CKL COUNCIL REPORT -- APRIL 23, 2019
By Kirk Winter
The Council Meeting of April 23, 2019 that ran almost three hours featured two very special visitors. The meeting also featured some very important decisions made about road maintenance and the purchase of new equipment.
Flooding
City staff shared a flood update with Council. While water levels are slowly receding in the Burnt River system they are still above flood levels. Over the Easter weekend, 90mms of rain only made the situation worse. According to staff this current round of flooding is the worst on record since records started being kept in 1962.
Expectations are that water levels on the Black and Gull River systems will continue to rise till the final weekend in April. Sandbagging has been ongoing in Young’s Point, Burnt River, Kinmount and Norland.
Councillor Seymour-Fagan publicly thanked emergency workers for all of their efforts and shared her horror at the damage sharing “that she had never seen floating homes before.”
City staff added that eight roads had been closed in the area of the flooding, and would only be re-opened once floodwaters had receded, and repairs had been made.
Thurstonia docking public meeting
Councillor Ashmore shared that there would be a public meeting at the Dunsford Community Center on May 3 from 1 to 4pm to discuss docking policies in Thurstonia Park.
Frank Hill Road Public Boat Access
Councillors Richardson and Veale visited the site to see if a recommendation that the site be recognized as an official City Boat Launch was a good choice.
Both returned recommending a variation on that possibility. They believe that the Frank Hill site lacks proper parking and will create dangerous road congestion if approved. Most neighbors agreed, and Councillors Richardson and Veale recommended that around the corner from the Frank Hill site was a better site on Bertha Drive where road congestion would likely not occur.
Council asked staff to look into the Bertha Road site and bring back a report sometime in Quarter 3, 2019.
A Report From Laurie Scott
Laurie Scott, the provincial member representing Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, provided for Council an update on what was happening at Queen's Park in Toronto that might impact CKL.
Scott shared the following:
A broadband announcement will be coming soon from the province
The provincial government is fighting the carbon tax in court believing it limits the industrial competitiveness of Ontario and Canada to attract investment
The province is hoping to put policies into place quickly that will encourage the exploration and development of the “Ring of Fire” north of Thunder Bay which will provide “jobs, jobs, jobs” in Ontario
The province is soon to make a billion dollar commitment to repair and maintain geared to income housing that has been a municipal responsibility since 2001
Changes are coming to Conservation Authorities all across Ontario regarding their role regarding future development and construction
A Report From Jamie Schmale
Jamie Schmale, the federal MP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock was also invited to provide Council with an update of what was going on in Ottawa.
Schmale shared the following:
Federal money will likely be available for the high speed Internet/broadband/cellular services gap project that Scott spoke about
Was very pleased to see the federal Liberals make the decision to return with no strings attached the surplus from the Federal Gas Tax fund. Locally that almost $5 million can be used for anything the City deems to be a priority. Schmale believes that municipalities know best how that money should be spent.
Is involved with the Trent-Severn Waterway and other key stakeholders in a “Save the Walleye” initiative to protect the future of this popular game fish that generates millions of dollars in tourism as anglers from across North America come to Bobcaygeon and area to fish
No new money for a separate VIA Rail passenger line that might include Pontypool and Peterborough was announced in the federal budget. Schmale believes that the Liberals are about to announce a separate pre-election infrastructure program and VIA may get its opportunity to build a dedicated passenger line with that funding.
Made it very clear that opening up the “Ring of Fire” in northern Ontario was a major push for the federal Conservatives
Promised that “oil, natural gas, mining and farming would find a far more competitive regulatory environment” under a Conservative government
Concluded by sharing that in his conversations with the Trent-Severn about other issues that the “navigational hazard caused by wild rice” had been discussed and he hoped “something would be forthcoming soon.”
New equipment/vehicles ordered
Council approved the ordering of the following equipment /vehicles for City use:
A new Valve Exercise trailer was ordered from Wachs Canada Ltd. in Newmarket, Ontario. The trailer will cost $112,790.
A new Forestry Aerial truck was ordered from Allan Fyfe Equipment Ltd. In Concord, Ontario. The truck will cost $232,420.
A new ambulance was ordered from Crestline Coach Ltd. in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The ambulance will cost $149,134.
City Contracts Awarded
Gravel Road Resurfacing
Robert Young Construction Ltd. - $1,314,921 + HST
Royel Paving – $2,086,144 + HST
Brennan Paving and Construction Ltd. - $4,674,039 + HST
Roofing – Lindsay Recreational Complex East Pool Roof Replacement
Kei-Lin Roofing - $127,773 + HST
Splash pad for Elgin Park
Recommended winners – Yard Weasels Inc. – Bid TBD