October 13, 2017 · 0 Comments
By Jasen Obermeyer
Mono Council and staff are looking at repairing the Mono-Adjala Townline near its intersection with Highway 89.
At Tuesday’s (October 10) Council meeting, Michael Dunmore, the town’s Director of Public Works and Roads Superintendent, gave a report to Council which looked at the condition of the east side of the Townline, where there is a 1.2-metre ditch “in close vicinity of the east side of the travelled roadway” approaching the intersection.
Mr. Dunmore said Public Works has received complaints from residents regarding congestion, and has seen “an increased log of concerns to that intersection.” The concern was due to a lack of safe parking and vehicles backing up and turning around at the intersection. The Town has also received complaints of vehicles parking farther south on the Townline in front of residential properties.
Public Works gave to Council four optional repair designs, with Council unanimously agreeing on one option. “This has been on my agenda for quite awhile,” said Councillor Sharon Martin.
The option, dubbed Option 1, will see the removal/filling of the ditch with the installation of an underground storm sewer pipe with an open culvert, catch basins and concrete curbs. The concrete curb system will “support the asphalt and prevent edge cracking and eliminate the need for a gravel shoulder.”
The option eliminates the existing gravel parking spots on the west side of the road and replaces them with two parallel spots, while adding four parallel parking spots on the east side of the road, giving a total of six parking spots. “Generally this type of parallel parking is what we’re accustomed to,” said Mr. Dunmore.
However, although Council agreed on the option, CAO Mark Early told Council “we need to know whether this is even supportable by the Ministry of Transportation,” and will initiate discussions with the ministry.
Council also discussed the damage in Mono caused by flooding on June 23 . Public Works reported that there was “an estimated financial impact” of $151,000, and that “It would not make sense to repair only the flood damage but to also repair the damage pre-flood from the 2016 Bridge Inspection findings.” The total impact to the Town for the needed repairs is $216,000.
Mr. Dunmore said they’re currently struggling with looking for appropriate contractors to start some of the more “time-sensitive repairs” before the end of the year. “We’re hopeful that they’re all coming off their summer bridges which they’ve constructed.”
Council will discuss the costs during its budget meeting in November.
Council also looked at a report from Public Works on the temporary re-opening of the Town’s landfill site to accommodate debris left from the Easter weekend ice storm.
Residents had requested, and were given, nine special days throughout May to drop off debris left over from the storm. However, the report said the response “was not as expected, numbers were low and the loads received were few and far between.”
Council unanimously rejected opening the landfill site this fall, “due to the reduced number of visits from residents and the decrease in the amount of collectable items.”