Central Frontenac Council - Feb. 22/11

Jeff Green | Feb 24, 2011

Public works favouring equipment over paving in 2011 

In presenting his proposals for the 2011 Public Works budget, Central Frontenac Works Manager Mike Richardson said that by virtue of stimulus funding grant money over the last two years, the township has done a lot of road work and surface treatment projects.

“This year I propose we address our equipment needs, which have been growing, and focus on road maintenance, and take a break from expensive reconstruction projects,” Richardson said.

He proposes purchasing two one-ton flatbed sander/plow trucks at a cost of $62,500 each; two tandem trucks at a cost of $200,000 each; two backhoes at a cost of $120,000 each; a hot box machine for fixing potholes at $25,000; a pavement edger for $7,000; and a steamer for $12,000.

“The resulting budget is slightly more than double the normal amount we spend on equipment, which is $350,000,” said Richardson, “but what it would do is bring us back into line with our equipment replacement schedule. If we fall any further behind, we will be digging a hole that will be expensive to get out of in future years.”

In 2010, the township spent $363,000 on equipment although only $240,000 was budgeted. Richardson’s proposed cost for 2011 is $841,000, an increase of over $500,000.

In order to balance the Public Works budget, major road construction projects are restricted to a $280,000 expenditure to replace the Crow Lake Road bridge at the railroad tracks. Last year over $2 million was spent on road and bridge projects, although many of them were 2/3 funded by grant money.

The overall proposed road and bridge repair and maintenance budget for 2011 is $5.3 million, down from $5.9 million in 2010.

Waste bylaw – easy stuff passed, clear bags debate left for next meeting

Council quickly approved a number of changes to the waste management system in the township. They approved new site hours, and approved accepting tires at all three sites, e-waste at the Wemp Road site only, and white goods and appliances with freon at no charge.

Council also agreed to close the waste sites on Good Friday, Canada Day and Thanksgiving Monday. Historically the sites have been quiet on those days, and this will give some extra holiday time to site attendants. Council also agreed to continue the practice of one free truckload of waste per property owner per year.

“You’ll notice I did not include the clear bag issue this time around,” said Richardson. “That will require some debate and I wanted to get the other housekeeping issues out of the way first. The waste management committee will be meeting on Thursday and will decide whether to recommend clear bags to the next Councilmeeting.

“Can I recommend to the waste management committee that they communicate clear reasoning as to why they are recommending clear bags - if indeed that is what they do?” asked Mayor Gutowski. “It will help us to decide.”

Garrison Shores – The township approved the latest proposed plan of condominium for the ill-fated Garrison Shores Property owners, who have been seeking legal deeds to their properties for 30 years.

The plan includes provisions which state that because of the state of some of the roads at Garrison Shores, the township does not guarantee that fire and emergency personnel will be able to answer emergency calls on the properties.

“That’s not to say volunteers would not make every effort to get in there,” said the mayor.

“Some of those roads are simply impassable for our equipment,” said Planning Coordinator Cathy MacMunn.

The plan will now be forwarded to Frontenac County for consideration.

Parham Canteen – Chief Administrative Officer John Duchene reported that in the opinion of the District 4 Recreation Committee and the acting Chief Building Official Alan Revill, the canteen at the Parham Fairgrounds is not worth fixing.

He asked for approval to have a carpenter remove the roof and trusses and have the works department demolish the building. The rec. committee will be devoting their 2011 budget to replacing the building this year.

Council approved the demolition.