Pontiac council report - developer wins dispute on lot-size
Mo Laidlaw
The council meeting on September 9, 2008 was attended by about 30 taxpayers. Nine people asked about drainage ditches and paving on ch. Marquis, which was taken over by the municipality and named as a fire route to Davis and Lelièvre in November 2002. Sylvie Carpentier and Guylaine La Salle have been complaining about ditches with standing water since May 2006, when a study was promised. In October 2006 it was pointed out that some new owners had installed 10” or 12” culverts, while the standard is 18”. Work has been carried out several times to improve drainage but Marquis residents are still not satisfied. An engineering study was cancelled when Councillor Tracey, a member of the roads committee suggested it was unnecessary. Mayor Eddie McCann repeated that municipal ditches are to drain roads, not lots.
Marquis was on the list of roads to be paved in June 2005 and was removed from the list by May 2006, because there were still vacant lots. Steve St-Amour, Raymond Pellerin, Matt Maxsom, Yoland Charette, Sylvain Dubois, Crystal Martineau and Daniel Dompierre were the other Marquis residents who spoke. Several were concerned about how the cost of paving would be covered:- entirely by the municipality, or on a cost-sharing basis as is usual for residential streets.
Lot sizes in Breckenridge
Pierre Fillion asked for an update on the new development between Sumac and Lilas by Saravan, a new company with the same owners as Domaine Bellevue / Belmont Properties. The developer has been pressuring the municipality to approve their project since April. The latest legal hearing (“mandamus” by the developer) was postponed from 2 September to 29 September.
The report on the hydrogeological study has been received by council but cannot be made public because council rejected the associated bylaw to increase minimum lot size to 2 acres by 4:4 (but see last month’s council report for a summary). Councillor Amyotte held a ward 7 meeting on 28 August but had been told he could not discuss the report, to the indignation of many residents: “We paid for the report.”
Council had a private meeting on 2 September with the municipal lawyer, Michel Lafrenière, and Marc Drouin of Fondex Shermont, one of the authors of the report, in which Mr Drouin explained the report in English and French. Mayor McCann reported that the lawyer said the municipality cannot stop the development. “The new subdivision has been laid out with minimum 0.9 acre lots by an engineer, with the exact location of wells, septic fields and drainage ditches. Whatever council does there could be lawsuits, from residents if not from the developer.” None of the four councillors who opposed the bylaw at the 12 August meeting “because they had not had time to read the report” changed their vote.
Sylvie Carpentier asked why council would pay $20,000 for a study and vote against its recommendations. Mayor McCann said that Fondex was the only engineering firm that replied to the tender, but they mostly have experience in Ontario, where the minimum lot size is 2 acres (for unserviced lots).
Firefighter training
Ms La Salle also asked about firefighter training. It has started. Councillor Amyotte said that less than half the approximately 40 volunteer firefighters now have their Pompier 1 certificate. Some firefighters are resigning because the training is too hard.
Pierre Laflamme complained that his expenses as treasurer of the Plage Bélisle Association had been rejected for the first time in many years. As a volunteer he cannot afford to pay for costs associated with printing.
Incinerator project
Jean-Claude Carisse asked about the incinerator project with municipalities of Clarendon and Shawville. Will there be a public meeting? Mayor McCann replied that an association of the three municipalities is being set up. Pontiac passed a motion to put $1500 into a joint account for expenses. The promoter will choose the site from a short list. The incinerator is designed to service garbage from only 25,000 people - the municipality of Pontiac and MRC Pontiac.
Council gave notice that the Wolf Lake road (ch Lac-des-Loups) dump will close on 19 January 2009, unless regulations change to allow it to stay open longer.
Anne Breton complained about speeders at the Cimetière junction with 2nd Concession, now that the curve is paved, and suggested that this should be made a 3-way stop.
Roads
The hourly rate for truck rental has been increased to $65 from 1 September.
A grant of $40,000 will be used for ditching and addition of gravel on Cedarvale. Hydro Quebec is asked to move four poles at no charge, and Bell Canada is asked for an estimate for moving services.
The following amounts are authorized:
$18,330 for paving on ch de la Baie by Jason Hynes Construction, and $3,200 for gravel.
$8,500 to remove excess material from shoulders of roads.
$5,400 to change a culvert and redo paving on Pères-Dominicains.
$1,500 to change a culvert on Odessa.
Other matters
Councillor Amyotte gave notice that he will introduce a bylaw to modify the zoning by-law 177-01 to add rules for boarding and raising animals on properties of 20,000 sq.m. (5 acres) or more, and another bylaw to authorize mobile canteens.
The director of public works is asked to submit an estimate for the installation of a water tank at the Luskville ice rink.
David Massé is authorized to investigate grants available from the Ministry of Transport and elsewhere, as part of the Outaouais tourist development program, for the bicycle trail.
Following the deaths of René Vaillant, a former councillor, and Thérèse Trépanier, a former municipal employee, council offers its sincere condolences to the families.
Irene McKenny is thanked for her work on the recreation committee.
Money matters
Bills for $36,668 and fixed expenses of $215,693 for August were approved.
Groupe Action Jeunesse are to be reimbursed $250 spent on food for participants in the 2008 Skating Challenge, which had not been budgeted for.
The director-general is authorized to send delinquent tax accounts to the MRC to put the properties up for sale.