LoW Township to ante up for locum housing

By Ruth Brett
Contributor

Highlights of the Lake of the Woods Township Council March 8th regular meeting.
Regarding the CBO/Building Inspection Services, notice was given to Phi-Di-Goo-Zing-Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services Inc.that the Township of Lake of the Woods will be withdrawing from the agreement at the end of the present term, June 11th, 2011.
Council has accepted the proposal from Frank Berg offering CBO/Building Inspection Services for the Lake of the Woods municipality commencing on June 12th, 2011.
Road Supt. Pearson will research suppliers available for surface treatment for municipal roads.
It is the road Supt., or his delegate, who will be responsible for laying out plots and preparing for urn burials. He is also responsible for seeing that cemetery plot maintenance is carried out.
Council is seeking members of the community to serve on the Cemetery and Recreation Committees.
Mayor Pizey reported on RRDSSAB budget deliberations and the challenge to get back LoW funds from the DSSAB Board.
The April 5th regular meeting was held in Bergland with Mayor Pizey, Councillors J.Moen, B. Lundgren, G. Anderson, C.Fadden, Clerk-Treasuer P. Giles present.Also attending was visitor S.Gate. The Road Supt. and Fire Chief were unable to attend.
Bills for the month of March in the total amount of $56,613.31 were approved for payment.
Council held a fairly lengthy discussion on the R.R. Doctor/Locum Housing project and the need for funding commitments. Dawson, Morley, Lake of the Woods, Rainy River and Big Grassy First Nations all have representation on the project committee. Subject to a satisfactory agreement, LoW Council will make a monetary commitment to the project.
To all those who sent in proposals for the contracts for various township grounds keeping and janitorial services, Council would like to thank you for taking an interest in your community.
The Contracts awarded:
1) Garbage - to Miller Contracting, being the only bid received
2) Parks grounds - to Alf Gate Tackle, being the lowest bid
3) Cemetery grounds - to Alf Gate Tackle, being the lowest bid
4) Halls janitorial & grounds - to Alf Gate Tackle, being the lowest bid
Appointees to the Recreation Committee have been accepted.
As yet, there is no word on which, or if any, municipal roads will get resurfacing this year
Council struck a committee of Mayor Pizey, Clerk Giles & Councillor Moen to review/discuss the budget.
Mayor Pizey reported on RRDSSAB and the MMAH response to “uploading” issue. Also she stated that LoW Twp’s levy “should be going down” and it’s not. She will “take her figures back to DSSAB and go back again and again....”
Six By-Laws were enacted, those being 1) HR Policies # 26,28 (group benefits & vacation entitlement); 2) CCAC (fire dispatch) Agreement; 3) Fire Chief Appointment; 4) (MNR) Municipal Forest Fire Agreement; 5) Automatic Aid (for fire service) Agreement; 6) Tax Ratio.
April 30th is the deadline for applications for the 1. student subsidy rate ($2.00/hr) and for 2. nominations for the 2011 Senior of the Year Award. For anyone interested, Clerk Giles will have more information on the Ministries to contact.
Clerk Giles has received communication from Elections Canada regarding necessary changes to the Bergland & Morson Halls for the elections, ie wheelchair ramps and a few other things too silly to mention.
LoW Twp. is not equipped to take advantage of the offer of the Town of Fort Frances to take recyclables on a cost recovery basis, but it would be a good business opportunity for someone to start in the Township.
Mayor Pizey was authorized to attend the NOMA Convention in Thunder Bay on April 27 to 29
All regular Council meetings are now moved to Morson for the summer months.