas, Waller and Wilbrod streets and Laurier Avenue. The decision capped years of studies and discussion that included up to 10 potential sites at one point. University officials, however, reacted bitterly, saying they need the land for redevelopment and hadn't been consulted by the city. Negotiations since then have failed to produce a solution. Allan Gillmore, the university's vice-rector and the man in charge of its development for the past 14 'years, wasn't aware the board had discussed the issue Thursday.

"I'm delighted if that is a fact," he safd of the possibility the city might look elsewhere. Gillmore said he sent Dewar a two-page summary of the massive report on current use of the site on Friday. The mayor was non-committal about the city's attitude, but Gillmore said the report showed the 'site is being utilized more extensively than even university officials figured. As an example, the site contains 160 parking spaces, 10 per cent of the university's parking facilities, he said. i Kt xar xtjy a jr 'f I 1 Jessica Hamilton, 3, and her mother, Susan, yesterday at home in preparation for next of Elm Street don Easter Bunny costumes Sunday's arrival of the gift-giving rabbit.

Reid may run for mayor By Ed Owen journa'l reporter A man who has served for almost 20 years on city council four of them as is thinking of running for the top post again this fall. Controller Don Reid said yesterday he's received 15 calls since Thursday from people urging him to run for mayor. Although he's seriously considering the idea, Reid said, "I haven't made a decision. It's too early." Although he wouldn't name the callers, Reid said they are the heads of organizations fed up with several recent city council decisions. Council decisions to study taking over the $60-million Ottawa Gas Company and its attempts to secure University of Ottawa land for a new police headquarters are only two of the decisions that have people disturbed, he said.

There is much concern about council's unwillingness to let downtown churches develop adjacent land to help bolster sagging church revenues, he said. If he does run, he will insist on a solid effort from right-wing and Violence, By Mike Strobel JOURNAL REPORTER Ottawa cabbies are muttering about outbreaks of violence by this summer and serious industry decay within two or three years unless an overhaul of the city taxi business begins now. Complaints from drivers and car owner-operators have been common in the past year or so computer Easter masquerade middle of the road candidates to dislodge the NDP majority on As mayor of an NDP-dominated council, Reid said he might be little more than a figurehead. April Fool's weather could be Nature's joke By Jim Withers journal reporter Unlike March's lion-like beginning, April is coming in like a Iamb. However, it all may be an April Fool's trick, says Environment Canada.

April's lamb-like beginning may end up being a reversal of March an unseasonably springlike month, following a wintry blast at, the outset. While today's forecast is for sunny skies, with cloudy intervals and a high of 10C, the rest of the month may be anything but sunny. The forecast for tomorrow is for seasonable temperatures, with rain decay dispatching stirred the latest outcry. But at a city hall meeting last night, some went so far as to predict that frustration with their lot may soon be aired by tire-slashings and assaults. The signs of decay are already in evidence, said Ottawa Taxi Association treasurer Larry Phalen.

"In the last year, an awful lot of veterans decided it wasn't worth it any more and gave It up." If Reid does run, he will face Mayor Dewar, who has indicated she will run again. Reid began his political career as an alderman in 1954 late in the day, while rain is also on the agenda for Thursday. Yesterday's high and low temperature readings of 10 and -2C, respectively, were comfortably above the March 31 averages of 5 and -4C. Ottawa and area enjoyed sunny skies on the last day of March while much of Southern Ontario 'experienced heavy rains the result of a disturbance centred south of the Great Lakes. March, however, began with anything but comfortable temperatures.

With a high of -16 and a low of -22C, March 1 was much more frigid than the average Ottawa high of -2 and low of -11. threaten About 150 of the city, drivers left turned up at a physical environment committee meeting convened last night to hear cabbie complaints. The drivers' rage was directed chiefly at the major fleet owners the six men who hold 309 of the city's 586 taxi licences. With taxi plates worth $500 on the market 10 years ago and now worth Regional tax hikes may be bitter pill to area taxpayers By Tom Spears JOURNAL REPORTER Medicine to cure the high interest rates Ottawa-Carle ton will pay on its 1980 debentures may- leave a bitter taste in the taxpayer's mouth and a little less money in his pocket. The region's chairman and finance commissioner both predicted yesterday property taxes may rise by even more than the 11-per-cent fixed in February.

The new estimate is between 12 and 13 per cent, finance commissioner Jim Perkins said yesterday. Interest rates up The villain, Perkins said, is a combination of high interest rates on money the region needs to borrow and a drop of some $200,000 in revenue that had been expected but that won't show up. Faced with the prospect of having to borrow $80 million this year, chairman Andy Haydon said the region simply can't afford the high jnterest currently being charged. Early estimates had projected interest rates hikes around the 13-percent mark, but that's now been revised to between 15 and 16 per cent, Perkins said. While he wasn't sure how much that will cost the region, he added, "it doesn't take much to cause a substantial increase." And Haydon said the region can't cut its road-building plans or stop paying hospital debts, "so we're very much constrained in what we can do." May be cutbacks The $80-million figure includes debentures raised by the region on behalf of individual area municipalities, he said, adding it's possible some of the municipalities may be able to cut back this year.

