LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
- September 16, 2008
To The Editor:
Here is a progress report on what your Town Council has been doing.
As you may be aware council put out tenders for our town square project and they came in considerably over our budget. We cancelled that tender and have proceeded with the municipality taking over as general contractor and local tradesmen being asked to help bring the project in at our level of funding.
Dave Woodruff, a so-called 'retired' electrical contractor with extensive experience on major projects in the lower mainland has agreed to oversee the project. We have received estimates from local contractors that reassure us that we can bring the project in on budget with very little alteration from the originally engineered concept.
Lyle Thomas from municipal staff has been assigned to the project and will coordinate what time our town crew will be able to commit. Lyle describes how the project will be divided into two phases with the north side of Vermilion Avenue as Phase 1, which is already underway and which we hope will be completed before winter. That will leave the cenotaph area available for Remembrance Day with work beginning in the spring, council is confident we can complete the entire project prior to the busy summer.
We removed one tree in order to reconstruct the street, all the rest will stay. In the neighbourhood of six new trees will be added in the new concept.
We are still waiting for clearance on our water project. Brenda Gould, local archeologist with USIB has been very helpful in moving things along, however, we continue to have government bureaucratic difficulties and this is quite frustrating when we are as anxious as the construction firm to proceed. We are intent on accomplishing as much as possible prior to freeze up.
We have been granted the ability to access the entire grant for the airport fuel system, which will enable us to construct a terminal building. That building will incorporate an office, washrooms, shower and an area for pilots to make arrangements for overnight motel accommodations if they so desire. A courtesy car, kindly donated by "Airport Dave" Woodruff is already on hand for pilots who need access to downtown. We are currently seeking prices for the buildings' foundation which we will be beginning without delay.
Together with Councillor Manion, I met with Copper Mountain Mining President Jim O'Rourke, who continues to be cautiously optimistic about the reopening of the mine. The permitting of the property continues to fall into place and the feasibility study was very positive which left the remaining issue of financing as the prime concern.
Jim was happy to relay that financing discussions are progressing and there is a good possibility that within the next month much more will be understood. He also met with our Administrator Patrick Robins, to begin to explore the availability of property for a housing development and rental accommodation within the community. Jim would no doubt say that there is still a long way to go but to me things seem to be progressing very well.
The aquatic centre design estimate has been completed by the consultants and is now in front of the municipality and Regional District financial departments in order to project the tax increase for residents and businesses so that everyone can make an informed decision when a referendum is put forward sometime in the new year.
Finally, I wish to thank those people who relayed get well thoughts following my attempt to fly off our cabin loft, it really was a comfort in the face of my carelessness.
- Mayor Randy McLean, Princeton
