Alberton council delivered some good news to the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists last week.
At its regular meeting Jan. 14, council verbally approved a recommendation from RRVFN president Bill Morgenstern to close off portions of Section 5 and Section 8 in Crozier Township to all but pedestrian traffic in the environmentally-sensitive area that has been set aside by the club as an interpretive trail.
The proposal is for a five-year agreement that will include posting signs at the entrance to the area—alerting motorists the route is a dead end. Reeve Mike Hammond asked Clerk Dawn Hayes to draft a formal resolution for next month’s meeting.
Council approved the recommendation partly on the assurance from Morgenstern that the RRVFN carried its own insurance through its association with the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, thereby relieving the township of any liability resulting from injury to anyone using the trail.
Council last week also gave tentative approval to a request by Dennis Robinson of Crozier for permission to build an access road to property he recently acquired west of the Fort Frances landfill site.
Robinson proposed to put in the road at his own expense through an east-west right of way owned by the township.
Again, council gave a verbal go-ahead and planned to formally pass a resolution at next month’s meeting.
Cory Jewell, chief of the Alberton volunteer fire department, informed council the department has hired three new firefighters, bringing the total complement in the township to 17.
Chief Jewell said new recruits Peter Neilsen, Wade Norman, and Willy Cole currently are undergoing training and soon will be ready to join the ranks of the township’s firefighters.
Coun. Doug Mitchell informed council he has been consulting with property owners in the southern part of Alberton concerning giving the township a 66-foot right of way in order to build an access road to service a future business park.
He said feedback from the property owners has been positive to date.
Coun. Mitchell reminded council the area already is zoned for light business and that future development could have a substantial impact on property values in the area—and therefore on tax revenue for the township.
In other business, Alberton council:
•transferred a total of $23,010 from last year’s surplus to the 2004 reserve fund;
•passed a resolution authorizing Coun. Louis Collier to attend the Kenora District Municipal Association’s annual meeting Feb. 7 in Sioux Lookout;
•approved enrolment and travel expenses for the clerk to take the AMCTO Municipal Administration Program correspondence course; and,
•appointed Coun. Mike Ford as council’s rep to the Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition and authorized a payment of $476 to the RRVSC.
Alberton council’s next regular meeting is slated Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in the township office.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
