Staff
Town council approved an increase in taxi rates in Fort Frances at its regular meeting Monday night.
The new rate will be $4.20 for the first .25 kilometres or part thereof, and 10 cents for each .043 km thereafter.
This is an increase from $3.95 for the first-quarter kilometre, as was set in 2008.
For waiting time, the charge shall be at a rate of $40 per hour. This is an increase from $35 per hour.
For any deliveries, the charge will be the meter rate, with a minimum of $3.50 for each delivery (this is the same as it has been).
The adjustment of rates coincides with the start of a new taxi business in town, Royal Taxi, run by Scott Armstrong.
Its fleet consists of two vehicles.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•awarded a three-year asphalt patching contract to Pioneer Construction at an estimated cost of $396,399.38, taxes incl.;
•awarded RFQ 13-PD-05 (asbestos removal at the Huffman School building) to Keating Insulation at an estimated cost of $56,008.45, incl. HST (this amount is higher than the $35,616 the town had budgeted for);
•approved an agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources for the town to accept waste and recyclables from Mine Centre for a set cost, and passed a bylaw to approve a waste transfer agreement with Natural Resources minister David Orazietti;
•denied a request from Don Taylor Law Office to purchase part of the Church Street road allowance for the benefit of the owner of 400 Butler Ave.;
•agreed to provide for the half-masting of flags for the on-duty death of any police officer in Canada upon notification by the detachment commander or designate;
•approved the adjustment of the composition of the Theatre Advisory Committee (it now shall be comprised of one school trustee, one member of the school board staff as appointed by the board, one member of town council, one member of town staff as appointed by council, two community members appointed by council, and one member of Confederation College);
•forwarded a list of requests from the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship to the appropriate executive committees for their recommendation and action (as previously reported, the FFCBC is moving back to the waterfront for this year’s tourney);
•approved entering into an agreement with the Rainy River District School Board to offer before- and after-school child care at J.W. Walker for three years commencing this September;
•approved the 2013 BIA budget and passed a bylaw to set the 2013 BIA tax rates;
•approved a donation to the FFHS “chem-free” grad committee in the amount of $890 for the 2013 party taking place June 20 at the Memorial Sports Centre (this donation is to offset the cost of the arena and auditorium rental fees);
•authorized a $650 contribution to the Rainy River Vet Assistance Trust Fund; and
•approved various travel and per diem claims for Mayor Roy Avis and Couns. Ken Perry, Paul Ryan, and Rick Wiedenhoeft.
