Input sought on property

Furthering the town’s search for properties to develop for residential use, council directed administration on Monday to contact residents whose property abuts the service corridor that aligns with Sixth Street East between Shevlin and Williams Avenues for input.
In a report from Planning and Development Superintendent Rick Hallam, he noted that during a discussion with staff regarding other town-owned properties as having potential for residential development, other non-town owned properties were mentioned.
One location identified as having potential by the private sector are the numerous properties along the north side of Fifth Street East, which back onto the 66-foot wide service corridor aligned with Sixth Street East between Shevlin and Williams.
Additionally, north of this corridor is a large tract of vacant land owned by the Rainy River District School Board.
The Planning and Development executive committee (PDEC) suggested the town open dialogue with property owners along this service corridor to find out if they were in favour of additional residential development, as well as the use of the Municipal Local Improvement method as a means of financing and facilitating any development.
The PDEC recommended a letter be sent to all of the property owners in the service corridor, seeking their input and comment as to residential development in this location.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•authorized the transfer of $530,000 from the working capital reserve for Dec. 31, 2007 to fund a tax write-off to Abitibi-Consolidated (this settlement is due to a reassessment of the mill property for the 2003-07 tax years);
•passed a bylaw to authorize the execution of an agreement with the Minister of Transport for airport capital funding under the Airport Capital Assistance Program (this is for a decelerometer—used to test braking action on the runway—at the Fort Frances Municipal Airport);
•passed a bylaw to enter into a 25-year lease agreement with Shane Armstrong at the Fort Frances Municipal Airport (the land will be used to build a new hangar for the storage and maintenance of a private aircraft);
•passed a bylaw to authorize a system of progressive pay for volunteer firefighters of the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Services;
•accepted an invitation from the Salvation Army to a volunteer appreciation dinner here Saturday, April 19 (Mayor Roy Avis and Coun. John Albanese will attend);
•agreed to proclaim July 4-6 as “Ontario Family Fishing Weekend” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•referred a request from Corey and Natalie Cousineau to use town parks for “laser tag” activities to the Operations and Facilities executive committee for its recommendation;
•referred discussion of the Strachan Place subdivision and Phase 2 lots to the Planning and Development executive committee for its recommendation;
•agreed to hear paramedic John Beaton speak at a future council meeting about amendments to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) pension plan to allow paramedics the right to negotiate a normal retirement age of 60 (NRA 60);
•referred a resolution from the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) regarding the formation of a committee to investigate re-development of the tourist information centre location back to EDAC for further discussion (council would like to get EDAC to propose a structure for this recommended committee);
•received notice of a meeting of the Northwestern Health Unit on April 23 regarding a community garden (Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft will attend);
•authorized the signing of an amendment to a NOHFC contract regarding the heritage tourism project (the amendment is to extend the termination date to March, 2009);
•authorized the town enter into a new 10-year agreement with Leesa and Michael Schmid to grow hay on town property;
•awarded tender No. 08-OF-03 to Select Construction of Emo at a cost of $86,877 (to make upgrades to the recycling building);
•approved the federal gas tax revenues and federal transit funds audited statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2007, and directed the invoice for audited services be paid to BDO Dunwoody;
•approved a report naming Mayor Roy Avis and Couns. John Albanese, Andrew Hallikas, Ken Perry, Paul Ryan, Sharon Tibbs, and Rick Wiedenhoeft as officers of the Corporation of the Town of Fort Frances, and naming Mayor Avis, CAO Mark McCaig, Clerk Glenn Treftlin and Treasurer Laurie Witherspoon as signing officers (this is necessary due to a change in officers after the 2006 election and 2008 byelection);
•approved purchase card expenses for CAO Mark McCaig in the amount of $1,343.52 in regards to attendance at the OGRA/ROMA conference and meeting with Adair Morse LLP in Toronto (the expenses were hotel accommodations and ground transportation);
•approved a council honorarium expense claim from Coun. Ken Perry in the amount of $120 (this was for attendance at the Rainy River District Municipal Association annual general meeting back on Jan. 26 in Rainy River);
•accepted a notice from the Business Improvement Association that Gary Rogozinski has resigned from the board of directors (the BIA consequently will be looking for a replacement); and
•received notice from tax administrator Tara Redford that the Rainy Lake Hotel property is eligible for “a sale of land for tax arrears” as of Jan. 1, 2009 (the current balance of this tax account is $71,625.22, with interest being accrued at a rate of $800/month).