Council here has agreed to place an upper limit on a local grain elevator operator’s portion of a cost sharing agreement with the municipality for a road upgrade project on Sideroad 12.
At the Jan. 6 meeting, council was advised Neil and Barbara Driscoll were prepared to pay half the estimated $30,000 cost of proposed improvements to Sideroad 12 from Wellington Road 8 to the first driveway of the Driscoll property.
Council agreed to the arrangement, and later confirmed the decision during preliminary budget discussions.
At the Feb. 5 meeting, council dealt with a letter from Barbara Driscoll asking the municipality to “consider adding words to reflect a maximum cost of $15,000 to the Driscolls.”
“We’re just asking that our costs be capped at $15,000,” she told council.
“That was my understanding of (the agreement),” said Mayor Bruce Whale.
Public works director Larry Lynch said he also understood the limit on the Driscoll’s portion to be the intent of the original agreement.
“Is $30,000 still a good ball park figure?” asked councillor Jim Curry.
Lynch replied there is “some leeway” in the original estimate for the project, which will involve widening the road by three metres, in part to accommodate increased traffic generated by the business.
“I’m confident we can do it at that price,” Lynch stated.
Council approved the request to limit the Driscolls’ share of the costs to $15,000.
Councillors Neil Driscoll and Mike Downey both declared a conflict of interest on the issue and left the room during discussion and voting, as they did when council discussed the agreement on previous occasions.
Downey has stated his conflict stems from being a member of the same board (council) as Driscoll while that board is entering into a cost sharing agreement with him.
