Pontiac council report - Council meets weekly
Mo Laidlaw
Special meetings were held on 2, 16, 23, and 30 March and 6 April. Highlights are included in the following report of the regular council meeting on 12 April, attended by over 20 residents.
Jean-Claude Carisse again asked for information about the Quyon sewage lagoon. Director Sylvain Bertrand replied that the water outflow to the Ottawa river is A1. The cracks in the cement will be repaired, and payment has been withheld until this is done. The project is within budget and 85% will be refunded by Quebec.
Gisèle St-Amand, representing residents on Trappeurs, complained about water running on their road and causing damage because of problems with culverts.
Money
The mayor and secretary treasurer were authorized to sign an agreement with Municipal Affairs for the drinking water supply project in Quyon, for a maximum of $1.95 million.
Fixed expenses of $106,523 and March invoices for $25,688 were approved.
Financial statements for 2004 were received from auditor Peter Smith showing income of $6.5 million and expenses of $5.8 million. The net surplus is $765,506.
An extra $10,000 was budgeted to rent a grader to work on roads.
Conflict of interest?
Councillor Harold McKenny thinks that Councillor Brian Middlemiss should be disqualified from council, because he is a part time member of the unionized fire department. Councillors are not allowed to have any interest in contracts with the municipality. A resolution to get a judgment on this from the Superior court was defeated by 3 votes to 2.
Lights for safety
Council will repeat its request to the ministry of Transport to install a flashing light at the highway 148 and Lac des Loups junction. MoT has said that improving the junction, perhaps with an island or refuge in the middle, is in its budget for 2005-2010.
Requests for new streetlights were approved for the junction of Cartel and 148, and for Cedarvale at Adrien-Renaud. Dwain Smith, speaking on behalf of Eardley RA, asked for a streetlight to be installed at Davis Park.
Ditches or watercourses?
The municipality is working on a ditch on Pères-Dominicains road, and the Bélisle stream is being cleaned for the first time for 30 years, both of which the ministry of Environment consider to be watercourses. MoE has issued infraction notices. Council asked Fondex Outaouais to sort out this situation with MoE.
Development
$1.5 million of building permits were issued in March, including eight new housing starts. Marcelle Chabot has been named as a new member of the CCU (planning committee). Council supports Gabriel Ferland’s request to the CPTAQ to acquire one acre of a 63.5 ha property in the farm zone in order to construct a residence.
Council confirmed that a new house on a lot backing on to the highway, must be built at least 35 m from the highway even if this puts it closer to the residential street than the developer wishes: the new setback from provincial roads takes priority.
Recycling
The municipal inspector was mandated to prepare a schedule for collecting garbage and recyclables on alternate weeks, because of problems with the garbage trucks. The Braun road recycling containers will be moved to the Women’s Institute building in Quyon and the restaurant at the junction of 148 and Eardley-Masham road.
Encouraging summer residents
Council received a report on loggerhead shrikes from the Club des ornithologues de l’Outaouais, dealing with observing these uncommon migratory birds and encouraging them to nest in the area.