Staff
Town council has given permission to allow an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), more commonly known as a “drone,” to be operated on town land during the Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Festival here June 25.
Council approved a request from Rainy Lake Tribal Resource Management to let GIS technician Peter Klyne access the waterfront property to fly a drone during the event to capture aerial video and photography of the dragon boat races, which will take place in the vicinity of the Sorting Gap Marina that day.
Multiple flights will be made, with a length of five-eight minutes for each one, depending on actual race events.
A three-person mission team—consisting of an operations manager, ground supervisor, and camera operator—will take an active role in each flight.
Fort Frances Airport manager Tom Batiuk expressed no concerns with the drone.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•approved the town’s draft financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2015, as presented by Jon Evans and Jeff Savage of BDO Canada;
•agreed to amend the traffic control bylaw to include fire lane and handicap parking stalls in the public library parking lot;
•authorized that calendar parking be waived on the 400 and 500 blocks of Nelson Street on June 7-8;
•agreed to award Pioneer Construction a three-year contract (2016-18) for asphalt patching work at an estimated cost of $460,891.98 (taxes included) and passed the appropriate bylaw;
•agreed to make a contribution to the Vet Assistance Trust Fund, in the amount of $650, as per the request from the Rainy River Vet Services Committee;
•agreed to provide the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship with its various requests, including designating it as a significant community festival and providing in-kind services (e.g., use of tables, chairs, barricades, etc.);
•passed a bylaw to authorize the levying and collection of a special charge of taxes upon the Business Improvement Area as provided in the Municipal Act, 2001;
•approved a travel expense claim for CAO Mark McCaig, in the amount of $110, for his attendance at arbitration and forestry meetings held May 23-25 in Thunder Bay;
•approved travel and expense claims for Mayor Roy Avis, in the amount of $610.40, for his attendance at an economic development meeting May 25 in Thunder Bay;
•passed a bylaw to authorize a licence agreement, for purposes of the provision of telecommunication services (WiFi) at certain town facilities, with Shaw Cablesystems Ltd.; and
•endorsed a revised museum exhibition policy.
