Pontiac council report – Flood toll at $600,000 to date

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Mo Laidlaw

MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – About 20 residents attended Pontiac’s
regular council meeting at the Luskville Community Centre, August 13.
Public input: flooding and budget

Mo Laidlaw

MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – About 20 residents attended Pontiac’s
regular council meeting at the Luskville Community Centre, August 13.
Public input: flooding and budget
Carl Hager expressed concern about the ZIS (special intervention zone) map, which includes his property on River Road although he wasn’t flooded. “What can we do and what has the municipality done?” he asked. Mayor Joanne Labadie
reiterated that the ZIS is not a flood zone map, but designates an area in which no building or renovation can be carried out until updated flood zone maps are
produced.
“Since it’s not a flood zone map, it shouldn’t affect property values or insurance. However, it has made a lot of work for the municipality and property owners. All of the directors of urbanism in the MRC-des-Collines met and requested that the government delay the August 19 deadline. We also sat down with Municipal Affairs and went over the map,” said Labadie, noting 180 properties were erroneously included in the original ZIS and that they have received 250 removal requests. The City of Gatineau’s urbanism department is producing new flood zone maps that will include the municipality, expected to be complete by fall 2020.
“Meanwhile, there are 135 files open with the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) for flood victims and the municipality is trying to get their files [settled] before the fall,” she added.
Sue Lamont asked about the cost of the flood. “We’re up to about $600,000 as of last week. Grants from the MSP cover about 75%, but there are more expenses to come,” replied Labadie.
Lamont’s concern was that there will be “a 10-12% increase in taxes next year if we are not responsible”. Labadie replied that council has been budget planning since July and she’s confident they will have a balanced budget. “There was a special meeting with the director of finance and the director general to decide what goes and what stays in each department,” she explained.
Urban planning
A request for a minor variance to use a barn at 1920 ch de la Montagne as a kennel although it’s situated 160 m from other residences was allowed on condition that there is a maximum of 12 adult dogs. Two neighboring residents opposed the request because of the noise of dogs barking and to maintain the “peace of the countryside”.
Changes were made to the approval of phase 1 of the Domaine des Chutes project; $70,956 and lots 5, 6 and 7 will be donated to the municipality for the 10%
contribution for “parks, playgrounds and natural areas”.
New meeting schedule
For the rest of this year, council meetings will be held on the second Wednesday
of the month, due to the unavailability of one councillor on Tuesday evenings.
Paving
There will be a call for tenders to install 600 m of Flextech paving on ch des Pères-Dominicains, between Highway 148 and ch de la Rivière.
Expenses
The following expenses were approved: $81,669 for gravel delivered by Lamarche McGuinty; $79,490 for culverts and membranes from Marcel Baril Ltée; $57,487 to CIMA+ for plans, specifications and supervision for a wastewater treatment system for the town hall, community centre, library and fire station in Luskville; $34,579 to rent an excavator from JR Brisson CASE for five months; $14,000 maximum before tax to EXP Inc. to balance the water network in Quyon to ensure there’s sufficient water pressure; a maximum of $10,350 to Mélanie Sarazin to manage phase 2 of the municipal sports and recreation infrastructure project; $3,395 to VonRoll Hydro Canada to detect leaks in the water mains in Quyon; $720 plus tax for nine orange coveralls with reflective stripes for public works employees; and $100 for a coffee maker and $129 for annual subscriptions to Oprah, Prevention and The Equity for the Quyon library.