HIRA BRIEFING NOTE- April 18, 2022
This is a brief note to HIRA members and other residents of Howe Island about the Township of Frontenac Islands regular council meeting held on Monday, April 04, 2022. The public was provided with Zoom access to the meeting and a couple of our HIRA directors called into the meeting. Only matters of particular interest to Howe Island residents are highlighted here.
- North Shore Road Resurfacing:
No change from our note of March 27,2022.
Contract for double surface treatment of North Shore Road, from Howe Island Drive east to Pat Norris residence, has been awarded to Miller Paving Ltd. Contract cost is estimated at $68,040. The contractor expects to complete before the end of June, 2022.
Township staff expect to grade the section of road around the end of April as required equipment becomes available for use on Howe Island.
- Lower Side Road:
No change from our note of March 27, 2022.
Application of 2” of gravel to stabilize surface is to be completed as soon as stone is available from a supplier on Howe Island (cost considerations require use of a local supplier as it is very expensive to bring stone from the mainland). Completion is expected late spring of 2022.
We understand that brush will be trimmed back from the roadside over the course of the spring and summer of 2022.
Township council plans to pass a by-law at the next council meeting, scheduled for April 4, 2022, to lower the speed limit on Lower Side Road to 60 km/hr.
- Drive System Upgrade for County Ferry:
Rob Dillabough, Public Works Manager, advised that bid specifications for a new drive system for the County ferry have been provided to Procurements Ontario and the project is now out for bid. Stay tuned.
- Norris Park upgrades:
No material change since our last note of March 27, 2022.
A final site plan has been completed.
Playground equipment has been ordered and will be installed in the spring of this year.
As we reported previously, fencing work has been completed.
A contractor is in place to complete the tennis/pickleball court and the basketball court. Installation is expected to be completed in the spring of this year.
With respect to the picnic/concert pavilion, staff are still engaged in preparing a Request for Proposal. The plan is the completed facility will be in place by late fall of this year.
Staff are still engaged in preparation of a Request for Proposal for the accessible washroom/storage building. The plan is for a completed facility to be available by late fall of this year.
LED lighting for the ball diamond has been completed.
The Recreation Committee is scheduled to meet on April 26, 2022.
We are hoping for a status update on expected timelines for the project following that meeting. More information may be available at the next meeting of Township council, scheduled for May 9, 2022.
Council passed the above-noted by-law in order to establish community safety zones on various roads in the township. One such zone will be established on Howe Island Drive from a point 800 meters east of Lighthouse Lane to 740 metres west of Lower Sideroad. The speed limit for this portion of Howe Island Drive will be reduced to 60 km / hour.
Signage related to the change in speed limit is to be installed in the very near future. The safety zone has been established to improve roadway safety for motorists and pedestrians entering and exiting Pat Norris Park.
As previously reported application of stone is to be completed as local stone supply becomes available. It is expected to take place in the spring of this year.
No change from our last briefing note. Township staff are preparing documents to request bids for design work.
The annual half-load trucking restriction is in place now. The public works manager expects it to remain in force until approximately May 1, 2022 but he cautions that lifting the restriction will depend on weather conditions between now and the end of April. The restriction will remain in force as long as weather and road conditions make it necessary.
END of COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
Other info of interest
- Water Level Data Sources:
With the arrival of spring, water level data becomes an important resource for many Islanders. The following links provide timely, accurate water level data for local residents:
- The weekly water level bulletin (updated every Tuesday) here:
https://www.isdm-gdsi.gc.ca/isdm-gdsi/twl-mne/wb-bh-eng.asp
- The monthly water level bulletin here:
https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/41036438_012022.pdf
- And if your need is immediate you can phone the Kingston gauge for an instant water level at:
613-544-9264
- A Reminder about Howe Island Pitch-In 2022:
HOWE ISLAND PITCH-IN 2022
Saturday, April 23, 2022
- Once again the Township of Frontenac Islands and the Howe Island Ratepayers Association (HIRA) are partnering to organize the 2022 Pitch-In Canada event on Howe Island. We encourage all Howe Island residents to celebrate the start of spring by cleaning up waste from the Island roadsides.
- All participants are encouraged to register for this community event by contacting Sue Byrne at 613-542-4869 or email sbyrne1269@gmail.com. Upon registering you will be assigned a section of road for waste pick-up.
- Official Pitch-In garbage bags are now available at the Township Office, Baseline Road, during business hours. Collected waste may be dropped off at the Township Recycle Depot the morning of the Pitch-In. Members of HIRA will be at the Township Recycle Depot on April 23 from 8:00 AM until noon to hand out garbage bags and assist in garbage drop-off.
- Through the efforts of volunteers, this initiative continues to enhance the natural beauty of our community.
Join us and pitch-in on April 23, 2022
END of BRIEFING NOTE