Pontiac council report - bike path NOT on highway 148
Mo Laidlaw
A few members of the public attended the council meeting on June 10, 2008.
Jean-Claude Carisse thanked the municipality for their enterprise in holding an Open House on 31 May. He proposed wording for a letter to confirm receipt of mail. He also asked about recent newspaper reports stating that the bicycle path will be entirely along highway 148, contrary to the route accepted at the March council meeting, which has only about 6 km of the 50 km total along the highway, between ch Alary and ch Cochrane. (Official maps, drawn by consultant David Massé, showing the trail route within the municipality of Pontiac, can be seen at www.heritagepontiac.ca/biketr.htm). Sylvain Bertrand, the director-general, commented that the reports could refer to the Ministry of Transport practice of paving 2m of the shoulder on each side of the highway when it is brought up to current standards, which may then be used by cyclists over 12 years old.
The contract with David Massé of Conception Plein Air to coordinate the bike path is renewed from 1 July 2008 to 1 July 2009. This was in the budget, and grants are available. Councillors Middlemiss and McKenny voted against.
Madeleine Carpentier asked for an update on paving. The municipality hired Steve Walker of the Pattison Group, to check the paving and repairs. It agrees to pay the balance due to the contractor within seven working days after Mr Walker approves the work.
Roger Larose asked about ward boundaries for municipal elections. There will be public consultations before any changes are made.
Town planning
Pierre-Yves Guay, town planning consultant, was given a second mandate to work on planning bylaws and to establish legal procedures for adopting documents, for $16,000.
In future, members of the town planning committee (CCU) who are not on the council, will be paid as follows, Chair: $100 per meeting, secretary: $75, and member: $50 per meeting. Councillors Gougeon and Middlemiss voted against this motion.
Other matters
Bills for $39,588 and fixed expenses of $260,656 for May were approved.
A new bylaw regarding payment for connection to mains water and sewer in Quyon was passed.
The municipality agrees to pay Christian St-Louis $9,580 to build a drain between 13 and 15 ch Lavigne. The two property owners will have to sign a right of way for the drain, and a declaration that the work is done to their satisfaction and the drainage problem resolved.
The municipality will ask Florian Gervais to trap beavers as required.