Pontiac council report - Wanted: a septic-system inspector
Mo Laidlaw
About 20 members of the public attended the council meeting on May 13, 2008, although half left after question period. Councillors Gougeon and Coyle were absent.
Nancy Maxsom and Jean-Claude Carisse have both emailed the municipality on various matters and not received confirmation of receipt or any response - the process needs to be formalized. Mayor Eddie McCann responded to M. Carisse’s question on summer garbage pickup by describing how well the pilot project using a second 360L bin to store two-week’s garbage had worked. Green wheelie-bins for garbage will be introduced. A motion to provide an additional (weekly) collection for specified food establishments was defeated by 3:2 (restaurants will have to make their own arrangements).
Sylvain Bertrand, director-general, told the meeting that a grant of 50¢ per head of population from the province for recycling will be used to buy 25 blue wheelie-bins for public buildings.
The municipality is still without a septic-system inspector, (many municipalities are hiring to conform to new requirements) and is planning to headhunt newly certified applicants directly. For treatment of septic sludge the municipality will know the cost of an addition to the sewage plant near Quyon by June. The plant in Gatineau will not accept out-of-city sludge after 2009. The MRC des Collines is also planning a plant, but this would be a long trip from Pontiac.
The meeting with Canada Post about postal addresses (using “Pontiac” rather than “Luskville” as the municipality) took place, with CP explaining that it will take another 15 years to implement proper post codes in rural areas. The problems with addresses on Canada411.com were blamed on Bell Canada, and were said to be “now corrected,” although many Luskville and Breckenridge residents were still listed as “Shawville, J0X 2G0” on May 20.
Paving, roads, bike path
Financial assistance to road associations, totalling $1841.40 was approved: Association Baie Pontiac $323.40 and Association Pointe Dion $1518.
$12,500 was approved for maintenance of ch. Crégheur.
$22,000 maximum was approved to buy culverts.
The contract with David Massé of Conception Plein Air to coordinate the bike path is extended to 1 July 2008. Councillors Middlemiss and McKenny voted against as they have for bike path motions since April 2006 and November 2007 respectively. Middlemiss explained his vote because no study has been carried out for a recreational trail for motorized vehicles: snowmobiles and ATVs.
Eight signs warning about horses crossing will be installed on Kennedy, Cochrane and 6th Concession, for $1000.
Fire Department
Mario Allen is appointed captain of firehall no. 3 (Quyon). Five new firefighters have been hired: Rodney Rutledge, Michael Charbonneau, David Boissonneault, Tyler Côté and Cheryl E. Hardwick.
Other matters
Bills for $43,341 and fixed expenses of $368,512 for April were approved.
A grant of $5000 for 2008 will be made to Thom Transport (administered by ministry of Transport) on condition that stops in Luskville and Breckenridge are added to the schedule. The bus already stops at Mohr’s restaurant in Quyon. Thom is reducing the number of stops between Fort Coulonge and Gatineau to shorten journey-time.
J.A. Lecompte’s offer of $4000 was accepted for engineer’s plans for the extension of the municipal water and sewer system to the Beach Barn in Quyon.
An Energy Star refrigerator will be bought for the Luskville ball park for $2252.
Groupe Action Jeunesse is granted $1844.64 for the teen dance, creating a web site, and FOKUS day.
$1500 was approved as Pontiac’s share of the cost of a feasibility study on installation of high speed internet in the MRC des Collines, if four other municipalities take part.
Council supported the requests of Bella Ladouceur, 950 ch. des Emeraudes and Dan Jones, 326 ch. Crégheur to combine their lots into larger lots, and Susan Earl, 3607 ch. Kennedy to subdivide lots.