NAG to push council on three issues

The Northern Action Group (NAG) appears to be stepping back onto the stage.
During Monday night’s regular meeting, town council will receive three items from the group of residents who formed NAG to act as advocates on local issues.
One of the items NAG has questioned is traffic flow and parking surrounding the new Canada Customs and Immigration facility to be built this spring.
In a letter to council, the group voiced concern about the volume of traffic to and from the bridge and its effect on parking and traffic flow.
“If a survey has been completed, may we borrow and review it. If a survey has not been completed, why not and when will one be commissioned?” read the letter signed by NAG’s secretary/treasurer Zita Miller.
A second letter, which is a copy of a letter sent to the Minister of Correctional Services, demands the minister visit Fort Frances to listen to the group’s explanation as to why the jail here should remain as it is or be expanded.
“To transport jail inmates from the Fort Frances area jeopardizes our role as advocates, and hinders the community interplay with those unfortunate enough to be in jail,” they wrote.
The group is requesting support from the town for its initiative.
Meanwhile, the committee of the whole also will receive letter from NAG today noting a concern with the Dial-A-Ride program.
In other news, council will receive a request from the Fort France OPP requesting the current policy of lowering flags to half mast when an Ontario police officer is killed be changed allowing the flag to be lowered for police killed in the line of duty across the country.
Behind closed doors, the committee of the whole will continue to discuss the municipal restructuring proposal, as well as a vacancy on the Friends of Animals Foundation Board, before moving back into a public session to discuss waste tires at the Fort Frances landfill site.
It also will discuss a policy for leasing agreements on the town’s water tower and a feasibility study for widening the Portage Avenue subway.
The committee of the whole meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. downstairs at the Civic Centre, followed by the regular council meeting at 6:10 p.m. in council chambers on the main floor.