Council retenders part of sewer project

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Rainy River Town council had a fairly quiet regular meeting Monday night.
There were two important items voted on and passed by council. The first was a borrowing bylaw allowing the town to borrow up to $300,000 from CIBC until 2009 taxes can be collected. This bylaw is routine and passed unanimously.
Council also passed a motion authorizing their sewer consultant, Burnside Engineering to tender by invitation the work needed to be done at the Sixth Street lift station as part of the major sewer project now under way.
Other business
•Council approved the tender from Loewen Greenhouses to supply the hanging baskets in Rainy River in 2009. Councillor Gord Armstrong noted that they had sent out three invitations to bid and Loewen was the lowest bidder.
•Council unanimously approved the appointment of Brent Anderson as Deputy Mayor for 2009.
•Council approved a resolution to send to the upcoming annual meeting of the Rainy River District Municipal Assoc. The resolution asks the upper levels of government not to make funding announcements prior to the tendering process for major projects as they feel it puts the municipality in an uncompetitive situation in that bidders know how much money the town is receiving before bidding.
•Council approved sending Councillor Gerry Marchuk and Mayor Debbie Ewald to the RRDMA meeting in Atikokan on Jan. 31, 2009 with their expenses paid.
•Council agreed to donate $100 to the Township of Bonfield/East Ferris for flood relief. They are located in eastern Ontario.
•Council agreed to send Clerk Veldron Vogan to and Endangered Species Act information session Jan. 23, 2009 in Emo with expenses paid.
•Councillor Gord Armstrong reported that the Recreation Board is preparing their budget for 2009 and ended up making a $3,000+ profit in 2008. However, he noted that the Rec. Director's wages were paid by a grant last year and that won't be the case this year.
Mayor Ewald asked Armstrong how the bottle collection depot is doing at the Rec. Centre. He noted that it made them some money, "enough to pay for the shed to store the bottles."
•Councillor Brent Anderson noted that the town will be beginning contract negotiations with the town crew on Feb. 13, 2009.
With no other business pending the meeting was adjourned in near record time at 7:30 p.m.