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Glen St Pumping Station update – 4:30 Saturday

As of 4:30 this afternoon (Saturday) the blockages (unbelievable what has found its way into the sewage pipes!) were removed and the pumps resumed normal functioning.

The pumps at the Glen St waste water pumping station are not working properly.  Two trucks are keeping ahead of the incoming effluent.  Our service provider is on site and waiting the arrival of the technicians to pull the pumps to assess the reasons for their low performance.

I will keep you updated.  Please call if you have any questions/concerns.  9195

Robin

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Outdoor Association busy on Main Street tonight!

I received a couple of phone calls around 9:30 tonight from citizens concerned that  illegal fishing was occurring at the sanctuary on Main St.  Reports included that several men were in the water fishing and 5 or 6 pick ups were parked on the side of the road.  I responded and found several local gents from the Outdoor Association and MNR hard at work, trying to catch the spawning walleye.  And I received a lesson on how they actually accomplish their mission – Charlie Jones – perhaps it was a little too much information!  🙂

For those of you who called, all is legal.  Let’s give pat them on the back for their continued work to protect the fish.  Btw – they will likely be back over the next few nights until they catch the walleye.

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Update on meeting with Minister Chiarelli – April 13, 2017

First, thank you to everyone who sent emails or left phone messages of encouragement for our meeting with the Minister.  They were appreciated.
Mr Paul Snider, CAO and I met with Robert Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure for 45 minutes yesterday afternoon at Queen’s Park.  Mr Steve Clarke, our MPP, joined us as well as senior staff from the Minister’s office and one from Minister Leal’s (OMAFRA) office.
The meeting with Minister Chiarelli was very positive.  He was well briefed and his own memory went back to the time when Snowfluent was installed.  He even recalled the design engineer’s name.  He listened and quickly discerned the significance of our situation with regard to the criticality of the project and the impact funding it without provincial government help will have on our Village.
The Minister has made the commitment to find a solution “sooner than later”.  We left the meeting feeling that progress had been made and are moderately optimistic.  Paul and the Minister’s staff will be communicating further over the next few weeks.
We also had the opportunity to encourage the OMAFRA staff to fulfill its commitment to a spring launch date of OCIF4.
We owe our gratitude to MPP Steve Clarke, who continued to work on our behalf with the Ministers, and was the key to arranging this meeting.  Thank you, Steve.
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OCIF4 GRANT WILL BE LAUNCHED THIS SPRING – ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR AN OCIF GRANT TO FUND THE NEW WASTE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM

Last Friday, CAO Snider, Treasurer Koiner and I had a teleconference with a staff member from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), to discuss the short comings of our OCIF3 application.  It was during this discussion, that we learned that the launch for the next round of grants – OCIF4 – will be before the end of spring 2017.  This is significant as previous OCIF launches have been in the fall.  One of the conditions of the OCIF grant programme is that eligible expenses date back to the day of the launch.  What does this mean for Westport?  If we are successful getting OCIF4, all eligible expenses after the launch date (June 21) will the covered.

Accordingly, the work schedule has been adjusted by one month, so that work begins mid-June rather than mid-May.  We are, once again,  applying to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change for approval to spray irrigate in order to avoid hauling.

The advocacy with the government, on behalf of the Village, continues.  I have a meeting with Minister Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure in Toronto on Thursday and continue to be in contact with the Premier’s office, pushing for a meeting with her.

Thank you to everyone who sent letters and emails to members of the Ontario government.  I can assure you that they have not fallen on deaf ears.

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Change to Committee of the Whole meeting time, effective April 18, 2017

At this week’s Council meeting, a resolution was passed to move the meeting time for Committee of the Whole to 2:p.m, from 7:00 p.m.  The regular meeting day remains unchanged – the Monday of the third full week of the month.  Next Committee of the Whole meeting occurs on Tuesday (due to Easter Monday stat holiday), April 18, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.

Please consider attending the meeting so you will be informed of what your Council is working on. There is lots going on in the Village and much of the discussion and debate occurs at Committee of the Whole meetings.

Committed to community. Dedicated to progress.