Municipality of Pontiac council March Report Planning for floods

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Mo Laidlaw 

Fourteen residents attended the regular meeting of Pontiac’s council March 13, at the Marcel Lavigne community centre, Luskville.
During the public question period, Pierre Pratte asked again that answers to
questions from the public be in the official minutes. Mayor Joanne Labadie replied that provincial regulations do not allow this.

Mo Laidlaw 

Fourteen residents attended the regular meeting of Pontiac’s council March 13, at the Marcel Lavigne community centre, Luskville.
During the public question period, Pierre Pratte asked again that answers to
questions from the public be in the official minutes. Mayor Joanne Labadie replied that provincial regulations do not allow this.
Joan Belsher questioned the change from encouraging home composting to municipal pick-up. Mayor Labadie clarified that there was urgency to join the MRC-wide compost system to comply with provincial requirements.
Kim Hébert said that other businesses were operating in a non-commercial zone  but unlike her business were not being taken to court by the municipality. She was asked if it had to do with the lawsuit, as council would not respond if so. In this ongoing dispute, J.F. Aumond and Kim Hébert rented, then bought, Bill Twolan’s illegal welding shop (on farmland), even though they were told
they could not run heavy a equipment business there.    
Diane Lacasse and Denis Dubé, former councillor, requested that Eddie McCann pay back his legal fees and questioned Labadie’s earlier decision to drop this discusssion. Dubé asked to see electoral expenses for the 2017 municipal election, noting election expenses are public information.
Jean-Claude Carisse asked about the TerraTube project for processing sludge from septic tanks, which has stopped. Does the municipality still require a copy of the pump-out bill? What happens if there is no evidence of regular pump-out? Council answered that nothing was happening, and clarified it is the government’s residual materials program.     
Regarding flood concerns, the Ministry of Public Safety rejected the MRC’s request
for repayment of $190,494 expenses due to the spring 2017 floods. Council
disagreed with decision and has asked the Ministry to revise it.
A resolution was passed to allow expenses totaling $81,754 as soon as the water level at Britannia exceeds 59.55 m above sea level. (Some sectors of the municipality start to flood when the water level reaches 59.8 m, which is 25 cm above the “trigger” level.)  
Québec is open to studying dikes to protect Quyon and Argus Environmental will complete a feasibility study for the municipality up to a maximum fee of $10,000.     
Pierre Tabet Architecte is constructing the new Quyon Community Centre and will plan the interior too, including furniture and kitchen equipment. The total budget is $150,000, with $10,000 allowed for planning and management. Two new
compressors will be bought for the water filtration system at $49,844 including tax.
The MRC de la Vallée de la Haute-Gatineau will be asked to prepare the municipality’s intervention plans as required by Municipal Affairs, in order to receive the gas tax rebate. The $6,000 cost will be paid from the TECQ (gas tax).    
Following a call for offers for a pumper-tanker truck, the offer of L’Arsenal of $377,472 was accepted, as it was $70,840 less than that of Battleshield for a similar vehicle.      
Council supported a CPTAQ request to subdivide the farmland on both sides of the highway at 1622 Route 148. Elizabeth Rolston owns both lots and the land will continue to be farmed.    
The developer of the Bellevue Project will give the municipality servitudes for
streetlights, the community mailbox structure and pedestals and the municipality will take ownership of these structures. The entrance to Bellevue has had no street lighting for many years. This was an election issue and in the future there will be
lighting.
Québec sent out tenders for issuing bank notes amounting to $743,802. The Royal Bank’s offer of 3.13% interest over five years was the lowest and was therefore accepted. By 2023, the loan amount will be reduced to $631,500.
An amended bylaw laying down the code of ethics and professional
conduct required from members of council was adopted. 
Drew Nugent was hired as a truck driver and Patrice Leblond as a labourer, filling vacant posts, Pierre Boran Prum as a water system operator and labourer, a new post, and Stéphanie Miljour as clerk in the planning department, having worked there several months. Expenses were approved: $20,500 to Quadrivium to prepare plans to install a 3 m diameter culvert on ch Alary. Repair costs may be partly covered by a Public Safety disaster program. Alary has been closed since end of October; $2,000 to buy a portable sound system that can be used in the Luskville community centre; $300 to the community project “Pontiac spelling bee” to be held at the Quyon library  and April 14-15.
Visit www.pontiacjournal.com/ to read this article in French.