Flinton Hall Flood Delays Updates & Renovations

Craig Bakay | Sep 13, 2023

Although Facilities Manager David Twiddy wasn’t physically present (vacation) for the regular Addington Highlands Council meeting Sept. 5 in Flinton, his written report resulted in some relatively major budget rejigging due to spring flooding at the Flinton Hall.

Speaking for Twiddy, CAO/Clerk/Treasurer Christine Reed confirmed that there was an issue with flooding downstairs at the Flinton Hall.

“We’ve tried to air it out, and tried to mitigate the smell in various ways,” Reed said. “We wanted to get an estimate of what it would cost to replace the carpet.”

Said estimate, from Northbrook Outfitters Contracting, came in at $27,758. (Any actual work done would still have to be done through the request for proposal process as per the Township procurement bylaw. Northbrook Outfitters provided the estimate knowing this.)

“We’re coming to Council to see if there’s any flexibility in the budget,” Reed said. “There is some budget for this building (so) we were wondering if we could put off once again refinishing the upstairs of Flinton Hall.”

Estimates for upstairs refurbs include $20,000 to replace tables and chairs, $7,500 to refinish the dance floor and $2,500 for recessed lighting but Reed said those figures are from “some time ago.”

Reed said: “If we did that, we’d be able to replace the floor downstairs while staying within the budget Council adopted in May.

“I know Coun. (Helen) Yanch probably won’t be happy with that.”

“I think the downstairs floor should be a priority,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

“Ideally, we would replace all of it so that it’s consistent but there are budget restraints,” said Reed.

“I’m not really against it, I understand,” said Yanch. “It’s just that we’ve had this project of redoing the upstairs about five years now but every year we’ve had something that’s a little more of a priority.

“You make choices.”

Coun. Ken Hook acknowledged the need for carpet upstairs owing to the acoustics of the hall but added “You might get a better price doing it all at once but if the upstairs carpet doesn’t need to be replaced, let’s put it off for a little bit longer.”

“I’m just thinking that with the mould issue, the building could end up being condemned,” said Coun. Kirby Thompson. “That’s the biggest issue.”

Council passed a motion to amend the budget and do the downstairs repairs.

Unreasonable behaviour policy

Following presentations from members of public, Coun. Ken Hook moved to delay a proposed bylaw on an unreasonable behaviour policy for two months.

“I still have some questions,” he said.

Coun. Helen Yanch voted against the motion.

Trunk or Treat

Council approved a request to hold the 6th annual Trunk or Treat event in the Flinton Hall parking lot Oct. 31 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Hartsmere Road surface treatment - done

“We spent a bit of change on it, but Hartsmere Road is now complete with the surface treatment and everything,” Roads and Waste Supervisor Brett Reavie told Council.

Reeve Henry Hogg said that he’d been to the Ashby Lake Association meeting and they’d asked for some work on the Mountain Road which has had “several washouts.”

“We’d been waiting until we got Hartsmere down before we get to that,” said Reavie.

Reavie also said that “waste sites continue to be busy . . . as always.”

Document delays

Dep. Clerk/Planning Secretary Patricia Gray reported that transfer documents have not yet been received from the Province for the access route at the end of Hartsmere Road.

“In the meantime, staff have been working with legal counsel to determine the best way to proceed in order to permit work to be done on the access route while awaiting the transfer documents from the Province,” she said.

Repeater

Fire Chief Casey Cuddy reported that they’ve been working to alleviate communications issues and one solution might be a repeater on the tower at the Northbrook Fire Station.

“Sitting on the bottom of the Rogers Tower at the bottom of Kaladar Hill has left us with a lot of void areas to cover and combined with the events of this year where a Rogers employee shut it off and disconnected it because he didn’t know what it was left us with no emergency connection.”