Duane Hicks
Town council has given the go-ahead to put in a new sidewalk on the 300 block off Scott Street.
The project, estimated to cost about $302,000 in this year’s capital budget, will include the installation of paving stones exactly like the ones on the 200 block, as well as the removal of trees from the 300 block.
This overhaul was approved by the majority of council Monday during its first budget meeting of the year.
Mayor Roy Avis said last year he was in favour of a new sidewalk for the 200 block because it tied into the Rainy Lake Square.
But because there’s so many problems with downtown business owners and employees parking on the 300 block, he questioned who the new sidewalk for that block would be benefitting–the shopping public or the people who work downtown.
The mayor suggested that if the town goes ahead with the new sidewalk, parking meters also should be put on that block and have the new sidewalk “pay for itself.”
While Coun. Ken Perry agreed there’s a parking problem, he also felt the sidewalk project was started last year with the 200 block and should continue on the 300 block this year.
“We should get rid of those trees, and make the sidewalks easy and level to walk on compared to what we have right now,” he noted.
“I know we got some flak last year for removing the trees but I believe it was the right thing to do,” added Coun. Perry, mentioning the parking problem still needs to be addressed but that’s a separate matter.
“I’ve got a lot of feedback on the 200 block that it looks great,” said Coun. Wendy Brunetta, adding that while some people complained about the tree removal, you have to admit the sidewalks seem wider now.
“I think this is about the image we want to portray as a community,” she remarked.
“We want our town to look good. We want visitors to our town to comment to other people about how good it looks.
“I think we should continue down the path,” Coun. Brunetta added.
“We committed already in the 200 block and I think we should just keep going.”
Mayor Avis and Coun. Doug Kitowski voted against the new sidewalk while Couns. Perry, Brunetta, John Albanese, June Caul, and Paul Ryan voted in favour of it.
About $42,600 of the cost of the new sidewalk and tree removal will be covered by provincial grants while the balance will be drawn from town reserves.
The sidewalk project is just one of dozens of items on the $11.5-million capital budget, including more than $4 million for various sewer and water projects.
But the budget is still in the early stages and many big-ticket items, like the reconstruction of the Mill Road overpass, are dependent on whether the town gets provincial grants such “Connecting Link” funding.
Council did not get through its entire budget agenda at Monday’s meeting.
They will get to the operating budget during their next meeting (Feb. 20), at which time they will look at budget requests from the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce, the Canada Day committee, Fort Frances “Meals on Wheels,” and the Fort Frances Museum advisory board re: a full-time museum assistant.
