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, May 9, 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:
As reported in our briefing note for April, 2022 the 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.
Work is expected to be completed in the first part of June, 2022.
- 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.
Road work will also include application of calcium on the southern half of Lower Sideroad to mitigate dust hazards.
We understand that brush will be trimmed back from the roadside over the course of the spring and summer of 2022.
Please note that speed limits on Lower Sideroad have been reduced to 60 km/hr.
- Drive System Upgrade for County Ferry:
No change from our April note. 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:
The Howe Island Recreation Committee met on April 26, 2022.
A final site plan has been completed.
Playground equipment has been installed.
As we reported previously, all 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 and the accessible washroom facility, the township has accepted a bid from UBCON Construction Limited to complete construction of both structures at a total cost of $218,314.00 plus HST. Township council authorized a transfer of $90,000.00 from the Howe Island Recreation Reserve account to assist with funding.
No timelines have been provided by the contractor yet. We understand 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 June 14, 2022.
We look forward to a status update on expected timelines for the project following that meeting.
This item was reported in our previous briefing note but given the importance of the subject matter we chose to repeat the message this month:
Council passed the above-noted by-law 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 late spring or summer of this year.
No change from our last briefing note. Township staff are still preparing documents to request bids for design work.
The annual half-load trucking restriction was removed on May 2, 2022.
Township Council approved a plan to overhaul and upgrade the municipal website at an estimated cost of $34,900 with an annual hosting, licensing and maintenance fee of $6,924. Funds that were previously earmarked for this purpose in the Modernization Reserve will be transferred to cover the cost.
It is expected the upgrade will take approximately 6-9 months to complete. The upgrade is expected to deliver a website that is more informative and user-friendly than the one currently in use.
END of COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS
Other info of interest
- Howe Island Pitch-In 2022:
The event, co-sponsored by the Township of Howe Island in partnership with the Howe Island Ratepayers Association (HIRA), took place as scheduled on April 23, 2022. Once again the event proved to be a resounding success.
We extend our thanks to all of the volunteers who turned out to clean-up roadsides all over Howe Island. Your efforts continue to enhance the natural beauty of our community.
We would like to extend a special thank you to HIRA board members Sue Byrne and Andy Hathaway. Sue was responsible for organizing and coordinating the event. Andy volunteered his time and effort to provide Sue with onsite assistance throughout the day of the event.
- 2022 Howe Island Hustle Road Race:
On May 7, 2022 Howe Island hosted the annual Howe Island Hustle road race sponsored by the Kingston Road Runners Association. Despite a number of logistical challenges that arose from the unscheduled shut-down of the County ferry, the organizers and volunteers rose to the occasion and delivered an eminently successful event.
Thanks are in order to all the volunteers who contributed their time and energy to make this year’s “Hustle” a success. Special recognition is due for Lana Saunders, who organized and coordinated the event, and to Dan Lambert who provided his barbecue and his culinary skills to ensure the race participants and volunteers were all well fed.
Honorable mention is in order for Deb Holtom for the assistance she provided marshalling volunteer support. Honorable mention is also in order for Councilor Bruce Higgs who contributed the tent and awning equipment used and also supervised installation and tear-down of same.
END of BRIEFING NOTE
PLEASE NOTE: If you are a member of HIRA, thank you for your support. If you are not a member, please consider joining at $10 per year. Yearly membership dues are due on January 1 of each year. If you have paid, thank you. If you have not paid, please send or deliver a cheque payable to HIRA to one of our Directors or place a cheque into the HIRA mailbox at the roadside at the Township Office