Staff
With funding now on its way from the federal and provincial governments, the go-ahead for the new Fort Frances Public Library and Technology Centre will back up for approval at tonight’s town council meeting.
While council originally voted against going ahead with the project back in early April, citing concerns over the town’s portion of the costs, a June 12 funding announcement of $1.967 million in federal and provincial funding has meant council could proceed with the project without having to use town money.
Further funding to the tune of $170,000 from FedNor, which council had applied for previously, then was announced June 16.
At tonight’s meeting, council will be voting on a by-law that will approve this agreement with FedNor for financing the purchase of technology equipment to be used in the technology centre portion of the new library.
While the most recent budget for the library project was roughly $4.7 million, this amount excluded certain costs, such as paving the parking lot, and was calculated to include alternatives such as a shingle opposed to a metal roof to keep costs down.
Tonight’s council meeting is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. at the Civic Centre.
The committee of the whole will meet first at 5:30 p.m., but is expected to be in-camera until 6:05 p.m.
Other business on tonight’s agenda will include:
•a museum operating grant;
•a bylaw to designate Lots 1 through 22 on Block 7 Plan SM-34 not to be lots on a registered plan of subdivision;
•a request from Fort Frances resident Nadia Hedman re: dogs riding in the back of pickup trucks;
•a financial request from Grand Council Treaty #3 re: the Indian Residential School Survivor’s Gala;
•a financial request from RBC Financial Group and the Riverside Foundation for Health Care for its charity golf classic slated for July 11;
•a request from the Town of Fort Frances Police Services Board that proceeds from the annual police auction be donated to the D.A.R.E. program;
•a request by local residents Marie and Lynwood Anderson to keep a deer fence up in their yard;
•a progress report on the town’s strategic plan;
•proposed signage change;
•endorsement of a new storage building or dome for Winter Control Products Project under Industry Canada’s Community Adjustment Fund; and
•verbal updates from Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown and Community Services manager George Bell on current local projects.
