Residents want their roads improved

by Jeff Green

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Delegations from Tranquility Lane (off Lake Kashwakamak ) and Greer Road at Big Gull Lake appeared before North Frontenac Council last week seeking improvements to their roads, which they describe as poor and getting worse. Council gave similar answers to each group, saying that a 10-year capital plan is being undertaken this fall and improvements to all roads in the township will be considered at that time.

CALMING LIGHT AT MISSISSIPPI BRIDGE – Concerned about the safety hazard posed by a one-lane bridge over the Mississippi River on Road 509, Public Works Manager John Ibey brought information to council about a traffic calming light that is available. The solar powered light could be custom built to warn motorists about oncoming traffic and be fitted with a traffic counting device. The township has twice applied, unsuccessfully, for provincial/federal support to widen the bridge to two lanes. It is thought that the calming light could make the bridge safer and provide information that might lead to more success in future grant applications. John Ibey will bring more information to council at a future meeting.

THEFT OF 911 SIGNS– Road signs at Marble Lake Road , Buckshot Lake Road , Shabomeka Road , and Head Road are being regularly stolen. “We replace them and they get stolen again,” reported John Ibey.

“The signs are expensive to replace and while they are down they compromise the 911 system that we worked so hard to develop,” commented Councillor Dave Smith. Council decided to advertise the danger posed by the removal of these signs, pointing out that removing signs is illegal. The public works manager will have a welder try to develop a way of bolting the signs to the posts that will make removing signs a more difficult task. The public is asked to report anyone who has an illegal sign in their possession to the township.

CLOYNE DUMP CLOSURE DELAYED, MAYBE – The Cloyne dump had been slated for closure at the end of October, but the township is waiting for a certificate of approval from the Ministry of the Environment to set up a transfer station in its stead. This approval is forthcoming, staff has been told, but the exact timing is still unknown. It was suggested by the Waste Management Committee that the closing be delayed until the certificate of approval arrives. Mayor Maguire expressed the concern that the closure date, having already been set, should be adhered to, but in the end it was decided not to close the dump until the approval arrives. This would mean delaying the closure of the dump if the approval does not arrive before the end of October.

NF LUKEWARM OVER AH CELL PHONE PROPOSAL – Addington Highlands’ proposal to offer a $50,000 grant to any company willing to establish cell-phone towers on Hwy.41 will not be receiving much support from North Frontenac. “Cell service in remote parts of our township, where people have no means of communications and can get lost in the wilderness, is more important to us than Hwy. 41, which is a built up area,” said Councillor Betty Hunter.

Hunter also mentioned that she had been approached by a resident asking that she request that Bell do a survey of long distance calling among 479 phone numbers with a view towards expanding the toll-free dialling area in a southern direction. A few years ago, Denbigh and Bancroft were made into toll-free zones, but people would be better served if major centres to the south such as Kingston or Belleville, were made toll-free, since few, if any, residents of North Frontenac access services in Bancroft.

Tenders received – Council received four tenders for a loader/backhoe. The lowest bid for a new machine, less the trade-in of an outdated machine, was Hartington Equipment at $66,006 (GST incl.) Close behind was Champion at $67,602 The tender documents will be scrutinised by the public works manager prior to the awarding of the tender to ensure that the lowest bid includes all of the specifications the township requires.

In terms of paving, Greenwood Construction, which bid $207,000 to complete all the road construction the township had been planning to do, was the lowest bid. However, the township only budgeted $168,000 plus GST for road reconstruction, so the amount of work Greenwood will be doing will be scaled back to fit the budget.

BUILDING BOOM UNABATED – Permits for just over $1 million were purchased in July, compared to $347,790 in 2005.