Pontiac council report - Pontiac does not exist as a postal address
Mo Laidlaw
As usual over ten members of the public attended the first regular meeting of 2005 on 18 January, with acting mayor Roger Larose in the chair.
Thanks
Pierre Sauvageau and Joan Letourneau, representing FRAPP, in French and English, thanked council for increasing the grants to tolerance road associations to $3000 per kilometre, with 75% paid by the municipality. Councillor Pierre Lafrance told council that he’d also received a letter from the François Tremblay Beach association, thanking council for the grant. Council passed amendments to the bylaw for this increase.
Councillor Garry Dagenais thanked the fire department for their help, in particular in putting up the Christmas lights in Quyon, and flooding the rink in Luskville.
Mr Coyle thanked Bert Kennedy for his unpaid work as caretaker of the Women’s Institute building in Quyon, and asked for a volunteer(s) to replace Mr Kennedy, who hopes to retire, due to ill health.
Postal addresses, continued
Jean-Claude Carisse said he had received a letter from M. Marquis at Canada Post, according to which “Pontiac” does not exist as a postal address. Sylvain Bertrand, municipal director-general, explained, “There are two solitudes, civic addresses and postal addresses are not necessarily the same.” Canada Post is carrying out a feasibility study which will report by the end of March. Council will have to make a decision, whether to leave things as they are or ask Canada Post to give the entire municipality Pontiac addresses, with many different postcodes, instead of the two postcodes used at present. This is what happens in cities and many rural municipalities. Names such as Heyworth, Luskville or Quyon designate an area, but would not be in the postal address. At present residents are served by post offices in Quyon and Luskville, with addresses to match, but most of Breckenridge is served by the Aylmer post office (and has Aylmer phone numbers). Many residents already use Pontiac in their address instead of or as well as the village names. Councillor Jim Coyle said that if addresses are changed, Canada Post will inform government agencies and utilities such as Bell Canada and Hydro Québec.
Residents’ requests
Jean-Claude Carisse asked again about the recycling bins. Council said that the MRC is responsible for the home pickup of material for recycling, which should start “in the spring” when the sorting centre is operational.
Linda Brand has a problem with water draining off ch Dominicains onto her sheep paddock, which is constantly flooded, and asked council if this ditch problem could be fixed. Council agreed to do this, in 2005.
Roger Proulx and Lise Charette were authorized to subdivide a 2.05 hectare lot at 1546 highway 148, creating a 0.41 ha residential lot.
Councillor Harold McKenny asked for the union report on the fire department to be made available in English. This may not be possible.
Budget items
Fees for various documents and services have been changed slightly. For example, a road map is $4 plus tax, copies of bylaws and documents are 30¢ a page, plans are $3.10. Owners of new residences with building permits dated after Jan 1, 2005, will pay $60 (the actual cost) for their civic number sign.
By a majority of 4:3, council passed a resolution that municipal employees, or council members travelling outside the municipality, will be able to claim 37¢ a km for travelling expenses. Councillor Pierre Lafrance thought the rate should be higher.
Council renewed Pontiac’s partnership in TransporAction for 2005 at a cost of $5000.
Street lights will be installed at cr. Lusk/Crégheur and ch du Lac-Beauclair, for $500 each.
Bylaws
Councillor Brian Middlemiss gave notice that a bylaw will be introduced on alarms. If there are more than two (false?) alarms in a year there will be a fine.
Council voted to modify the “Public peace and good order bylaw” to forbid excessive noise on public property, and all night parties or “raves” in the municipality, to conform with the MRC.
Notice was again given that a bylaw adding “class C-5, sales and service” to zone 18 (Luskville), will be introduced.
A bylaw was introduced to correct an error in an earlier bylaw on costs for sewer and water connection, which should be $500 each, or for both if done at the same time.