Council all wet over water problems

Ken Johnston
Editor

Editor’s Note: This story is an internet exclusive. Since the meeting took place Tuesday, January 8, 2002, it could not make print that same day and would be old news next week.

Rainy River Town Council held a special meeting January 8, 2002, to deal with some matters that could not wait until the regular monthly meeting to be held Jan. 14th.

Audrey Anderson, the Town Planner, brought council up to date on two projects she is working on; upgrades to the Rainy River Water Treatment Plant and improving the town’s sewer system.

Anderson noted that Consultant Steve Burnett of R.J. Burnside Engineering wants the town’s permission to reply to the Ministry of Environment’s (MoE) letter dated Dec. 17, 2001 regarding the engineer’s report on the town’s water treatment system (done by Burnside). Along with the MoE letter there was a draft consolidated certificate of approval for the upgrades at the plant. However one of the attached conditions concerns Burnett.

Anderson explained that condition five could be very costly to the town. It basically could require the town to add a substantial back-up or secondary stand alone treatment mechanism at the existing plant. Mayor Gord Prost said, “They want us to have a back up sitting there. That is ridiculous...what small town or city for that matter can afford that?” Anderson said it also might not be an addition that the existing building could accommodate which could increase project costs incredibly. She noted that Burnett does not feel it would be needed but needs to respond to MoE by Jan. 17th. Councillors Larry Armstrong, Gerry Marchuk and Lance Lindal and Mayor Prost gave the nod for Burnett to do so at a cost of $1,000 to $2,000. Lindal noted that he felt the other councillors, who were absent, would be upset that council was making decisions without them.

Prost said, “We spend the $1,000 now to save $400,000 later... motions to cover these actions will have to be passed at our regular meeting.”

Anderson also spoke about the various funding programs that are available to council for upgrades to the water and sewer system. The OSTAR program will cover up to 60% of the approx. $400,000 price tag to upgrade the water treatment plant. Of the balance, council learned from Anderson that the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund will fund up to 50% of it. However no OSTAR money is available at this time for sewer. That will come in the 2nd round of OSTAR. When that will be is unclear.

Anderson noted that there is another program called Northern Communities Capital Assistance that is based on population numbers. Rainy River could qualify for up to 75% funding on a project to a maximum of $100,000. She suggested that council might look at repairing some of the sewer system with such funds.

Mayor Prost said that perhaps more of these programs would be available each year and that the town could repair the sewer system a street at a time. Councillor Lindal said that while he agrees the town should be doing something in lieu of the fact that there is no firm commitment that OSTAR Rd. 2 will surface anytime soon, he feels, “Doing it one street at a time will not solve the town’s sewer problem. We can not expand our community with the present sewer system capacity and ten years is too long.” Prost said that maybe the town could reduce the input into the current system by doing a little bit at a time.

Lindal rebutted by saying a lot of the inflow to the system could be reduced by forcing people to stop letting their downspouts drain into the sewer system.

Councillor Larry Armstrong asked if the money could be piggybacked with the NOHF and OSTAR Rd. 1 monies. Anderson said she would have to check on that and get back to council.

Other Business

•As if the water plant upgrades and sewer system were not enough to burden council, they received word from Town Foreman Bob Jenson that the Soda Ash machine at the water plant is failing and needs to be replaced. Town Clerk Deb Bowman reported that a new one will need to be budgeted for and it is thought to cost between $10,000 and $12,000.

•Council was also informed that a MoE order about all the refrigerators and freezers disposed of at the dump after the storms of July 31, 2001 need to be drained of freon and tagged by a licensed technician. Bonot Refrigeration said he could do it for $500-$700. Council also decided it would no longer take fridges or freezers unless they were tagged by a professional prior to entering the local landfill site.

•Council passed a motion for the government regarding the Community Reinvestment Funding, used to offset provincial downloading. It stated that the town would use any excess of the money to benefit the taxpayers of Rainy River. The motion had to be passed before January 11, 2002 in order for the first installment of it to be advanced from the province. Clerk Bowman noted the town received $534,000 from the CRF last year. It is supposed to be revenue neutral. It passed unanimously.

•Council went in camera to discuss a bill from Thunder Bay Hydro regarding an agreement the town had with TB Hydro to do the former RR PUC’s billing.