Staff
With news at the beginning of July that the Town of Fort Frances did not get “Connecting Link” funding to reconstruct Scott Street from Reid Avenue to Colonization Road East this year, Tom Veert Contracting Ltd. is requesting the town hold its bid until next spring, when hopefully the money to do the job will come through.
In a letter to Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig, Tom Veert wrote the company is “greatly disappointed” the town did not receive funds to allow them to proceed with the job.
“Based on the fact that we were the low bidder, and accepted to do the work by the town council, we took the steps necessary to prepare for this job and went ahead and purchased numerous items that were needed to complete this project,” Veert wrote.
“We were notified at a very late date of July 2, 2009 that the funding would not be available for this project. This put some financial stress on our company.
“Therefore, we are asking the Town of Fort Frances to hold our bid until next spring when hopefully you will be successful in receiving the funding,” he added.
Council referred the request to the Operations and Facilities executive committee for its recommendation, with input from the Administration and Finance executive committee.
Mayor Roy Avis and other members of council are expected to bring up the issue of the funding in talks with provincial reps when they attend the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual conference Aug. 16-19 in Ottawa.
Also Monday night, council approved a financial request from Cross Canada Century Flight 2009 to give the group an eight cent per litre discount when fuelling up at the Fort Frances Airport.
A portion of the group of 100 planes which flew across the country to celebrate the birth of powered flight in Canada is expected to land at the airport here sometime next week on their return flight from Nova Scotia to British Columbia.
The discount was approved by a vote of 4-3, with not all councillors in agreement.
Coun. Paul Ryan said council has been asked in the past by other groups to subsidize fuel, and this is something they’ve always denied for the simple reason they don’t want to set a precedent.
“There are people there who buy their fuel all the time and they’re going to feel they’re entitled to something, as well,” he warned.
Those who voted in favour of the discount, including Mayor Avis, noted the Cross Canada Century Flight 2009 is being filmed for a documentary and planes landing here is good exposure for both the airport and community.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•accepted a letter of resignation, with appreciation for service, from the Children’s Complex Advisory Committee from Debbie Bazylewski;
•appointed Joe Kneisz to the Children’s Complex Advisory Committee;
•authorized the purchase of a new Zamboni Model 445 for $74,620, plus freight and taxes;
•authorized the use of the Memorial Sports Centre auditorium by the Northwestern Health Unit for free influenza vaccinations for the rest of this council’s term (the cost will come from council’s public relations expense);
•denied a request from property owners at 325 and 318 Third St. E. to plant trees (red maples) on the town’s right-of-way due to the ongoing maintenance costs with trees planted on the town’s boulevards as they mature (administration will review and update the existing bylaws associated with planting trees within the town’s right-of-ways and highways in the future); and
•passed a bylaw to authorize entering into a lease renewal agreement with John Myers at the Fort Frances Municipal Airport.
•passed a bylaw to authorize entering into a retention agreement with The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company with respect to employee group insurance coverage.
