Snowshoeing fun
Councillor Leslie Fields spoke of the snowshoeing trails located at McLean’s Park on New England Road. She told her fellow councillors that, by the end of winter, the trail will have seen over 500 kids traverse the route. Councillor Fields also noted Steve Hart, Rob Mellan and Ron Cooper’s work with the kids and encouraged her fellow councillors to go and check it out. The trail is also used as a practice trail for the Manitoulin Special Olympic snowshoe team.
“(The late) Mr. McLean would be so happy the park is being used like this,” Councillor Brenda Reid added.
Accounts for payment
Council authorized the following accounts for payment: general, $174,816.09; and payroll, $17,607.61.
Health Board teasers
After reviewing the Sudbury and District Board of Health minutes, Councillor Fields said that it is not unusual for the municipality to first learn of changes in government funding through the minutes with very little information on the subject. Council noted that Ken Noland is the Island representative on the board and should be reporting more frequently to the Manitoulin Municipal Association.
Burns Wharf architectural services
Following a review of a letter from Castellan James and Partners Architects Inc. on services for the Burns Wharf Theatre, CAO Alton Hobbs suggested that a committee of council be established. Council decided this would be done at the next regular meeting. A motion was carried to authorize the services and approve the $9,800 fee plus disbursement and HST for Castellan James and Partners Architects Inc.
New streetlight debate
Council received a quote from JJ Pole Line for the installation of a streetlight at Sucker Lake Road and Highway 6 in the amount of $5,800.
“Is this kind of money warranted?” Councillor Fields asked.
Councillor Moggy suggested waiting until the budget was set.
“But is it an opportune time now?” Councillor Fields questioned, noting the LED streetlight replacement project currently underway. “But I do question the need—there’s not a lot of people there.”
Mr. Hobbs said the streetlight would be purely for the landfill.
Mayor Paul Moffat added that all of Assiginack’s population is limited. “Let’s face it.”
“The cost is not huge,” Councillor Reid said. “I would like to see a light there too.”
Council tabled the discussion to the next meeting of council.
Municipal highway maintenance
Council was given a copy of Assiginack’s ‘Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways’ to review. It was explained that roads superintendent Ron Cooper wondered, as part of budget deliberations, if council wanted to review the roads and move any to a different class.
“I see this as having quite the impact for budgeting purposes,” Councillor Fields said.
“I agree,” said Councillor Reid. “Roads are huge budgeting issues. I don’t think we should touch them without a traffic count.”
“I’d like to go through it with Ron,” Councillor Moggy added.
Mr. Hobbs said a traffic count should wait until May or June, which would have the effect of pushing the budget back to June or July of this year.
Both Mayor Moffat and Councillor Reid agreed that if council decided to go with a traffic count, any decisions on roads should wait until the next budget year.
Support for Sudbury, Aurora resolutions
Assiginack passed a motion supporting a City of greater Sudbury resolution to expedite the return of the OPP search and rescue helicopter to the Sudbury Airport “to better serve the needs of Northern communities” as well as the Town of Aurora’s resolution regarding their request to the Government of Ontario “to limit the jurisdiction of the Ontario Municipal Board to questions of law or process and for the Ontario Municipal Board to uphold any planning decisions of municipal councils, unless they are contrary to the processes and rules set out in legislation.”
