Duane Hicks
While town council will have its plate full once again this year, Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis is more optimistic about 2011 than he was in 2010.
“It’s nice to see our major employer come out of bankruptcy protection,” he said in an interview last week.
“I think that gives us solid footing in Fort Frances.
“With that, and with the things that are happening in the district, the mining developments, I think it looks very, very good for the upcoming year,” Mayor Avis added.
“I am much more optimistic now,” he stressed. “We do have some hurdles, but I think, with everything remaining equal, we’re getting there.”
On another positive note, Mayor Avis noted the town recently acquired two pieces of property—the old Huffman school and the former Fort Frances Public Library—and council will try to find the best use for them.
“There’s been interest shown [in the library] by different parties in the community,” Mayor Avis said. “There’s been interest shown in the Huffman school property.
“That’s all on council’s table this year, and moving forward I think we’ll see those occupied within the year,” he added.
One of the first items on the agenda for 2011 is the budget, which town administration and the executive committees have been working on for several months.
“I wanted to see us maintain a budget that was in line with the rate of inflation for 2010,” the mayor said.
“In doing that, it doesn’t give us too much wiggle room,” he admitted. “But council is taking a good look at the overall costs of services, every cost.
“We’re hoping to get the ‘best bang for our buck.’”
Council members have been reviewing the draft budget at an executive committee level, with the mayor saying “there’s no real surprises” so far.
“It’s kind of a lean and mean budget we’re coming up with,” he remarked. “At least council and each department and each division is aware of where we’re going to be.”
Mayor Avis said bi-weekly budget meetings will start by mid-January, at which time the cutting will start and each department will try to fit into the parameters council has set.
Another issue expected to see discussion this year is assisted living, which last year was designated a high priority by Seniors and Law Enforcement Together’s Assisted Living Action Group.
“There’s a need for assisted living housing that council would support,” Mayor Avis said. “It can’t be a totally Town of Fort Frances-driven solution, but council would definitely support items like that.
“That’s one of the main ones.”
The town also will continue to pursue “Connecting Link” funding for road projects.
“We’re always trying to secure more capital from the provincial government so we can maintain our roads infrastructure, especially those roads coming in and out of the community,” the mayor said.
“We’ve got what we call a ‘shelf-ready’ project for the east end of Scott Street,” he noted. “We’ve been waiting for a couple of years for that funding.
“If we’re successful, that would be a go-ahead for 2011.”
In addition to the reconstruction of Scott Street (from just east of Reid Avenue to Colonization Road East), a project initially tendered by the town back in January, 2009, other priority projects—if the town can secure “Connecting Link” funding—would include asphalt patching on the west lane of Colonization Road East from Second Street to Fifth Street, on the west lane of Mill Road from the Eighth Street intersection to the School Road intersection, and on King’s Highway from just east of the Wright Avenue intersection to 100 metres east of the York Avenue intersection.
Other priorities in the year ahead include the doctor shortage, petitioning senior levels of government for legislative change that would empower council to have more control over taxation, economic development, as well as the town’s sewer and water services and aging infrastructure.
In his inaugural address last month for the 2010-14 term, the mayor said the town has worked extensively developing strategies that will fund shortfalls in local sewer and water utilities, and must continue its plan for replacing aged infrastructure.
At that time, he also had said town’s economic development committee—with its new mandate—will have the support of council, adding they’ll work together to attract new business and development here while retaining current ones.
He would like to see council work with the local BIA and Chamber of Commerce to improve the downtown core area and support initiatives brought forward for the betterment of our community as a whole.
The terms of all municipal boards and committees elapsed at the end of November. Mayor Avis said councillors have been appointed to various boards and committees for the new term, and every day more citizens are coming forward to sit on those same committees.
“Council really appreciates that,” the mayor stressed. “It’s excellent to see the people in the community get involved.
“It gives us a sounding board, as well as it gives them some idea as to how the community operates,” he noted.
Mayor Avis concluded by saying he’d like to wish all citizens “a happy and prosperous new year.”
