RR sewer rates to raised by 67%

Ken Johnston
Editor

Get ready to bite the bullet!
The next Rainy River Public Utilities Commission water and sewer bill will have an increase of $6 per month retroactive to April 1, 2002.
Rainy River Town Council passed a motion Monday evening to increase the sewer rates from $9 to $15 per month. That 67% increase will specifically be used to help pay the town’s portion of the major sewer system upgrades the town has been looking at for over a year now.
Acting Mayor Larry Armstrong said that the council acted on the recommendation of the engineering and consulting firm they are dealing with on the project and that there will likely be another increase within a year to bring the monthly fee to about $20 per month.
Councillor Lance Lindal noted that they explored what the rates were in other communities and that Rainy River was one of the lowest in the region.
Police Business
Staff Sgt. Hugh Dennis of the Ontario Provincial Police made his first visit of 2002 to Rainy’s town council.
He informed council that the new police station is tentatively scheduled to open May 1st. They hope to have the grand opening of it on May 31st.
Dennis also reported to council that one O.P.P. position will be lost from Rainy River when constable Marc Sharpe transfers to Kenora on April 15, 2002. The person filling Sharpe’s job will be a detective constable and there is not enough work for that person to be stationed in Rainy River. He will will be stationed centrally, in Emo.
Dennis also informed council that on June 24, 2002 a new Sergeant will be added to the RR detachment. Dave Saunders will assume that position due to the health problems Sgt. Bill Diablo has been experiencing. Diablo will remain on as a senior advisor to Saunders.
Other Business
•Council sold an old fire department bus to Ralph Olson for $651.
•Council wrote off some debt accrued with the Ceilia Corporation several years ago. Clerk Deb Bowman said that it involved labour and materials supplied by the town. Ceilia never paid the town.
•A lot was sold on Lorena St. to Dean Wiersema for $7,000 plus legal fees.
•Veldron Vogan was hired as the Administrative Assistant in the town office.
•Councillor Lindal reported that a committee has been working on hosting a portion of the World Health Organization Safe Communities conference in early May.
•Councillor Gerry Marchuk reported that he attended a Northwestern Ontario Recycling Association meeting and that he feels Rainy River should begin exploring other ways to deal with recyclables as the town’s participation in NORA ends June 30th.
•Councillor Brent Anderson reported that the Recreation Board Chair, Lisa Armstrong, approached Dawson Twp.’s council to extend more channels of communication and to ask if they would be willing to help the community center out with more money for perhaps a capital project. They currently give the board $5,000 per year.