Mo Laidlaw
MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – About 14 members of the public attended the regular council meeting, February 9 in Luskville.
Mo Laidlaw
MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – About 14 members of the public attended the regular council meeting, February 9 in Luskville.
Councillors Amyotte and Pontiroli voted against a resolution naming Councillors Draper-Maxsom and Middlemiss, Mayor Larose, Director General Ben Kuhn, and the Finance and Human Resources Director to sit on the negotiation committee for the collective agreement of the municipality’s white and blue-collar employees. The resolution was passed by a majority.
The MRC de la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau has agreed to join the MRC-des-Collines’ municipal court. Each municipality will pay $2.67 per capita (2014 population). Sharing costs will save money.
The following expenses were approved: $21,255 to Battleshield Industries Limited for a replacement plastic Brayneck tank for tanker-truck #907; $6,000 towards re-launching the summer day camp; Philippe Beaudoin, a civil engineering student, was given a 250 hour contract for $4,750 to continue work on the water and sewer networks in Quyon, and improving chemin de la Montagne; $1,500 for new benches at the Bocce Ball field in Luskville and restoration of the field by municipal employees; and annual compensation of $355 to Ian MacKechnie for land and electricity for a communications repeater system used by Public Works and the Fire Department for the north part of the municipality, for another 5 years.
Pontiac has been divided into six wards since 2008, which were used in the 2009 and 2013 council elections. Quebec law requires that each ward has within 25% of the mean number of voters, which was 749 in 2013 (min 562 and maximum 936). All three wards in the eastern half of the municipality had above average numbers of electors in 2013 while the three wards in the west half all had below average numbers. A mandate to produce a new electoral map and legal description was given to Innovision Inc for $10,500. Amyotte, Pontiroli and McCann voted against, saying the procedure could be carried out by the administration, but Mayor Larose voted to break the tie.
An Emergency Response Team was formed of municipal employees and provincial representatives to deal with emergency preparedness for disasters. Director General Benedikt Kuhn is the coordinator and spokesperson. Phase 1 of the municipal civil security plan was adopted.
Michel Guilbeault, the owner of 30.6 acres at 1591 ch Proven, asked the CPTAQ for permission to build a house on the land, “to prevent its use as an
illegal dump while not restricting its use as farmland.” The CPTAQ asked for more information and council indicated their support of the request.
Two “infringement files” were transferred to the municipal lawyer for proceedings. The municipality has failed to persuade owners to comply with standards – 1569 route 148 (local zoning bylaw) and 2101 chemin Beaudoin (nuisance and public safety bylaws).
Debbie Cloutier-Tremblay said she didn’t approve of her taxes supporting a day camp. Larose clarified that parents will be paying fees and the
municipality is funding the start-up costs.
