Pontiac council report - 22 km of roads to be paved
Mo Laidlaw
Although people in the municipality are starting to talk about the council elections in November there were only 14 members of the public at the council meeting on 14 June 2005.
Public input
Municipal director Sylvain Bertrand gave an update on postal addresses in reply to Jean-Claude Carisse. It will be at least two years before Canada Post implements a new system across Canada which will allow residents in rural areas to benefit from individual postcodes. At the moment Canada Post do not promote Pontiac as a postal address, preferring Quyon or Luskville, with two postcodes for nearly 5000 residents, but “Pontiac” is accepted.
Recycling bins will be delivered soon, but pickup will not start until September, possibly alternate weeks. Tax payers who bank with the Caisse Populaire or Banque Nationale can now pay municipal bills by internet.
Pierre Robillard asked about the date of the court case against Francis Fuels (on highway 148 at Lilas), and when the buildings and gas tanks will be demolished or renovated.
Bruno Alary described the potholes on Alary and de la Baie roads as “bull-holes”, and complained that the dust is destroying crops and clogging air-conditioners. Mayor Bruce Campbell replied that Alary road is on the list to be paved. A new technique is required to spread the calcium this year.
Roads - 22 km to be paved, $2.7 million
Council passed a borrowing bylaw at a special meeting on May 25, in order to pave 19 roads in the municipality, for $2.7 million including taxes and contingencies. The list is headed by 5 km of Hammond road for $444,540. In decreasing order of cost the other roads are Davis / Soulière (2 km), Crégheur, Dominicains, Damas-Perrier, Marquis, Maple Lane, Beaudoin, Clarendon, Mountain / Montagne (1 km), Tremblay, Canal, River, Cochrane, 2nd Concession, Steele, Alary (0.5 km), Papineau and Ferry ($29,400). In some cases residents contribute to the cost of paving.
Other road work
Michel Fortin, surveyor, will be asked to install 5 markers at the eastern extremity of Kawartha road at a cost of $575.13, to indicate the extent of municipal property.
The municipality’s grader can be hired for work on non-municipal roads for $50 per hour, when it is available. The hirer must sign a damage waiver.
Louise Alary claimed $461.50 for towing and repairs to her car following damage caused during road work on Alary road. Council agreed to pay 50% although both their lawyer and insurance company said the municipality was not liable.
Other bills
Fixed expenses of $314,178.80 and May bills of $59,779.57, were approved.
Council bought four tickets (for themselves) for $360, for a charity golf tournament in aid of the MRC des Collines Youth Foundation.
Quyon news
At a special meeting on May 18, Marchand & fils were authorized to build a retaining structure and sluice gate in Quyon to prevent back-up into the sewage system when the river level is high, for $20,249.
The municipality will contribute $10,000 towards a mural in Quyon, depicting the history of the region including Pontiac village, if the CLD also contributes this amount. This will be a summer art and history project involving students, organized by the “Quyon Economic Development Council”.
The municipality will buy a park bench to be placed in Quyon with the names of Mr and Mrs Laurie MacKechnie inscribed on it, for $650.
Applying the anti-pollution bylaw
The owners or occupiers of 1033 Clarendon street in Quyon will be served notice to remove building materials, rubbish and other “nuisances” from the property, and to stop burying material. Anything that has already been buried must be removed to comply with the municipal bylaw.
Fire department
The fire chief will be paid $450 per month for administration of the department (in addition to supervision of firefighters at fires). He asked that the balance of the budgeted amount is paid to the assistant chief at $100 per month, and the three fire captains at $50 per month, as they also spend time on administration in addition to time at practices and fires. This was passed 4:3.
There were three calls to the fire department in May, and 26 calls to animal control.
Planning
Building permits amounting to $1.6 million were issued in May. This does not include a permit for the work on the Prime Minister’s summer residence at Harrington Lake, amounting to $750,000, although it is in the municipality.
On the recommendation of the planning committee (CCU), council appointed Julie Galipeau as secretary of the CCU.
Guy Laurin’s request for a minor derogation was not supported because it is not a minor derogation.