Pontiac council report - work to start on bicycle trail
Mo Laidlaw
Over twenty people attended the council meeting on February 14, 2006.
Lac Beauclair sector
Jacques Lizotte lives between Saint-Louis-de-Masham and Lac-des-Loups on route 366, which runs through Pontiac for nearly 4 km, in the northeast corner of Onslow. He complained that Pontiac’s civic numbers on route 366 are not in sequence with those in La Pêche, causing difficulties for emergency and security services, who cannot find houses with Pontiac addresses. Mr Lizotte said he was told by the last council that nothing could be done about this as it would cost $2000 to change the civic number signs. As a heart patient he would like to know that an ambulance could find his house in an emergency. He would like the numbers to continue from those in Masham, so there is no confusion. Mayor Eddie McCann agreed that this is important, and said that he would discuss it at his upcoming meeting with Mayor Robert Bussière of La Pêche.
Mr Lizotte also asked about the agreement between the municipalities of La Pêche and Pontiac, (Pontiac pays about $35,000 to La Pêche for services to residents in this sector); the need for repairs on Lac-la-Pêche road, and paving on route 366. As the latter is a provincial highway, paving is the responsibility of the ministry of Transport.
Roads and drainage
Michel Séguin would like Pères-Dominicains road to have high priority for paving. Nearly two km is unpaved and needs work. Mr McCann said this road is close to the top of the list. Council will decide which roads are to be repaired and/or paved, early in March. Fondex Outaouais will be carrying out a photographic and written inventory of problems on municipal roads in the spring.
Madeleine Carpentier yet again complained about the drainage of her property, since the four-lane highway was constructed, involving changes to Ferris creek and Bélisle creek. There were floods in 1976 and 1992. She claims that the drainage does not comply with a bylaw passed by the township of Eardley in 1973, and she holds the municipality responsible for any damage to her property. She says that water must not be transferred to other watercourses. Mr McCann said that he accepts the previous council’s position and Ms Carpentier’s lawyer should work with the municipality’s lawyer.
MaryAnne Sauvé Legendre again asked council to help resolve problems at the Legendre garage in Heyworth. Mr McCann said there will be a process for cleanup in a month or two. “Council is 100% in favour of correcting the problem.”
Municipal pay increases
Motions were adopted to upgrade clerical pay in accordance with provincial pay equity legislation, to index the director-general’s salary, and to increase the monthly salary and hourly rate of fire service officers. The fire chief will receive $1000 per month, deputy chiefs $350, and captains $250.
The mayor gave notice that he will introduce a bylaw at the March meeting to increase councillors’ yearly salaries to $9,000 and the mayor’s salary to $27,000, from May 1, 2006. Salaries will be indexed to the cost of living. Last December Mr McCann said he saw “no need to increase the mayor’s salary from $16,920,” as he also receives $12,700 as MRC representative. It appears that the mayor’s pay is fixed at three times that of councillors.
New bylaws on tolerance roads & nuisances
If a majority of members of a road association agree, the municipality will pay for snowplowing and sanding in the winter, and grading, gravel, calcium and ditch cleaning in the summer. Associations will receive $3000 per km to pay for contracts. Additional sums will be available for special projects, but in order to get this funding a contractor’s study with costs and dates must be supplied to the municipality.
The new nuisance bylaw prohibits storage of all kinds of materials on residential lots, such as tires, appliances, rubbish, garden waste and construction debris. Vehicles that are not in running order, unregistered and over seven years old are prohibited. So are dangerously dilapidated buildings. Garbage must be stored in purpose built containers in good condition. There are fines of up to $1000 for a first offence, increasing for subsequent offences.
Bicycle trail
Council adopted a resolution to inform the CLD and MRC des Collines that they wish work to start as soon as possible on the bicycle trail, from the start of the PPJ Cycloparc at Wyman through Quyon. (Or is it a “recreational” path, open to snowmobiles? Both terms are used in the resolution.) Council prefers a route along Clarendon street (old highway 8), because of economic spinoffs with cyclists riding through Quyon, and lower construction costs compared to the former rail-line option recommended by the Génivar report.
River accesses
Snow plow operators will be asked to clear access points to the river at Terry Fox road and Détente road, to reduce damage to the road surface and noise.
The municipality will look for a suitable lot to acquire at the Luskville end for river access, both for recreation - a park and dock - and for public security.
Planning committee (CCU)
André Richard’s mandate as chairman of the CCU was renewed for two years. Erik Scobie’s position as a member of the CCU was also renewed. Michel Labelle returns as a member of the CCU after an absence.
Other business
Bills for $214,746 and fixed expenses of $80,828 up to February 1, were approved.
Council approved offers to purchase from the municipality the Case backhoe for $16,200 and the JCB backhoe for $14,100. The public works director is authorized to obtain at least four tenders for a new backhoe.
The municipality wants to put in a turn around point at the west (river) end of Elm road and asked a surveyor to draw a plan to determine what land will have to be acquired.
$5000 was given to TransporAction Pontiac as the municipality’s 2006 contribution.