Feature Article June 10, 2004
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AH ATV bylaw to be approved in JulyA bylaw to permit the use of ATVs on township roads was presented to a council meeting in Addington Highlands this week, but consideration of the bylaw was deferred until early July.
Earlier in the meeting a tender was granted to Tottenham Sims Hubiki to do a roads and bridges inventory for the township, and that will mean changes to the schedule of roads that was appended to the bylaw. It is expected the roads inventory will be completed by early July, roads superintendent Royce Rosenblath told Council.
Another issue that will have to be dealt with will be the posting of signs where year-round road maintenance ends on certain roads. It is hoped this will deal with one of the liability issues mentioned by the townships solicitor in regards to passing an ATV bylaw.
I think the schedule of roads needs to be clarified, and there is the lead time for the signs, Clerk Treasurer Jack Pauhl told Council.
Pauhl also pointed out to Council they had the option of stipulating which roads would be included within the ATV bylaw, but Councillor Eythel Grant said if you make it legal on some roads, you should make it legal on all roads. Councillor Bill Cox concurred, saying it would be confusing if we didnt approve it on all roads.
Deputy Reeve Lorraine Berger, who was chairing the meeting at the time the bylaw was being considered because Reeve Ken Hook had to leave early to fulfill another commitment, then said I dont suppose anyone will be reconsidering their vote on this issue if we defer until July, and none of the other three councillors, all supporters of the bylaw, made any indication.
Weve waited a long time, but its not as if this is a life or death issue. Another month wont hurt, said Bill Cox.
It is likely that while the ATV bylaw will be approved in July, it will only be made active after the signs delineating seasonally maintained roads are put in place.
Picnic tables stuck in red tape
Pat Wargalla and Dave Martin of Barracudas restaurant came to Addington Highlands Council requesting help in dealing with a difficulty they have encountered with the building code as it applies to restaurants.
Martin and Wargalla purchased the property on which Barracudas stands in December 2003, and spent the winter gutting and refurbishing the restaurant. They opened the 44-seat establishment last month.
Wargalla told Council we have complied with all the building codes, plumbing codes, fire codes, everything, but now we are running into a problem as we consider the next phase of our business development.
Barracudas is opening a take out window for the summer, and the plan is to put out 5 picnic tables outside the restaurant for use by people at the take out window. The total capacity of the establishment will be greater than is allowed for the washroom facilities that are in place within the restaurant, so Wargalla and Martin propose to rent two portable toilets for the summer to serve the overflow and the people using the fun park and craft booths that are being established on the property outside of the restaurant. Wargalla also told Council the restaurant now employs 12 local people.
Martin told Council that building inspector Ken Buxton had said putting in picnic tables meant the restaurants capacity would be increased to the point where new washrooms, and possibly a new septic system, would be necessary, but I believe there was a misunderstanding, I dont think he realised we are not adding to the restaurant, and we are only planning to use the take out counter in the summer. The picnic tables are not a permanent installation within the restaurant.
Reeve Hook said We are not about to tell the building inspector how to do his job, but we could pass a motion supporting what you are doing and asking him to take a look at it. I notice your parking lot is always full, so you must be doing something right.
A motion was prepared and passed.
Later in the meeting, Ken Buxton arived, and he said he had not misunderstood what Wargalla and Martin were intending, but the building code as it applies to restaurants does consider picnic tables that are added to a restaurants as seats, and the five tables would put Barracudas into a capacity bracket requiring more permanent washrooms.
What about Chip Wagons? Eythel Grant asked Buxton, Do they need to have washrooms?
No, said Buxton, and neither would Barracudas if they were only putting in a takeout window, but the extra picnic tables within the property of their restaurant makes it a different case for them.
Bridge tender acceptedTenders were accepted for the construction of two bridges within the township, one at a cost of $131,128.50 and the other at a cost of $197,735.98 for a total cost of $328,864.48. This was the lowest of two bids, but it is $90,000 over the budget that had been set for the construction. The decision was taken to go ahead, and take the extra $90,000 from reserves which are dedicated to constructing a salt containment unit, in the hopes that infrastructure grants will be available for the salt containment unit.
