The Nation Council discussed the municipal response to the Alto high-speed rail project when it met on June 8.
The municipality had received a message from a resident and business owner asking several questions. Among them are whether the municipality has established, or is it planning to establish, a dedicated committee, task force, or advisory group to analyze and prepare for the possible impacts and liabilities associated with the Alto project before the final route is determined.
The sender of the message also asked if the municipality has had any direct discussions with Alto representatives.
Mayor Francis Brière said the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Council had already decided to establish a steering committee to approach concerns about Alto at the regional level.
“The idea was they were going to take this on with one unified voice with the Eastern Warden’s Caucus,” Brière said.
“Does the United Counties have contact at Alto?” asked Councillor Alain Mainville.
Brière said UCPR Council had voted no to Alto’s request for access to counties-owned land for study purposes and for the UCPR to sign a non-disclosure agreement with Alto, prohibiting council and staff from publicly discussing the details of any meetings and negotiations with Alto. Brière said the UCPR is awaiting further information about possible next steps.
Councillor Tim Stewart thanked UCPR Council for its decision not to allow access to counties-owned land and for rejecting the request for the non-disclosure agreement. Stewart asked what progress has been made on the establishment of the UCPR steering committee.
Brière said he will be inquiring again about the status of the committee. He said that when he last inquired, the terms of reference and related details were still being established.
