Staff
In an effort to give town residents a chance to do a little cleaning up before the snow flies, the town will suspend the collection of tipping fees at the local landfill on Saturday. Nov. 5 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown told council yesterday evening.
But the only waste to be accepted free of charge that day will be leaves, tree branches, grass clippings, and garden waste.
These items must be separate from regular waste when brought to the landfill.
As well, all material must be disposed of in compliance with the instructions from the landfill gate attendant.
Also last night, Brown said Metercor Inc., the subcontractor working for Elster Metering, was in town Oct. 11-20 and completed about 40 percent of the new water meter installations and replacements for industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) customers in Fort Frances.
He added Metercor will be back Nov. 14 to finish off the project, and that all ICI customers who have not contacted the company about getting a new water meter should call them at 1-855-745-8500 and make an appointment.
They come and put in a new water meter.
All the new water meters should be upgraded and operational by Dec. 1, although billing will not be completed using the automatic meter reading system until February, 2102 (this is because the town is waiting for a software upgrade).
As previously reported, a total of 180 new ICI water meters are being installed locally, replacing those which have reached the end of their life cycle.
A total of 299 Energy Axis water 2.0 modules on ICI water meters, which will enable automatic meter reading for all 299 local ICI customers, also are being installed.
The automatic water meter reading is piggy-backing on the existing smart meter reading system put in place by the Fort Frances Power Corp.
Airport fence
In other news, Brown said Wilco Contractors Superior Inc. completed work on the new wildlife control fence at the Fort Frances Airport as of Oct. 17.
A final inspection will be done this Friday.
“We got it done before the rut, so the operators feel a lot safer at night when the last Bearskin plane comes in,” Brown told council.
“Nothing is coming into the infield, everything’s on outside.
“It’s a worthwhile project,” he stressed.
The fence is about five kilometres in length. It is a 2.4-metre high, fixed-knot game fence complete with two-strand high-tensile wire.
Funding for the fencing, to the tune of $589,900, was announced June 29 through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP).
In August, council awarded the fence tender to Wilco at an estimated cost of $381,743.38.
As well, Brown said the road construction jobs on Third Street East, Osborne Street, and Eighth Street have been completed, as has installation of new sewer and water services for a commercial property on McIrvine Road.
The asphalt work on McIrvine Road hopefully will be done later this week.
Meanwhile, the watermain “looping” job at the Shevlin wood yard easement between Nelson Street and Church Street has not been finished yet as the town is waiting for Abitibi to move its wood piles.
Brown noted the town has been contacting the mill manager and is hoping the wood will be moved by the end of the week.
A similar “looping” job on the watermain on Sixth Street between Portage and McKenzie has been completed.
