Town buys fire truck

Ken Johnston

Rainy River Town Council passed a motion to buy a 2001 Freightliner Fire truck from a city in Quebec for the sum of $90,000 plus GST.
Councillor Dean Wiersema explained that the truck currently used by the department is 24 years old and by law they can not technically have a truck in use that is older than 20 years.
Councillor Deb Ewald said that while she is not against the purchase of the truck she is concerned the town may not be able to afford it right now.
Finance Chair Brent Anderson said the town has $18,000 in reserves that had been previously budgeted for a new truck. The town also has about $7,000 left from a provincial grant to buy equipment they can use and according to Anderson the Fire Department has committed to fund raising $25,000 over the next two years.
The balance of about $50,000 will either come out of town reserves or be financed. “We have not decided which way is most affordable,” said Anderson.
Deb Ewald noted that the town is also facing the sewer project which will be very costly to taxpayers.
Mayor Glen Armstrong said that with the sale of the Koeneman property and the CNR bunkhouse not being added to the tax roll, “I am confident we can afford it.”
The used truck new would be over $250,000. It will arrive some time next week.
Earlier in the meeting the Reeve of Dawson Township, John Amundsen, presented council with a fact sheet on a proposal to enter into a user fee fire agreement with Rainy River.
Currently Dawson has two fire stations. One near the mouth of the river and the other in Pinewood. However, many of Dawson’s citizens live north of the tracks in Rainy River. But since that is at least 15 minutes away from Dawson’s nearest station, Dawson feels it would be more sensible for Rainy River to respond to structural fires in that part of Dawson.
Dawson would pay Rainy River $375 per half hour for responding to the fire and once on the scene would relieve Rainy River.
Mayor Glen Armstrong said that council will review the proposal and get back to Dawson.
Reeve Amundsen said that they would like to have an agreement in place by Jan. 1, 2006.
Other business
•Council agreed to donate $500 to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to help purchase a new Eye Van.
•Council approved an extra day off with pay as a Christmas bonus for all town employees.
•Council donated $150 to the Rec. Board, $150 to the Library Board, and $150 to the Fire Dept. to help with Christmas party expenses.
•Council rescinded a bylaw appointing Jean Klosowicz to the Acting Dept. Clerk position and passed one to appoint Veldron Vogan as the Deputy Clerk Treasurer. Vogan received an interim raise of $22 per hour while she performs the duties of clerk.
The current clerk is on medical leave.
•Council approved the purchase of the land the Government Dock at Hannam Park is on from Small Crafts and Harbours. All the other land around the dock had been transferred about a decade ago. However, a potential First Nation land claim held up the transfer of the land the main dock sits on. Council purchased the land for $1.
•RR Public Library Librarian Penny Shumaker reported to council that the Trillium funds received by the Library will be used to enhance children’s literacy both at the library and at home.
•Council approved the hiring of Dryden Police Services to take over the 911 dispatch for Rainy River at a cost of $3,800 per year. That is up substantially but Mayor Armstrong said, “What do we do. We have to protect our citizens.”
Fort Frances had been doing it but due to cuts to their fire dept. there could no longer guarantee 24 hour coverage.
•Council passed a bylaw 4-1 to rezone the property along Hwy. 11 that the Covenant Church has plans to build on from rural to institutional. Only councillor Brent Anderson voted against it.
•Mayor Armstrong reported that Rainycrest is in full compliance now under MoHLTC guise. The present arrangement of Riverside Health Care running it will remain in effect until April of next year at which time it will be reviewed.
•Council has started the Community Improvement Planning process last week. Once completed the CIP will allow council to offer specific incentives to prospective developers, industry, etc. Once the town council addresses the planning stage they will hold public meetings before to gather its input. It will then be sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs for approval.
•Council authorized the Mayor and Dept. Clerk Vogan to sign the Gas Tax Transfer Agreement with the province. When in place it will allow the town to access provincial gas tax funds.
•Council changed the date of the next regular meeting from Jan. 9th to Jan. 12th to allow their legal counsel to be present.