Construction on R.R. sewer project likely won't begin until September

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Rainy River Town Council was briefed by Cliff Carrier of Burnside Engineering Monday evening with regards to the town's much needed sewer system upgrades.
Having been bottle necked by the existing system's limits not allowing any new construction in the community for a number of years, council has been anxious to get the repairs and upgrades done.
Carrier outlined what Burnside is proposing to submit to the Ministry of Environment (MOE). It includes three 25 h.p. pumps at the existing lift station at the bottom of Sixth St. There will also be a 80 k.w. diesel back up generator installed there in a building to be constructed.
A new forced main from the lift station to the sewer lagoons will be installed but Carrier said the old one will remain in place with a shut off valve at the lift station. "That will allow for greater capacity when flows are high," he explained.
A third lagoon will be added next to the existing two just north of town, however Carrier said there have been some complications. "In order to have 180 days of storage more land would be needed and that land needs to be within the town limits." With there not being enough land there for that, Carrier said Burnside is proposing building the berms up around the existing two lagoons by one foot. That will allow for the 180 days of storage and keep the project on town land.
All of this was news council could handle. When Carrier said that he is anticipating having the proposal ready to submit on March 31, 2008 council was stunned when they learned MoE is taking about five months to do the Certificates of Approval.
That puts construction in late August and into the fall. Councillor Gord Armstrong expressed concern about the weather in the fall and asked if there is any way to speed things up.
Carrier said, "They (MoE) have known about this (problem) for a long, long time. If any one should be speeded up it is this one. They know it overflows year after year."
Councillor Armstrong asked if calls from council to MoE would help and Carrier said, "Absolutely. The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Carrier said that Burnside would make calls as well.
Armstrong noted that he and the Mayor will be meeting with MoE in Toronto very soon and will encourage them to do the approvals in an expeditious manner.
Later in the meeting council also passed a bylaw to apply for additional funding ($1,089,400.00) towards more sewer system work. Carrier said that while the roads are ripped up the work should all be done.
Other business
•Council approved borrowing $201,222.39 from its reserve funds rather than from the bank to cover operating expenses until taxes start coming in.
•Council passed an interim tax levy in the amount of 50% of the previous year's tax bill to be due on March 31st.
•Council authorized the sending of Mayor Deb Ewald, Councillor Gord Armstrong and Community Coordinator Anthony Mason to a meeting in Ottawa on Feb. 28th to learn about landfill alternatives. Councillor Armstrong noted that they are going to look at ways of producing energy from waste.
•Council moved $2.25 million to sewer capital reserves.
•Council agreed to utilize $60,000 of capital reserves for sewer capital works in 2007.
•Council transferred $32,739.67 to a gas tax reserve as per the agreement with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
•Council purchased another cell phone for use by Landfill Site Caretaker Dennis Katona. At present he has no means of communication while on site.
•Council approved the application of credit card with a limit of $5,000 to be used for town travel and meeting expenses.
•Council agreed to enter into negotiations with the Fort Frances Fire Dept. regarding their recently proposed services plan.
•Council donated $125 towards the entry fees for the local fire dept. curling team who won the Northern Championships over the weekend in Fort Frances.
•Council approved $1,000 for economic development committee to send a "Houses for Sale" brochure to people who attended the RR Centennial in hopes of attracting people back to the community.