Central Frontenac Council - May 8/12

May 10, 2012

Community recreation centre committee approved

Council approved the formation of an official council committee to explore the possibility of converting Hinchinbrooke Public School into a community recreation centre.

Attaining status as a township committee will allow the community steering committee that has already been formed to apply for a grant from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation to complete a feasibility study and business plan for the project.

One member of Council will sit on the committee, and Mayor Gutowski will also participate.

According to the work plan submitted by the steering committee, the committee will be looking at a host of factors that are relevant to determining if the project is feasible, including having an architect look as how the building can be renovated to make it an accessible facility; what the costs of repairs and upgrades would be, and more.

“To that end, just this afternoon I received a call from the school board saying they will have costing information for upgrades that they have developed for the Hinchinbrooke school, as well as for Sharbot Lake Public School,” said township Chief Administrative Officer Shawn Trépanier.

As Trépanier pointed out, the scope of the exploration stage has expanded to include the Sharbot Lake Public School site, which, along with the Hinchinbrooke site is slated to be vacated by the Limestone School Board upon the opening of a new JK-12 school in Sharbot Lake in September of 2013.

“Once the work is being done on one site, why not include the other one as well?” said Trépanier.

The work plan submitted by the steering committee includes a number of items that are listed as “long term requests to the township”. These include “purchasing the school(s) when they become available”, providing “project management for renovations” and “ongoing operational management”.

“I don’t think we want to make these kinds of financial commitments when our people already can’t afford the taxes we charge them,” said Councilor Bill Snyder.

“Right now we are not looking at any kind of commitment of taxpayers' dollars except for staff time to help get a grant for a feasibility study,” said Mayor Gutowski.

“Right now I think the Sharbot Lake school is just going to be a part of the investigation” said Councilor Frances Smith”.

The committee is planning to submit an application for funding to the Frontenac CFDC by June 1.

Tenders accepted: Public Works Manager Mike Richardson recommended that the contract for the construction of a major culvert on Crow Lake Road be granted to Ryan’s Maintenance of Renfrew County for $258,725. The tender for work in the village of Arden was won by Crains’ Construction for $106,190 and because the price from Smiths' Construction for paving on the Arden Road came in at $118,000, lower than expected, Smiths’ will be asked to do 3 km instead of 2.5.