Feature Article,June 24, 2004
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A bridge too expensiveCF council splits over $466,000 bridge tender (and other notes from Central Frontenc Council)What might have been expected to be a simple housekeeping matter, the acceptance of the lowest bid for a tender, turned into a heated debate at a meeting of Central Frontenac Council this week.
The tender was for the reconstruction of Stones Bridge on Brewer Road. The tenders were opened two weeks ago, and they all came in quite a bit higher than the $450,000 budgeted by the township for the project, so public works Manager Bill Nicol made changes to the proposed approaches to the bridge, and the bids came down close to the proposed budget. He recommended accepting a bid of $466,000.
But some councillors, particularly Logan Murray and Bill Guigue, had never accepted the premise that a $450,00 bridge needs to be built, and argued again on this occasion that putting in culverts would be much cheaper.
Mayor Bill MacDonald asked, How many of you have seen the report by the engineering firm McCormick Rankin? The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority all said they would not approve a culvert, so we have no choice but to build a bridge. If there was any other choice available to us, I would have supported it.
Councillor Logan Murray said I think we should bring the guys from the conservation authority, and the other agencies here to council, and we might find they would be more flexible. I think if we put them in front of the public, with public scrutiny, they might be more reasonable.
Its a little late in the process for this, said Bill MacDonald.
Im concerned about my tax dollars, as well as the peoples tax dollars. I think a culvert would have been a better way to go, said Councillor Bill Guigue.
The issue went to a vote, and was passed by a narrow vote of 5-4, with Councillors Guigue, Murray, Nicolson, and Harvey opposing the awarding of the tender.
Hinchinbrooke waste site: Paul Hickey was scheduled to appear before Council to discuss the damage to a three acre hay field he owns that is subject to run off from the Hinchinbrooke garage. He did not attend, but the matter was discussed by Public Works Manager Bill Nicol and Councillor Bill Snyder. Snyder reported that it would cost $10,000 to $12,000 to clean off the field and replant topsoil, but that the drainage from the floor of the garage goes through a pipe straight onto the field so it would only be contaminated again next year. Councillor Snyder circulated pictures of the field for Councils perusal, and Bill Nicol said Were looking into a lagoon or a storage container, or some other option, but I dont have all the information yet.
It was decided to allow Bill Nicol to explore the matter further. Bill Snyder said Mr. Hickey would like to be compensated for his lost hay crop, but nothing was decided on that score at this meeting either.
Waste site attendant hired: Angie Thompson Newman has been hired to work at the Olden and Arden dumpsites. She started working on June 23.
Doctor search: Councillor Janet Gutowski reported back to council after consulting with Dr. Bell in Sharbot Lake as to whether he wanted to join in with Dr. Tobia in Northbrook in attending doctor search meetings that are being funded by Addington Highlands township. She reported that while Dr. Bell is looking for new people for the Sharbot Lake clinic he is not ready, at this point, to go that route, although he might be in the future. It was decided Council should donate $250 towards the project.
