Pontiac council report - $94k for a truck
Mo Laidlaw
Items from special meetings on 13, 20 and 27 April and 5 and 11 May are included in the following report of the regular council meeting on 10 May, attended by only 12 residents.
Public input
Doreen Sigouin, representing Eardley RA, reported damage to the well, fences and a lamp post at the Luskville ballpark due to unusual frost heaving. The cost of repairs is not in the budget. Some of the rink boards have been stolen and she asked for a copy of the police report. Because the day camp will be using the ball park on Tuesdays, Ms Sigouin requests that garbage is collected regularly.
Leonard Lloyd brought a long list of concerns but did not stay for the council meeting. He gave council a copy of a letter to Charlotte L’Écuyer about highway 148 near Quyon. He said that from Hammond to the 148 is very dusty, and asked for paving or calcium. Mayor Bruce Campbell said that calcium will soon be applied to many unpaved roads.
Mr Lloyd said, “everyone in Quyon is against selling the garbage truck,” referring to the popular impression that the municipality is planning to contract out garbage collection. Councillor Pierre Lafrance explained that the municipality is asking for tenders to see if this would be cheaper, to try and save taxpayers’ money, but council has made no decision yet.
Mr Lloyd felt that the supervisor at the dump needs a phone and toilet, and that access could be better controlled if there is only one access road with a gate, visible from the building.
Roméo Bélisle asked for more chairs for the Luskville community centre, and for a deep-fryer for the kitchen. Ms Sigouin explained that a deep fryer is considered a fire risk. The kitchen has to be licensed for cooking meals, with an inspection before each event for which a license is issued.
Rick Knox, a volunteer firefighter, said “instead of pursuing Councillor Brian Middlemiss for conflict of interest (for being a volunteer firefighter and a councillor) we should be applauding him for his efforts.” Councillor Harold McKenny explained, “I’m not knocking him, but want to be sure that it is legal.”
Councillor Bill Twolan presented a petition from Cedarvale and Terry Fox residents asking for paving and upgrades to their roads.
Bills
Fixed expenses of $344,969 and April bills of $64,737, were approved.
A 10-wheel Ford truck will be bought from Gerald Hubert Automobile Ltée for $94,387 plus tax, the lowest conforming offer.
Fire department
Personal equipment for firefighters amounting to $10,504 was approved, and $16,609 for training modules for firefighters. The fire department responded to 28 calls in April, including 12 brush fires.
Spending on roads
An estimated $32,000 is needed to pave intersections of municipal roads with highway 148, and $7000 to repair the ch Lac La Pêche intersection with ch St Louis. Culverts worth $19,000 are needed this year. Surveying, signs and gravel for the north part of Terry Fox road, totalling $19,308 were added to the road works budget.
Seven road associations were granted a total of $12,985 for special projects on tolerance roads, for which they have to pay 25% of the total cost.
Somavrac won the tender to supply calcium for roads at $437.51 per tonne.
Other contracts and grants
Pelouses GL was given the contract to maintain green spaces for $16,793 - the lowest conforming bid.
Council granted $13,000 to the youth group Action Jeunesse for 2005 as well as $250 for their winter community event this year. They reversed an earlier decision and granted $200 to the Luskville carnival committee to repair the head of the mascot.
Repairing the transmission of vehicle no. 62 will cost $2,695.
Wesley Gordon will repair the Massey tractor for $1,300. Raymond Daigle will replace doors at the Luskville library and community centre for $1,200.
Future road improvements
Since the ministry of Transport is spending $1.35 million on improving and paving highway 366 in La Pêche, council will ask MTQ to pave the 366 in Pontiac.
Council will ask Chelsea and Gatineau to work with Pontiac to completely redo Mountain road with appropriate government assistance. Mountain road links these three municipalities on the SW side of Gatineau Park. It is a busy road and is in a poor state.
Applying the anti-pollution bylaw
Formal notices were issued to owners of 1864 and 1866 route 148, in Heyworth, to clean up their properties, install a compliant septic system, obtain appropriate permits, and conform to zoning regulations within 10 days or legal action will be taken.
Recycling
Pickup of recyclables may start in September. Supply, distribution and billing for the wheeled containers is being organized. The wheelie bins will cost $66 per household, payable in three instalments.
Maison de la famille, Quyon
Council passed a motion “suggesting” that the Maison de la famille open their family counter on Saturdays, because of the increased number of people in Quyon in the summer.
Industrial zone open for business?
A request has been made to add light commercial usage to the industrial zone north of highway 148 outside Quyon
Ditches or watercourses?
The ministry of Environment gave approval for work on the Bélisle stream.
Development
$1.1 million of building permits were issued in April, mostly in ward 6.