The Nation council met on Monday, July 10 and decisions were made about municipal buildings, bridges, water, and sewage.

New roof for fire station

The fire station in St-Isidore needs a new roof, but the project was not in the 2023 budget, but council has approved going ahead with the project anyway.

On July 10, council approved a recommendation from staff to use funds from the reserve fund for new fire trucks to have new shingles supplied and installed on the fire station.

The municipality received only one bid for the contract. It was from 1897340 Ontario Inc. for a cost of $47,262.25, including sales tax.

“I have confidence in these people,” Public Works Director Marc Legault told council.

The cost without sales tax is $42,561.12. The municipality will use $42,600 from the fire truck reserve and return the funds to the reserve in the 2024 budget.

Bridge over Butternut

Engineers were selected by council on July 10 to oversee the replacement of the bridge over Butternut Creek on Latour Road/Route 800E.

The municipality has been planning to replace the bridge since 2018 and some of the early tasks associated with building a new bridge have started.

“Work has already begun,” Legault told council.

McIntosh Perry will have responsibility for the engineering associated with the project at a cost of $84,525.50.

In 2022, the municipality allocated $170,000 in the budget for the replacement of the bridge. Out of that amount, $31,631.74 was spent on the project, but the balance was left in reserve since the replacement had been postponed to 2024. The balance of $138,368.26 could be used to design the new bridge if council approves.  

The Nation will proceed with developing new master plans for the water and sewer systems in Limoges, and for the sewage lagoon in St-Isidore.

Sewer and water plans

On July 10, council approved a request from Planning Director Guylain Laflèche to begin the procedures for the new master plans, which were last updated nine years ago. Laflèche said he was originally intending to start work on the plans in 2024, but pressure for new development in Limoges and St-Isidore led him to decide on beginning the process sooner.

“We would like to start that procedure earlier than later,” Laflèche said.

“We have to invest a bit of money if we want to have development,” he remarked.

Council approved using $150,000 in a $200,000 reserve to begin the process.

Mayor Francis Brière said that late in the afternoon on Friday, July 7, the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing notified the United Counties of Prescott and Russell that it had approved its new Official Plan. Brière said developments can now advance more easily across the region because the plan has been approved. He was pleased potential growth has created the need to speed up developing the new water and sewage plans.

“I love to hear that we have problems like that we have to go faster, it’s always good news,” Brière said.