Public Works keeping busy this winter

While winter hasn’t been as hard on residents as it has been some other years, the town’s manager of Operations and Facilities told council Monday night that Public Works crews haven’t been sitting on their hands waiting for a blizzard.
“Some people have asked, ‘How come you’re out plowing snow when we haven’t had any new snow in a few days?’” said Pat Hickerson. “Well, the lack of snowfall has allowed us to get out and do a little more than you usually see us doing.
“We’ve been plowing the back alleys more, plowing the sidewalks and sanding them more,” he added.
“We can’t really get into any excavation work that might be in the backlog because we don’t how the weather will change. But we’re keeping the guys busy.”
Most recently, Public Works crews have been helping thaw frozen water lines.
“To date, we haven’t had any frozen pipes on public property, only private. So we’ve lent some people a hand there,” he noted. “And we’re willing to help Couchiching for a fee if they need it.”
Mayor Glenn Witherspoon asked what would happen if there was a snowstorm tomorrow.
“All our equipment is ready to go,” Hickerson replied.
Also Monday night, Mayor Witherspoon said he felt positive about the Fort Frances Power Corp.’s request to the province to be allowed to offer a rate of 4.3 cents per kilowatt hour hydro cap less the power agreement credit of 1.23 cents/kWh to its customers.
“”We’re going to get an answer in two weeks,” he remarked.
A group of delegates, including Mayor Witherspoon, Coun. Deane Cunningham, FFPC CEO Mark McCaig, FFPC chair Doug McCaig, and FFPC board member Larry Cousineau, visited Toronto last week to meet with lawyer Alan Marks and the Ministry of Energy.
The group addressed the issue as to why the FFPC should be exempted from the 4.3 cent/kWh hydro cap simply due to the fact that between May 1 and Nov. 11, 2002, hydro prices in Fort Frances, on average, were below that price.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•passed a resolution to adopt an alternate method of councillor remuneration (this will see councillors who waive the Liberty Health Plan receive payment in lieu of benefits);
•heard a centennial celebration update from co-ordinator Marla Simpson, during which she outlined the re-enactment of the inaugural council meeting to be held April 11, a centennial ball slated April 12, and a community pancake breakfast planned June 29 (council approved the events as “community festivals” for the purposes of obtaining a special occasion permit);
•heard a verbal report from Administration and Finance manager Darryl Allan on the Ontario pre-budget meeting held Jan. 21 in Kenora on Jan. 21 (at the meeting, regional municipalities expressed the need to see provincial land tax reform, among other issues, figure into the 2003 provincial budget, which is expected to be unveiled this March);
•received a letter of concern from resident Sue Fletcher regarding speed limits in front of Robert Moore and Alexander MacKenzie schools during specific hours (this was referred to the traffic safety committee for recommendation);
•referred a financial request from Northwestern Ontario Crime Stoppers regarding the “Battle of the Badges” charity hockey game here Feb. 25 to the Administration and Finance executive committee for recommendation;
•agreed to a request from the Canadian Red Cross to proclaim March as Red Cross Month in Fort Frances;
•supported a request of support from Confederation College regarding its proposal to the province for per-student funding to offset increased operating costs;
•awarded a tender to provide signage along the La Verendrye Parkway (Dutka Signs was chosen after a recommendation by the La Verendrye Parkway Advisory Committee);
•passed a bylaw to amend a bylaw to amend, stop up, and close a part of Seventh Street;
•passed a bylaw to authorize the sale of certain industrial park land to Tom Veert Contracting Ltd.;
•passed a bylaw to authorize the sale of certain industrial park land to 501801 Ontario Ltd.; and
•passed a bylaw to provide for a interim tax levy in the year 2003.