Central road repair season begins in earnest

Craig Bakay | May 04, 2022

With the official arrival of spring, a young public works manager’s fancy turns to thoughts of road maintenance, and that’s certainly what Tyson Myers was thinking about at the regular (online) Central Frontenac Council meeting April 26.

First up was the re-surfacing of Crow Lake Road, the tender of which was awarded to Gemmill Sand and Gravel for $459,438.12 before HST.

The work to be done includes the removal and replacement of specified centreline and entrance culvert, pulverizing the existing hardtop surface, ditching in specified areas to improve drainage, supply, placement, fine grading and compaction of granular in preparation of double surface treatment and double surface treatment (tar and chip).

The work is to be completed no later than Sept. 1, 2022.

Coun. Cindy Kelsey asked if a warranty came with the work.

“There is a 24-month warranty on the service,” said Myers.

Next up was the awarding of the annual gravel placement contract which also went to Gemmill Sand and Gravel in the amount of $308,193 before HST. The work must be completed before July 15, 2022.

Included in the contract are 5,473 tonnes (8,100 metres) for Fourth Lake Road, 2,061 tonnes (3,050 metres) for Wilkinson Road, 3,446 tonnes (5,100 metres) for Clarke Road and 4,527 tonnes (6,700 metres) for Brewer Road. The contract also included 3,000 tonnes for the Hinchinbrooke Yard and 3,000 tonnes for the Olden Yard.

Myers also recommended accepting Mulrooney Trucking Ltd.’s bid of $117,910 for screened winter sand for the Hinchinbrooke Garage. However, when it came time to award a contract for sand for the Old Garage, Myers recommended rejecting the lowest bid of $137,250 in favour of having his own crews fill the dome in house, using sand from the Township’s own pit on Ardoch Road at a cost of $69,335.

The final project on Myers’ agenda was the re-surfacing of Wilkinson Road from Stone Mills Road to just north of the railroad tracks at a cost of $133,434 before HST. The work includes pulverization and double surface treatment and went to Greenwood Paving.

Bylaw enforcement costs

Coun. Tom Dewey questioned a charge of $5,334.84 by Frontenac Municipal Law Enforcement for January, February and March.

“Can we get a report of what they’re doing for us?” Dewey asked. “Are they taking care of barking dogs? Is somebody running their generator too much?”

“It is something we should start taking a look at,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

Investment concerns

In response to a question from Council, Treasurer Michael McGovern said that the Township could recover the money it has in investments in two days should the need arise.

“But I don’t see that happening as we have enough money in our bank accounts to cover everything,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of investments but we make about $37,000 more than if the money was in our bank accounts.”

Vehicle reserve

When Fire Chief Chris McDonough told Council the cost of a new mid-size four-wheel drive SUV for the department was going to be $52,875 rather than the budgeted $80,000, Coun. Nicki Gowdy asked if the savings would be going back into the vehicle reserve.

“I certainly hope so,” McDonough said.

Treasurer Michael McGovern said that was the practise, “rewarding the department that realizes the savings.”

He did, however, ask Council for a resolution to that effect as it “helps out with the auditors.”

Coun. Cindy Kelsey asked if they were considering electric vehicles.

“We can consider them if we ever get charging stations,” McDonough said.

Solar panel disconnect

It’s unlikely the solar panels on the Oso Fire Hall will go back up once they’re removed to fix the roof from the ice damage they caused.

“We’ll have to do an analysis to see if it’s worth it,” said Coun. Tom Dewey.

The panels bring in about $6,000-$8,000 per year from the electricity they generate but as this is the 17th year of a 20-year contract and a new converter will likely be needed, it would mean spending about $20,000 to bring in perhaps $24,000.

Emergency Preparedness Week

Mayor Frances Smith proclaimed May 1-May 7 Emergency Preparedness Week.

“Be ready for anything,” she said.

There are suggestions and literature on the Township website.