BV puts halt on boardwalk plans until outstanding invoices are paid

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Eganville — Following a rather contentious and at times raucous meeting between Bonnechere Valley council and the Eganville and Area Community Development Group (EACGD), council agreed no further work would continue on the boardwalk project until outstanding invoices of about $9,000 are paid by the community development group.
“The way it stands right now is the majority of council wants the invoices paid out,” Councillor Jack Roesner said at the end of a long afternoon which began with the noon meeting with the EACDG. “We don’t feel our taxpayers should be paying for something. I believe the majority of council believes they went out of their work permit.”
Mayor Jennifer Murphy was more conciliatory.
“My take on it was mistakes were made and moneys were spent,” she said. “My take was we could share the cost.”
Finding $10,000 in a tight budget year would be a challenge, but the mayor said the previous council had committed to helping with the boardwalk project.
“Is this how I wanted to contribute?” she questioned. “If this can make us all come together and move forward, it is my feeling if we could contribute half of it, like, $4,500.”
The meeting got off to a rocky start as plans were presented for the boardwalk with council expressing its desire to speak to the engineer or designer of the project so numerous design questions could be answered.
Coun. Roesner, who has been outspoken on his concerns about the project having a negative impact on the Eganville Generation Corporation (EGC) plant where he works as the manager, began the questioning asking about the technical details of the plan. When told members of the boardwalk committee, including co-chairs Don Bishop and Claude Chartrand could, he questioned their credentials.
“So they have engineer diplomas?” he said. “So they have the right to speak as an engineer?”
Gerald Tracey, the chair of the EACGD, said council had asked for engineered drawings and this was being presented.
“You asked us to present stamped engineered drawings and they are there,” he said. “If they are not good enough for you tell us and we will pack up and go home. We are not playing any games.”
Mr. Bishop said the drawings were done as a collaborative effort between two engineering firms, himself and Mr. Chartrand, so he felt they could answer the questions from council.
“I’d like to know what Councillor Roesner’s engineering qualifications are,” EACGD member William Enright asked. “Is he a civil engineer? Is he a hydro-electric engineer?”
Coun. Roesner said he was not an engineer, but had worked in engineering fields for over 20 years and could read engineered plans. He questioned several technicalities in the drawing, pointing out the plan has changed from the original concept.
“I would say any changes need to be run by us because we are responsible at the end of the day,” Councillor Merv Buckwald said, adding he was concerned the artificial slope in front of the boardwalk would mean flooding in the creamery building behind.
“There was never a two foot edge along the river,” he said.
Railing at Boardwalk
Coun. Buckwald also asked about handicapped access, which began some discussion of having a railing at the boardwalk.
Councillor Brent Patrick pointed out other boardwalks don’t have railings.
“The Pembroke Boardwalk is the same as we are here,” he said.
“It is not on the water,” Councillor Tim Schison countered.
“You go to any community that has a dock and there is no railing,” Mr. Bishop said, pointing out this was a boardwalk/dock which would require access for boats.
There is a small lip on the boardwalk, he added.
Coun. Schison said council needed to be careful. He pointed out the municipality is on the hook for liability of almost $1 million. (It was later clarified this was not related to the boardwalk project.)
“I am working to make sure we don’t create any further liabilities for the people of Bonnechere Valley,” he said.
Mr. Chartrand pointed out there was never any mention of a railing and now when the plans are finalized, it has been brought up.
Mr. Tracey said the group of volunteers has worked hard with a lot of volunteer time and donations on this project and others like McRae Park.
“We had enjoyed a great rapport with the former council,” he said. “When this council came into place we have been faced with barriers and challenges.”
Coun. Patrick, who works as the liaison with the community group and council, said the group has been co-operative.
“There is no reason to micro-manage the boardwalk project,” he said. “That is why we have Bill (Operations Manager Bill Kennedy).”
Council had decided at an earlier meeting if the project was approved Mr. Kennedy would be overseeing it since it is on township property.
Coun. Schison said he has seen things done outside of work permits before, pointing out the six inch minus stone installed by the group goes below the standard for the work permit.
“The MNRF said we did what the permit said to do,” Mr. Bishop countered.
Outstanding Invoices
When the municipality approved remedial work to be done at the boardwalk site to put in new rocks last fall the bills amounted to about $9,000. Council had asked the EACDG to pay the invoices, which had been paid by the municipality.
“We stand firm in our decision to not pay any of the cost,” Mr. Tracey said.
He said the group did not order the work. The group offered suggestions for remediation work which would have been more reasonable, he said.
“Why did we need an emergency permit?” Coun. Schison retorted. “This is not the responsibility of the ratepayers of Bonnechere Valley.”
He re-iterated the invoices have to be paid by the group before an approval could go forward.
“If it means protecting the people of Dacre and in Augsburg and Ruby for costing them money, then I don’t mind standing up for those guys,” Coun. Schison said.
Mr. Chartrand said the invoices were because of concerns from Coun. Roesner about the original rock and the need for more remedial rock.
“We had no input in those bills,” he said. “We had no control or no say, yet we are expected to pay for it.”
Coun. Roesner said material was brought in which did not meet the work permit.
“I just brought the material, council of the day made the decision,” he said
“That material that was brought in could go through the grates and could possibly cause damage (of the ECG plant),” he said.
Mr. Bishop pointed out this is all based on a theory ice could attach onto a rock and make the rocks float down river, which is not true.
Adamant About Not Paying Invoices
Mr. Tracey said the future of the group, including activities planned by the group like the Canada Day Dinner on the Bridge and the Cheesebox Race would be discussed the following day, but the group did not intend to pay the invoices for work they did not order.
Mayor Murphy suggested she could pick up the bill personally to pay for the outstanding invoices, or the financial commitment of the previous council, which had stated they would contribute up to $10,000 for the project, could be used.
“I was hoping we could buy boards or we could contribute,” she said. “I would hope this council would honour that.”
Mr. Tracey said the group would have paid the bills but would not because of the “nonsense” that had taken place over the last five months which had hurt the fundraising efforts.
“I would implore you to go back to your group and see if we can come to some kind of agreement,” the mayor said.
Having an option to perhaps split the cost of the invoices might be a possibility, she felt.
“At some point we have to walk away from these arguments,” she said. “The negativity is not helping anybody. Honestly, if I was in the public and trying to donate, I would be a bit upset as well.
Apology
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Chartrand did apologize to council for his comments in the Leader the previous week. He said when he spoke of “appeasing council” he would like to clarify he meant “appeasing a councillor.”
When he was asked by Coun. Roesner if he stood by his other comments, including the fact that Coun. Roesner put the rocks in for the emergency permit, Mr. Chartrand said this is what transpired.
“Maybe you did not physically put them in there but you were in charge of the project.”
Later in the meeting, Coun. Roesner said he did not put the rocks in, but Mr. Kilby did.
“We both saw you there,” Mr. Bishop replied.
Following the meeting of council, council agreed to have the municipal engineer look at the boardwalk/fishing dock plans. The matter of the invoices remained unsolved.
“We are trying to find a middle ground,” Mayor Murphy told the Leader this week.
She also expressed her thanks to the community group for continuing with the plans to hold the Dinner on the Bridge fundraiser.
“I’m thrilled this is continuing,” she said. “You can’t have a more special evening than a glass of wine, a great dinner and fireworks on the bridge.”