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TUESDAY, January 5, 1993 The London Free Press i' ANNEXATION London employee Steve Corby attaches sign is overly generous, since the city‘s pre-annexa Citizens who tried to call the former Westminster town hall still received an answer but the words they were greeted with were: ‘City of London.’ ' By Chip Martin The London Free Press The first working day after London nearly tripled in size was pronounced a relatively smooth affair by city hall staff. City clerk Ken Sadler said Monday the day went well, a fact he attributed partly to information brochures distrib- uted in advance to the 8.500 residents in the annexed areas. (The population of the new areas is about 3.500 less than the 12,000 origin» ally projected by Ontario's municipal affairs ministry Inexplicably, London population signs were adjusted from 303.000 to 316.000 on Monday.) “I never did expect any major prob- lems." Sadler said, At the city‘s social services depart- ment. things also went smoothly, re- a revised population total to a sign marking the new city limit tion population was 303,000 and the annex ported administrator Glenn Howlett. Social assistance recipients from the annexed areas accounted for the addi- tion of 125 general welfare cases to London's 13,500 caseload and all had been contacted in advance by letter out- lining new procedures. As well. Howlett said. a city staff member will visit all welfare recipients who have transferred from Middlesex County to the city. MOVING VANS: At the former Westmin- ster town office, moving vans took desks. chairs. computers and municipal files to city hall Monday morning. Aside from some financial staff Morris Lamont/The London, Free Press 3 on Dundas Street just east of Missouri Road. But the ed areas have only 8,500 residents. First working day has hardlya hitch ~ cleaning up paperwork, two staffers handled a blizzard of phone calls. While the town office number re- mained the same, callers were greeted with the words: “City of London . . .” Dianne Mollard, former town clerk and now assistant secretary of Lon- don‘s board of control, said most callers were concerned about tax payment procedures and, with Monday’s heavy rainfall, flooding problems. Callers were directed to appropriate city departments. The old town office phone number will remain in service for three weeks. after which callers will be connected directly to London city hall, she said.