$1.8 million contract inked to replace sewer and water lines

By Ken Johnston
Editor

While council held a special meeting last week to award the tender for new sewer and water lines along Atwood Ave. (Hwy. 11) in Rainy River, discussion at the regular meeting this past Monday was on traffic delays.
Council awarded the tender to replace water and sewer lines from First St. to Tower Road last Monday to Makkinga Contracting & Equipment Rentals in the amount of $1,892,490.60 including G.S.T.
Before the meeting the Record asked and then in session Councillor Brent Anderson asked Monday about start and finish times and traffic delays.
Town Clerk Veldron Vogan said that the Ministry of Transportation is concerned about the rerouting of big truck traffic and that means the project will have higher costs as they will have to keep one lane open to traffic at all times.
Vogan said that it is expected the construction will begin in May and will likely run through September.
The lines being replaced were identified in recent studies of the system as being some of the worst shape in the community. With their completion and the major upgrades to the lagoon system, it appears that Rainy River's sewer system will be one of the best in the district.
Other business
•Council passed a motion to send Councillor Gord Armstrong to a Municipal Affairs planning conference on March 24th in Thunder Bay and Mayor Deb Ewald, Clerk Vogan and Councillors Gerry Marchuk, Marilyn McAlister and Gord Armstrong to a Municipal Affairs Official Plan Updates meeting in Emo on March 30th with expenses paid by the Town of Rainy River.
•Council also passed a motion to send Economic Development Officer Andrew Hartnell and Councillor Armstrong to an Immigration Portal meeting on Mar. 24 in Thunder Bay with expenses paid by the Immigration Portal group.
•Council was asked by the Record at the end of the meeting about Hartnell's contract. It apparently expires at the end of March and currently Hartnell is working on several projects with dates beyond that. They include, the Trade Show, Relay for Life, Railroad Daze and bringing the Dime Store Fisherman to Rainy River in September.
Mayor Deb Ewald noted that Hartnell is on a one year internship with funding from FedNor. However, if the town gets another FedNor grant Hartnell would not qualify for it.
Council has not decided what to do. "We are working on it," said Mayor Ewald.
When Hartnell's predecessor, Anthony Mason, reached the end of his contract, council did extend it for several months.
•Council wrote off the tax penalty charges for an account in the amount of $79.87.
•Council agreed to donate $100 to the Rainy River High School Chem-free graduation party in the form of four $25 gift certificates to be spent in Rainy River.
•Councillor Brent Anderson questioned why some safety checks were done on town vehicles outside of Rainy River.
Clerk Vogan said she was not sure if the vehicle in question could be done locally.
Anderson said he would like to know if it can be and if council could support local as much as possible.
•Councillor Marilyn McAlister asked how much more is owing on the pay-loader acquired last year during the sewer lagoon project.
Clerk Vogan said about $30,000.
•McAlister also asked that whenever the town borrows from its reserves that the reason be recorded in the minutes for future reference.
•Council agreed to pay 50 cents per capita to the Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition for 2009/10.