Broadband installers damage roads
Town complains that county project is hurting roads and culverts
Trent Hills council is upset that workers installing broadband cable under a county contract are damaging our rural roads and culverts.
During a closed session of Tuesday’s council meeting, Roads Manager Neil Allanson told councillors he has complained to the county and to the companies, but they haven’t offered to properly repair the damage or stop doing more.
The county’s $120 million fibre-optic installation program, funded largely by the federal and provincial governments, is supposed to provide high speed internet service to 11,000 homes.
The telecom provider is Axle Telecom, which is part of a family of local telecom networks owned by the WPC Infrastructure Fund, which is managed by Windsor Private Capital, a Toronto-based investment firm.
The actual work in our area is being done by four or five contractors working for NuBuild Contracting Inc. of Concord, Allanson said.
The machinery has damaged our tarred and chipped gravel roads that have been particularly susceptible due to the extreme heat, Allanson said.
He also noted that usually underground services are located 1.5 metres (5 feet) off the roadway but some of the broadband cable has been placed .8 metres (2.6 feet) or closer to the road.
Allanson showed photographs of damage done along Bannon Road.
“The issue is we are having problems coming to an agreement with the county and the service providers on the plans for repairs,” said Chief Administrative Officer Lynn Phillips. “I’m not sure where it is going to end up, but it’s not going well.”
“We aren’t the only ones,” Allanson said. Other municipalities have raised similar concerns but have been told to step aside and let the work continue.
Councillors moved to private session to discuss the matter which was described on the agenda as: “Litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality, including matters before administrative tribunals (Infrastructure Project).”
Audio was inadvertently streamed online during much of the hour-long closed session. There was no mention of litigation or potential in the private session. It concluded with a decision to send a strongly worded letter complaining about the problem to the county, Warden Brian Ostrander, and MPP David Piccini.
Merchants face sidewalk rules
Council has passed a bylaw that will require merchants who place products on the town’s sidewalks to pay a $50 annual licensing fee and have $5 million in liability insurance.
However, the councillors hedged their bets by delaying implementation of the bylaw until January 2027 and asking the Community Advisory Committee to take a closer look at the situation now and in 2026 before the bylaw takes effect.
Community Development Manager Kira Mees assured councillors that the bylaw had been revised and would not apply to many stores.
The bylaw will not cover flowers, benches or other beautification items that merchants may put on the sidewalk.
Councillor Rick English has been the most outspoken critic of the $50 fee. He reluctantly agreed to support the phased introduction.
Many stores only have $2 million in liability insurance and face annual fees an extra $300 or so higher if they move to $5 million liability.
Nappan Island development stalled
I noted in an earlier story about the council meeting that residents of Nappan Island appeared to complain about the sad state of the roads to an on the island.
I wondered why the residents and the councillors didn’t mention the proposed 69 unit housing development on the island and its possible impact on the road issue.
Well, that issue got discussed later in the same meeting. Planner Cameron Law presented a report outlining the state of all development plans currently in the works. Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalf asked about the the Nappan Island plan and its potential impact on what needs to be done to the roads and a causeway.
Law said the 311-acre site, which is subject to an approved subdivision plan, has been for sale for two or three years as the current owner shepherded the idea to this stage but has no expertise or interest in actually building the homes.
The property is currently listed on realtor.ca for $6.9 million and has been there for more than six months.
Law said the town had hoped that the developer would help pay for improvements to the causeway, which new flood plain studies show could be under water in a major storm, and for road upgrades.
“We are probably going to have to go ahead with that in the next year or two,” Law said.
Neil Allanson, Manager of Roads and Urban Services, said the town had hoped the developer would contribute to the $1.7 million cost of a new bridge and to upgrades on Puffball Inn Road. The development plan also calls for a new road on the island that links to the bridge. But all those changes are on hold.
“So, there is an opportunity of getting some things done there,” Metcalf said.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories anytime on the website.
Was at Nappan Island on Thursday, roads leading to the bridge in excellent condition, the roads past the bridge are also in excellent condition but apparently can,t be widen as the property owners would have to give the property to the Municipality. Presently a forced road. The McCan causeway, the water level is controlled by the dam at Healey Falls. If it hasn,t flooded in all these years, why would the council want to build it up higher.