Feature Article April 22, 2004
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Addington Highlands Council Apr 19, 2004
Mondays windstorm provided lots of interesting sound effects for AH Councils meeting in Denbigh.
HUGHES LANDING ROAD: A delegation of residents of the Hughes Landing Road presented Council with a petition asking the township to maintain the road to acceptable standards of travel. According to spokesperson John Eggleton, maintenance of the road has deteriorated in the last three years, and the roads condition is now deplorable, resulting in major damage to cars. Eggleton said that in some spots, it is actually dangerous for example, by the causeway, two cars have gone into the water in the last couple of years.
Reeve Hook replied that the Hughes Landing Road has already been graded twice this year, which is more than any other township road. He said it costs about $200,000 per kilometre to rebuild a road, and explained that presently, much of the townships resources is going into rebuilding the Hartsmere Road, which is a four-year project. That project was undertaken by the last council because the Hartsmere Roads remoteness makes regular maintenance difficult - a one-way trip takes a grader three hours. Reeve Hook said that work is scheduled to be done on the Hughes Landing Road in 2008 a date which drew groans from the delegation.
Hook said that council would take the delegations comments under advisement, and would review all road building plans at budget time.
Later in the meeting, council discussed the problem further with Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath, and all agreed that the Hughes Landing Road needs upgrading. Councillor Cox asked if the townships priorities for the two roads could be switched, to which Rosenblath replied that would cause the money the township has already spent on the Hartsmere Road to be wasted. In the short term, they will try to improve the maintenance and rebuild the worst spots as the budget permits.
In an aside, Councillor Scott, who lives on the road, commented that she was afraid to drive home at night for fear her car might break an axle and she would be stranded. Referring to cars going into the water, she also mentioned that she doesnt swim.
ATV BYLAW: Council deferred deliberation of the ATV bylaw pending further consultation with the townships lawyer and insurance company, who are strongly recommending that AH not adopt the bylaw.
Reeve Hook cautioned councillors to be aware of the liability for the township if the bylaw is passed, saying that they would be deluding themselves to assume there was no risk.
However, Councillors Grant and Cox asked what the present liability for the township is, and how would that change if the bylaw is adopted. Everyone agreed that those questions need to be answered before any further action is taken.
SAFE DRINKING WATER COMPLIANCE: Reeve Hook recommended that Council allocate the necessary funds in the budget to bring the township into compliance, but take no action until it is seen if the regulations will be relaxed.
REQUESTS: re Buckshot Lake Lots - Council received a letter from Greg Spottiswood requesting clarification of the impact that the draft official plan, which requires a setback of 300 metres, will have on his lots. Council pointed out that as the official plan has not yet been adopted, Mr. Spottiswood is free to proceed with his plans and obtain building permits.
Stone Damage To Windshield: Council turned down a request by Judy Shiner of Flinton for compensation for a broken windshield due to a stone, which she wrote was from winter sand. Royce Rosenblath said that township sand is screened to MTO standards, and that the townships policy is to provide compensation only when the stone comes off the body of a township vehicle (not its wheel).
Building permit fee: As building permit fees pay for the work of the building inspector, Council turned down a request from Bethel Pentecostal Church in Kaladar to waive the building permit fee required for the replacing of its shingle roof with a steel roof.