But Haydon predicted regional council will have to vote by June to raise more taxes if it wants to avoid a heavy debt. He blamed the council itself for voting in January and February to spend its reserves and expand its debt in order to keep down 1980 taxes. "At the budget (meetings) this year we painted ourselves into a corner, and unfortunately the taxpayer will have to pay the price," he said. "In the final analysis it was not a wise economic move. "It appears that when the levies bylaw is passed there will have to be an increase in it." The council could have opted in January to start cutting its debt, eliminating borrowing almost completely over the next five years, he said.

But he added it would have meant short-term tax increases. "Would they (taxpayers) have accepted it? I don't Itnow. Obviously the political people didn't think so this year." Haydon added there's a growing public disenchantment with governments' approach to finances, hinting, many local politicians may not be returned hi the fall elections. Perkins said the high interest rates may force municipal governments to throw out old approaches to raising money, since long-term debentures aren't suited to Interest rates over 10 per cent. taxi industry cabbies say $18,000, cabbies say it has become next-to-impossible for a newcomer to strike out on his own, leaving big fleet owners to solidify their hold on the market.

In the meantime, said Phalen, with more than $300 a week in various fees paid to the owners, individual drivers are struggling with, less than $5-an-hour in take-home pay. The monopoly, one driver said, is best seen in the holding of such FL(gD QSSB whittling away at budget By Marg Allen JOURNAL REPORTER In what education director William Crossan described last night as a "tough stand," Carleton separate school board trustees Cut $211,000 from the 1980 education portion of its proposed $37-million budget. Ratepayers now face an average increase this year of 19 mills, but additional trimming will reduce further the present 27.1-per-cent mill rate increase. One difficult problem facing the board this year is the one-third two-thirds splitting of the budget between the French and English programs. Some trustees find costs, particularly in the maintenance section, hard to split.

About 60 per cent of the total tax bill is paid in school board levies. Another 20 per cent goes for municipal taxes and the remaining 20 per Briefly Local broadcaster acquitted Former local radio broadcaster Mac Lipson was acquitted in provincial court yesterday on a charge of possession of an offensive weapon. Judge Rene Marin found the 51-year-old newsman not guilty. The charge stemmed from an incident 14 months ago in the office of the Native Council of Canada. A wall was slashed with a knife in the Jan.

9, 1979, occurence in the council's offices at 77 Metcalfe St. Kanata Hydro given regional green light Kanata Hydro should be on the way to starting up by the beginning of May following yesterday's approval of the scheme by the region's executive committee. Kanata Mayor Marianne Wilkinson said the approval by regional council isn't really necessary at this stage, since it's already approved in principle and the plans are about to get provincial acceptance. The utility should formally take over from Ontario Hydro on Jan. 1, 1981.

Cabinet minister home from hospital Supply and Services Minister Jean Jacques Blais is expected to be back on job April 8, after undergoing a successful appendix operation last Friday. Blais was released from hospital yesterday and will rest at home until his return to work. Committee to oversee social agencies A central committee to oversee all social agencies dealing with children in Ottawa-Carleton should go ahead, the region's executive, committee has decided. The executive decided yesterday to let the new structure run as a trial project. The new committee will administer groups like the Children's Aid Society, the Family Services Centre, and the Association for the Mentally Retarded.

Archdiocese raising funds for school The Archdiocese of Ottawa is holding a dinner at the Civic Centre on April 14 to raise money for Pius and Immaculata high schools. Each year the schools hold a lottery to keep their doors open. This year the archbishop is hoping to match the lottery funds with money raised at the dinner. Tickets are $125. Cardinal Emmett Carter of Toronto will be the.

guest speaker. lucrative concessions as the airport and downtown hotels. At the airport, some predicted last night, independent owner-operators are becoming increasingly angry at Blue Line Taxi's continuing grasp on business there a situation they said could turn sour within a few months. Cabbie violence broke out in Montreal four or four years ago, said one, and ''it's so close here, it's cent to the region, which has already increased its levy by about nine per cent. In earlier deliberations, trustees cut $136,000 from the administration portion in its initial budget.

Ordinary expenditures have increased 8.5 per cent over 1979, with transportation expenses up 8.8 per cent. The board faced a $200,000 transportation deficit last year and a $600,000 deficit is projected for 1980. Last week trustees decided to declare 62 English and 16 French teaching positions redundant a total of 78 teachers who could lose their jobs in September. Superintendent Sylvester Quinn said the board will not likely let any teachers go, "but it depends on the budget." Another sore point for drivers Is the procedure for renting plates. A city bylaw requires that the holder of a taxi licence must also own the car to which it is attached.

The issuing of licences having been frozen by the city, a would-be cabbie technically has to turn his car over to the owner of the plate he needs to operate usually a major fleet owner..