In preparation for 2022 budget deliberations, two city councillors hope their colleagues will agree to add a few items for consideration.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Ward 6 Coun. René Lapierre and Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc plan on presenting a combined four proposals to their colleagues on council.
In members’ motions, they’ll ask for council to direct staff to prepare work plans for projects in their respective wards for consideration at budget time.
Lapierre’s motion strives to look at a review of speed and traffic on Jeanne d’Arc Street from Elmview Drive to Château Crescent and the effectiveness of an all-way stop at the intersection of Hamilton Crescent and Jeanne d’Arc.
“Residents along that street have expressed serious concerns about excessive traffic and speeds along that corridor,” Lapierre’s motion reads, adding that another section of Jeanne d’Arc has benefitted from traffic-calming measures.
Leduc’s three motions are recreational in nature and include the Minnow Lake boardwalk, the creation of a boat launch at Moonlight Beach on Ramsey Lake and the creation of a skating oval on Minnow Lake.
The boardwalk is in “dire need of repairs and/or refurbishment,” according to Leduc’s motion, and has some longstanding drainage issues that need to be corrected.
The boat launch and skating oval ideas both came out of requests from area residents.
On a similar front as Lapierre and Leduc’s motions, city council’s previous meeting on Aug. 17 found Ward 12. Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann successfully petition her colleagues to approve a motion requesting that staff prepare a business case for the 2022 budget for site work and a lights display of the historic Flour Mill silos.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan said he plans on defending himself against the accusations of city integrity commissioner Robert Swayze.
Swayze has recommended that city council reprimand Kirwan for his involvement in a Facebook posts made using the name 'Jessie Timmons,' which he admits is a fake account his wife uses for administrative purposes.
Kirwan has countered Swayze’s accusation by saying his wife is the only one who has used the ‘Jessie Timmons’ moniker and that he has no authority over a private citizen.
In his report to council, Swayze notes that Kirwan was aware of the posts, allowed them as an administrator of the Valley East Facebook page and therefore “colluded with his wife” to contravene the city’s code of conduct.
Tuesday’s city council meeting will be live-streamed beginning at 6 p.m. and can be viewed by clicking here.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
