Timmins council is back in action tonight.
This week's meeting tackles topics like Connecting Link work, splash pad upgrades, and includes a report on how much council members took home last year.
Here are some items of note at tonight's meeting:
- There's a recommendation to award the contract for the next phase of Connecting Link work — a stretch of Algonquin Boulevard West from Mattagami Boulevard South to Theriault Boulevard. Belanger Construction is the company recommended by staff for the $7.2 million contract. The stretch of road is a priority because of the aging infrastructure and "the pipe in this location tying into the trunk sanitary and trunk storm systems," reads the staff report. It also indicates that the pandemic and storms in Texas may limit the supplies crossing the border. As such, it says the project should be awarded as soon as possible to allow materials to be sourced. The full report is available here.
- Upgrades to the splash pad in South Porcupine are n the agenda. A staff report recommends having Diamond Head Sprinklers complete $394.875 of work at the White Water Park splash pad. The project includes removing the existing equipment and interlocking brick, excavating and filling the area with proper backfill, and installing a new splash pad and concrete base. The full report is available here.
- The 2020 report on how much council members made last year has been released. Mayor George Pirie topped the list, having received $98,409.34 in remuneration — a $4,849 increase from 2019 — and $3,376.24 in expenses, for a total of $101,785.58. Overall, his payout in 2020 was $8,855 less than the year prior. A breakdown of the list is available here and the full report is online here.
- The 2020 building report is out and delineates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local building activity. Last year, 315 building permits were issued, which is lower than the five-year average of 431, according to the report. The report notes the department is "performing at a notable loss". "For every $1 spent in the division in 2020, a total of $0.51 is collected in offsetting revenues. When examining the net operating costs (total direct and indirect cost-total revenues), the deliver of service costs $18.59 per resident or $42.6 per household," reads the report. The full report is available here.
At the meeting, there will also be an update on the next steps to establishing a municipal heritage building registry, and the Downtown Timmins BIA will present its strategic plan. There is also a letter asking the city to start the process to rename Fourth Avenue in Schumacher as Mahovlich Way.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. You can watch it online here.
The full agenda is available online.
