The town may start looking for sponsors for a new “big chair” at Pither’s Point Park, and a mermaid sculpture and new trees along the La Verendrye Parkway, if council approves a suggestion at Monday night’s regular meeting that had been brought up during the 2003 budget process.
“When we’re involved in the budget process, we always try to bring projects to within a suitable cost,” CAO Bill Naturkach said Monday morning.
“In the 2003 budget process we’re doing right now, it came up in discussion whether or not someone else be asked to help fund these. It’s something we really haven’t done before,” he noted.
“But recently, we’ve had people come forward and say, ‘I’d like to contribute to something for the community for the 2003 centennial.’”
Should council approve the idea, the town will proceed with putting together packages outlining the costs and other details of these projects.
Council has been looking at building a new big chair at Pither’s Point after several requests from the public and a recommendation from the economic development advisory committee earlier this year.
The idea for the mermaid statue came out of the exhibit at the museum this past summer commemorating the Rainy Lake landmark’s 70th anniversary.
Meanwhile, the trees to be planted along Phase I of the parkway will replace ones that have been vandalized or otherwise damaged over the years.
Other business at Monday night’s council meeting includes:
•verbal reports from the chairperson of the Administration and Finance, Community Services, Planning and Development, and Operations and Facilities executive committees;
•a request from the OPP for funding for surveillance cameras at the St. Francis Sportsfield and the Fort Frances High School field;
•an update from museum curator Pam Hawley on 2003 centennial events;
•a request from the Northwest Catholic District School Board to waive calendar parking;
•a request from Abitibi-Consolidated to replace the yield sign at the south end of Victoria Avenue with a stop sign;
•a request for sponsorship support from Northwestern Ontario Crime Stoppers;
•a request for continued financial and in-kind support from the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship board of directors;
•request for financial support from the Rainy River District Music Festival Association;
•a letter from local resident Melvin Haukaas regarding the renaming of certain streets within town limits to “Canada Street”;
•a bylaw to approve contracts of employment with several town employees;
•a bylaw to approve an agreement with Nathan DeGagne for the operation of a skate-sharpening shop in the Memorial Sports Centre;
•a bylaw to approve a fire management agreement with Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources Jerry Ouellette; and
•a bylaw to authorize the levying and collection of a special charge of taxes upon the local Business Improvement Area.
The meeting is slated to start at 7:10 p.m. at the Civic Centre, with the committee of the whole meeting first downstairs starting at 5:30 p.m.
