A meeting that was supposed to reveal a more detailed design and budget for the new indoor ice facility here had to be cancelled although town CAO Bill Naturkach said another one should be scheduled within the next week or so.
Kuch/Stephenson Architects had to cancel its meeting with the town, scheduled for yesterday, at the last minute “due to illness,” Naturkach said.
The revised drawings were supposed to show elevation changes that would allow for a more convenient zamboni transfer from ice surface to ice surface, as well as a more pleasing foyer elevation, a combination pile and slab design, and a more definite cost design for an Olympic-sized rink.
“It should be close to getting to the final design,” Naturkach said, which also would allow them to set a more definite project budget.
Meanwhile, council has appointed a working sub-committee to deal with the new ice facility, which will be comprised of Mayor Glenn Witherspoon, Coun. Roy Avis, town employees George Bell, Gary Thibault, and Bruce Spottiswood, and an “Ice for Kids” rep.
In other news from Monday’s regular meeting:
•council received an invoice of $6,192.45 from KGS Engineering for soil tests done for the ice rink project, plus a progressive architects fee from Kuch/Stephenson for $59,253.49;
•a workers’ compensation package from Health Benefits Consulting was tabled to the Nov. 23 meeting;
•a request for proposals for those interested in offering the “Dial-a-ride” service was put out;
•council reaffirmed its commitment to the handi-cap transit service offered in town after receiving a letter from the Northern Action Group (although Mayor Witherspoon and Coun. Sharon Tibbs noted it was never in danger of termination);
•the one-hour parking spaces on the 600 block of Scott Street was extended to include an area from 22.8 m east of Crowe Avenue to 31.4 m easterly thereof;
•council passed a bylaw which enables it to have direct access to the Ministry of Transportation’s data base of personal information on registered holders of motor vehicles who have committed parking infractions in town;
•a service contract with the province was signed with Ontario with respect to funding for the Fort Frances Children’s Complex;
•a bylaw giving Asselin Transportation and Storage Ltd. a five-year contract to do garbage collection for the town was approved;
•lease agreements at the Fort Frances Municipal Airport for Clifford Larry and Lyle Armstrong were approved, with the condition that all leases at the airport be up for review at the end of 1999;
•councillors agreed to help the Salvation Army with its Christmas Kettle campaign;
•a letter from the Riverside Foundation for Health Care requesting sponsorship for a donor wall was tabled to the administration and finance committee for recommendation;
•the planning and development executive committee will be making recommendations on a letter from the property assessment division in Thunder Bay regarding digital mapping;
•a letter from Municipal Affairs and Housing minister Al Leach regarding the payment of social housing costs was tabled to the administration and finance committee;
•a letter from the Rainy River District School Board regarding a transportation system review was tabled to the community services executive committee for discussion; and
•information from the Ontario Trillium Foundation was tabled to the administration and finance committee, as was a request for a donation to cover travelling expense for local band “White Fire Reed,” which has been invited to play at the Canadian Aboriginal Festival in Toronto next week.
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