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TUESD, 1, MARCH 12, 1985

AND BEFORE MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, THE WORKING PARTY WILL PRESENT A COMPREHENSIVE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON HAWKER ISSUES TO SEEK THE VIEWS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE NEW DISTRICT BOARDS, THE HAWKER ASSOCIATIONS, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.

*WE HAD HOPED TO REPORT OUR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL PROPER AT THE END OF LAST YEAR,

OR EARLY THIS YEAR, BUT THE HAWKER PROBLEM IS A COMPLEX ONE AND WE HAVE BEEN AT PAINS TO STUDY IT FROM EVERY ANGLE, AND TO CONSULT OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS BESIDES THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SHE SAID.

+ IN SHORT, THE MORE WE STUDIED THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE PROBLEM, THE WIDER WE HAD TO CAST OUR NET TO ENSURE THAT ALL RELEVANT POINTS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

+BECAUSE WE MUST NOW ENTER A FRESH ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS WITH THE NEWLY ELECTED DISTRICT BOARDS, OUR FINDINGS WILL NECESSARILY BE FURTHER DELAYED -- BUT THE HAWKER PROBLEM HAS BEEN WITH US FOR MANY DECADES, AND IN THE LONG TERM A FEW MONTHS EITHER WAY WILL NOT MATTER MUCH IF THE END RESULT IS A SATISFACTORY ONE WHICH, HOPEFULLY, IT WILL BE.+

SWIMMING POOL LICENCE FEE REVISED ******

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, DR DENNY HUANG, MOVED A MOTION AT THE URBAN COUNCIL OPEN MEETING TODAY TO INCREASE THE ANNUAL LICENSING FEE FOR SWIMMING POOLS.

THE NEW FEE WHICH WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON APRIL 1, WILL BE $2 000 AS COMPARED WITH THE EXISTING $1 680.

DR HUANG SAID THE SWIMMING POOL LICENCE FEE WAS LAST REVISED IN APRIL 1983.

+SINCE THEN, THE FEE FOR TESTING WATER SAMPLES FOR MONITORING POOL WATER QUALITY, WHICH IS CHARGED TO THE COUNCIL BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, HAS RISEN BY 240 PER CENT, HE SAID.

+THIS HAS RESULTED IN A SUBSTANTIAL DEFICIT IN THE COST FOR ADMINISTERING THIS TYPE OF LICENCE.→

DR HUANG SAID THAT DUE CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ALL THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE INCREASE BY HIS COMMITTEE AND THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE URBAN COUNCIL.

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