Councillors here are mostly in agreement with an ad hoc committee recommendation to move along with repairs to the existing road, bridge and earthen dam at Station Road in Hillsburgh.
On Nov. 19, as council moved closer to its 11pm curfew, councillor Barb Tocher asked that the committee report and recommendation be moved forward on the agenda.
She noted five members of the committee were in attendance and available should councillors have any questions.
“Seeing the lateness of the hour, I’m not sure we’ll get to this (if not moved forward).”
Councillors agreed to move the report and recommendation forward.
Tocher thanked those taking part in the committee, “for its hard work coming up with these scenarios.”
Station Road is a narrow municipal road located on top of an earthen berm creating a dam; there is also a bridge located within the dam which allows the Upper Credit River to pass under the road.
In 2011 infrastructure within the century-old dam failed, requiring repair. As a part of the approval process a hazard assessment was required, which identified a high hazard potential should the dam collapse.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) issued a temporary permit for the repair of the failed culvert that requires a permanent solution to the dam situation by June 2014.
The committee recommended last week that the town move ahead with “Option 1” – to repair the existing road, bridge and earthen dam.
At the same time, the committee did not recommend taking over ownership of the existing pond and control structure.
Further, the committee suggested council make a decision on how to proceed before the end of 2013.
With that, staff could request an extension with the MNR and proceed with the planning, engineering and EA for the project.
The committee examined four options for dealing with the road, dam and bridge on Station Road:
– undertake the repairs of the existing road, bridge and earthen dam;
– repair the existing road, bridge and decommission the dam;
– relocate the road to the Credit Valley Conservation trailway; and
– do nothing.
When asked if councillors had questions on the report, Mayor Lou Maieron asked if Tocher was suggesting the ad hoc committee had finished its work.
She responded, “I believe you’ll see a resolution with the committee’s recommendation.”
Maieron said before council endorsed the recommendation, there were a number of points which should be considered.
He admitted he had not attended any of the ad hoc committee meetings, “But I’ve looked at this and I have a number of concerns that I would not put forward not as the mayor – but as in my occupation as a fisheries biologist.”
Tocher commented, “I really wish you had brought your concerns to the committee earlier.”
The mayor then began highlighting his concerns and the conclusions of the committee. He then looked at the first option, which recommended fixing the road, bridge and dam.
The mayor began offering counterpoints to many of the pros and cons outlined by the committee.
“Mr. Mayor, we have discussed all these issues at the committee level and these are the conclusions the committee came to,” Tocher said.
Maieron contended that all he wanted to do was raise some concerns.
“Are we going to go through each item line by line?” Tocher asked.
Maieron said, “With all respect councillor Tocher, I asked to put my comments in writing before you closed it. I didn’t ask to go through it line by line.”
He again asked to be able to cite his concerns.
Maieron again contended his concerns were as a fisheries biologist – not as the mayor, “But if you are not concerned with having that input …”
Tocher responded, “I really wish you could have availed yourself to provide that input at the committee meetings.
“It’s a little late to get the report and then ask us to start over again.”
Maieron countered that he was not asking them to start over,
“I’m offering a critique.”
Tocher said it was unfortunate that resource was not made available during the committee discussions.
She added the committee spent considerable time looking at both sides of the issues in depth.
Maieron countered, “At the end of the day, the committee report does not make the decision of council.”
He then compared his input similar to the MNR presentation earlier that night regarding the round goby infestation in the Credit River.
Councillor John Brennan suggested the committee had done its work and made a recommendation.
“The concerns that you are making are more properly addressed to council rather than the committee,” Brennan stated.
The resolution was that council receive the mill pond committee report and that council supports the recommendation to pursue Option 1.
Maieron maintained he still had concerns.
In the vote that followed, council as a whole supported the committee recommendation to move forward.
