Groundwater reports accepted
Council passed a motion moved by Councillor Derek Stephens and seconded by Councillor Ted Taylor on a recommendation from the Water/Waste and Education Committee that council accept the 2015 Annual Groundwater Monitoring Reports for the Mindemoya, Spring Bay and Providence Bay landfill sites submitted by Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure.
“It was nice to get the report on the Spring Bay groundwater,” said Councillor Stephens. “We will now be able to move ahead with those sites because there is no leachate going into the water—we will be able to close that up.”
Financial reports accepted
Council passed a motion moved by Councillor Derek Stephens and seconded by Councillor Patricia MacDonald that the recommendation from the Water/Waste and Education Committee that council accept the year-to-date financial report ending December 2015 be approved as presented.
First reading on Mindemoya Drain passed
Council passed a motion moved by Councillor Derek Stephens and seconded by Councillor Ted Taylor that council accept the recommendation from the Water/Waste and Education Committee and pass bylaw 2016-06, being a bylaw for the final cost levy for the Mindemoya Drain.
“As you know, we didn’t proceed with a 1-2-3 reading as staff were preparing a report that answered a number of questions posed at the public meeting,” noted Councillor Stephens. “By giving it only its first reading, that report will be able to go to the public.”
“I think there was some confusion on the provincial funding (due to the work being carried out alongside another project),” said Councillor Patricia MacDonald. “There was no drain funding in that provincial funding, no direct link to that funding.”
Mayor Richard Stephens noted that there were economies provided to the drain project due to the concurrent work being done, but that there was no provincial funding for the drain. “The cost of the total project was $2.5 million, but $1.44 million was being funded,” he noted. “But there is more funding that needs to be reconciled.”
“Is there an anticipated delay in this project?” asked Councillor Dale Scott.
“They’re ready to go at the third reading,” replied Mayor Stephens, noting that there would not likely be any delay in the project due to the delayed readings of the bylaw. “There is no reason to rush it through.”
Library budget accepted
Council passed a motion moved by Councillor Ted Taylor and seconded by Councillor Derek Stephens that council accept a recommendation from the Water/Waste and Education Committee to accept the library board minutes of November 2015.
Providence Bay kitchen construction moves forward
Council passed a motion moved by Councillor Derek Stephens and seconded by Councillor Ted Taylor that council accept a recommendation from the Property Committee that, subject to the oversight of construction and layout by the municipal maintenance supervisor, the Providence Bay Community Centre Board is approved to move ahead with the kitchen renovation project.
The original motion was “subject to the approval of the layout,” but was changed to include oversight of the construction as well.
Councillor Stephens asked what the total cost of the kitchen renovation project will be, to which Councillor MacDonald replied “$29,000.” She noted that costs were being kept down significantly by extensive use of volunteers. “The Providence Bay community has always been great at giving tremendous support,” she said, going on to cite the example of the Community Centre Project.
“Do we have a policy on volunteers?” asked Councillor Stephens. “Do they have to be licenced?”
“They have to undergo a little bit of training—for safety,” supplied CAO Ruth Frawley, adding that plumbing and electrical trade work were not part of the volunteer component.
“We are lucky to have a number of tradespeople (willing to put in their efforts to the project),” noted Mayor Richard Stephens.
Revised RFP for new fire hall
Council passed a motion moved by Councillor Ted Taylor and seconded by Councillor Derek Stephens that council accept a recommendation from the Property Committee that the revised Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Mindemoya Fire Hall Design and engineering plans be distributed to the specified design and engineering firms.
CAO Ruth Frawley supplied that there were four different firms being approached for the RFP, one of which is from the Island and one based in Espanola.
Mayor Richard Stephens inquired of the CAO “as to where we stand as to the property?”
Ms. Frawley noted that she had signed her half of the deeds required and that another signatory had also signed, but that one party was not available. It is anticipated that the final signature would be forthcoming soon.
Fire Hall committee streamlined
Council passed a motion moved by Councillor Patricia MacDonald and seconded by Councillor Ted Taylor that council accept a recommendation from the Property Committee that the sub-committee of the Property Committee, entitled The Committee for the Design and Construction of the Mindemoya Fire Hall, be dissolved and its members be designated as special advisors for the Mindemoya Fire Hall project.
“The idea is to avoid the duplication of having to re-do it at the subcommittee and committee level before bringing it to council,” explained Mayor Richard Stephens.
Councillor Derek Stephens noted that the original concept was that the committee would be made up largely of staff members who would conduct meetings during regular business hours.
Councillor MacDonald said that she believed that issue was addressed during discussions, noting that a component of the RFP deals with if the successful bidder chooses to meet outside of regular committee meetings time.
“It was just to avoid duplication,” reiterated Mayor Stephens. “We needed to streamline it.”
“So it will be the whole committee, the staff and special advisors,” noted Councillor Dale Scott.
Multi-year accessibility plan approved
Council passed a motion moved by Councillor Patricia MacDonald and seconded by Councillor Ted Taylor that council accept a recommendation from the Property Committee to accept the Multi-year Accessibility Plan, 2016 Update.
“2025 is the deadline,” said Mayor Richard Stephens.
Councillor MacDonald said that she believed that the municipality has made some progress, with all of the municipal buildings now sporting signs in braille. “We are way ahead with it,” she said, but adding “some issues are more difficult to deal with.”
“Expensive,” interjected CAO Frawley.
“It would be nice if some level of government would find accessibility important enough to fund it,” said Councillor MacDonald.
