Meeting notes
Attendance
23 people in attendance including Lou Rinaldi, Jim Harrison (Quinte West Councillor), Jim Alyea (Quinte West Councillor), and Craig Kerr (Brighton Councillor)
Main purpose of today’s meeting
1. Decide on an interim executive team
2. Bridge update & pooling of information people have
3. Charitable status for the organization
4. Immediate next steps
Interim Executive Committee
We established, through show of hands, the following interim executive committee:
Dave Dingle – Chair
Dave Ware of the Canal Store and Phil Spencer – Alternating Co-Chairs
Sarah Roberts, Secretary
Diane Lyndon, Communication & Marketing
Mark Rinaldi, Membership & Awareness
Maria Healey, Research
Craig Kerr – Brighton Municipal Council liaison
Frank Blanchet – BAC – providing meeting music & PA support
Note: This committee will be in place for an interim of 6 months to October 1 2014, after which we will have a more formal election of officers from the membership and more parameters around roles and processes
Discussions
MCDO has been operational for 5 weeks
We started with Stoney Point Road and our goal to have emergency repairs and to establish a municipal budget allocation for full repairs and reconstruction as needed. Thank-you to Erin Alexander and Craig Kerr for their efforts in getting this done.
Then we found out about the $54 million funding for the Trent Severn Waterway, includes the “Brighton” bridge replacement $4.9 million to fund a single lane + pedestrian bridge with traffic lights on either side. This money must be spent in 2 years – plan is not acceptable.
Good detail about the last 6 months of the replacement bridge funding/communication process from Jim H. and Jim A. of Quinte West Council:
- September 2013 – QW Council meeting the one-lane bridge was rejected. Were told Parks Canada would get back to them in 2 weeks. Didn’t happen.
- November 4, 3012, Jewel Cunningham, Superintendent, Parks Canada provided three scenarios for the bridge:
- municipalities to accept liability for the bridge
- cost share with municipality (i.e. kick in the extra $4+million to build a two lane bridge)
- original plan to replace with a one-lane bridge + pedestrian path for $4.5 million