Work promised for 2011 on Powers Road back in 2010 will be put up for consideration for the 2013 budget.
Powers Road resident Doug Goodfellow, in addressing the Tay Valley Township committee-of-the-whole meeting in Glen Tay as a delegation on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 16, reminded councillors that he had first brought the issue to their attention back in December of 2010.
“The project was scheduled for 2011,” said Goodfellow. While he admitted that two culverts were replaced and work done to a ditch along the road, “that is pretty much all that has been done (there) in two years. There has been two years since we talked about that and I haven’t been back since bothering you people.”
Goodfellow stressed that he would prefer that the road not be treated using the “tar-and-chip” method, but with asphalt instead.
“Drummond/North Elmsley do not use tar-and-chip,” he said. “It is an efficient way of putting a band-aid on it” but not as a more permanent solution. He pointed to the potholes on Stanleyville Road, especially in front of the transfer station.
“They’ve been patching those holes for the last two-and-a-half years,” said Goodfellow.
He noted that there were several construction firms in the county, from Kavanagh, Carson and Tackaberry, who could help with pricing in a competitive bidding process.
“I’ve had people not want to come visit us because we are on the dump road, it is very choppy,” said Goodfellow, adding that he has spoken often with public works director John Simcock. “I’ve offered to help. I’ve offered equipment” to help clear away the brush, for free.
“I’ve told him I will help take away the trees and burn them,” said Goodfellow. “I don’t want to take the work away from them but I want to help them.”
Chief administrative officer Malcolm Morris told Goodfellow that Powers Road would be added to 2013 budget deliberations.
“It is slated for rehabilitation in 2013,” said Morris.
Deputy Reeve Susan Freeman also sits on Lanark County Council’s public works committee and recently returned from a seven-hour “road trip” to look at roads in need of repair, and roads that had been repaired.
“Not every treatment was the same,” Freeman said. “If the surface treatment is done right, the trees are not falling on the road, the shoulders are extended… the saving are considerable for doing it from asphalt. It lasts nearly as long. If we can do more roads and make them last 20 years, it might be the best thing to do.”
Coun. Brian Campbell explained to Goodfellow that the work on Powers Road – the culverts and ditch work – “took longer than anticipated (and) it cost a lot more,” Campbell said.
Coun. Wayne Jordan wondered “where did this (project) fall off the rails?”
Fellow councillors and township staffers had their own reasons.
“It’s been a difficult summer as far as grading goes, because of our inability to draw water” from bodies of water because of the drought, said Coun. Greg Hallam.
But the main reason for the work on Powers Road not getting done came from treasurer Peter Tranter. Because of high construction prices, “no roads got done in the whole township… the decision was made to hold off. Nobody’s road got done in 2011 or 2012,” said Tranter.
“(For 2013) it is our hope that the prices are lower than in years previous,” added Tranter.
Campbell pointed out that a 2.2 km section of Glen Tay Road up for renovations had been given an estimated price tag of $800,000, but when the work was done, the final bill came to $1.3 million.
“That’s what it cost to do the work,” said Campbell, noting that Glen Tay Road is too far different in length than Powers Road. Regardless of how soon the road can be added as a line item in next year’s budget, Campbell cautioned that “we have to put it out to tender,” then and that that takes time too.
“If you’re short of $55,000, I can show you where to make up the difference,” said Goodfellow. “(But) I’m glad you’re going to do something.”