The Committee of the whole approved a motion at their regular meeting on April 11 allow staff to apply for up to $5 million in new Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant funding for work on County Rd. 4.

But that choice of road projects was not without debate.

According to the supplemental report contained within the motion, the County must choose a project which fits the grant’s eligibility criteria and which addresses a known infrastructure issue within the municipality.

Eligible communities with a population of 5,000 to 100,000 may request funding of up to 83.33 per cent of a project’s total eligible cost up to $5 million.

The municipality is required to contribute the remainder of the funding so $5 million project would result in a municipal contribution of $833,350 which is the cost-share amount (16.67 per cent) not covered by the grant.

Taking these criteria into consideration, staff recommended the rehabilitation of County Road 4 from the Millennium Trail and Talbot Street to its termination at Highway 62

The project includes a bridge on County Road 4 near the Hwy 62 intersection which requires rehabilitation.

According to staff, the condition of the bridge is an identified concern, is included in the County’s current capital plan and is eligible as an element of the overall County Rd 4 project.

According to Director of Community Development & Strategic Initiatives Neil Carbone, while the County Rd. 4 project wasn’t as high as a priority as other projects, the stipulations and criteria requirements in the grant parameters lead staff to believe that proposal had the best chance of success.

Despite staff’s recommendation after examining the grant details and prerequisites for a successful application, councillors ended up debating the merits of potential projects in their respective wards.

Other roads including County Rd. 3 and County Rd. 18 were discussed around the horseshoe during a contentious debate.

The motion was almost amended as Councillor Ernie Margetson attempted to have staff make an application for an identified project in the County Rd. 2/Closson Rd. Area but that amendment was lost in a tie vote.

In other Committee news:

•The Committee chose to defer purchase of a new pumper truck for use by Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue but approve the purchase of five sport utility vehicles for the Building Department.

According to the report before Committee supporting the motion of the purchase for the needs of Fire and Rescue, the 2019 Fire Department Capital Budget included the budgeted amount of $360,000 for the purchase of a replacement of a 1992 Pumper Tanker at the North Marysburgh station.

Through the regular rotation of Fire and Rescue vehicles undertaken by the department to ensure stipulations of fire insurance underwriters are met and vicinity premium deductions on house policies stay status quo, the new apparatus would be installed at the Wellington station with the current pumper truck at that facility being shuffled to North Marysburgh to replace a pre-amalgamantion era vehicle.

According to the report, Carrier Truck Centres Inc of Brantford was selected to supply the Pumper tanker at a cost of $352,491 plus HST.

But with news that another large ticket capital investment for the Fire and Rescue Department would be before Committee at the April 25 meeting, those around the horseshoe decided to defer the motion and see the results of the combined requests before making a decision.

Regarding the purchase of five vehicles for the use of the Building Department, all light duty vehicles are being purchased as replacement vehicles for current fleet units (Ford Ranger pickup trucks at least ten years old) for the Building  Department.

The Municipality utilizes a 10-year replacement schedule which the current fleet units have surpassed, and, according to a staff report, the purchase of the five new replacement units further supported by the mileage, reliability, condition and anticipated cost of each vehicle.

The bid was awarded to Prinzen Ford Sales for $139,310 plus HST

The 2019 Capital Budget for these five vehicles combined is $125,000 and when factoring in the non- rebate portion of HST the net expense for these 5 vehicles will be $141,762 resulting in an overage of $16,762 which will be funded from the Building Services Reserve Fund with no impact on the tax levy.

Chief Building Official Andy Harrison said the Ford Ranger vehicles no longer meet the needs of the department and accessing building and project sites with two wheel drive vehicles can be problematic.

•In capital works projects, the Committee approved a pair of tenders to K. Mulrooney Trucking Ltd. Of Kingston totalling nearly $6 million for infrastructure road reconstruction projects in Picton.

Later this summer, work will commence in the east end of Picton as existing water main and sanitary sewer mains will be reconstructed on and Hill and Fairfield Streets.

The project, approved at $1.3 million, will also include construction of a concrete sidewalk on the west side of Hill Street from Fairfield Street to Bay Street including replacement of the existing stone wall adjacent to the sidewalk location.

The committee also approved a $4.6 million tender for the reconstruction in Picton of Talbot Street from Main Street to approximately 300 metres south of the Millennium Trail and Lake Street from Main Street to West Mary Street.

The project includes reconstruction of the existing storm sewers, extension of the sanitary sewer and water main on Talbot Street from Argyle Street to approximately 300 metres south of the Millennium Trail. Reconstruction of Talbot and Lake Streets from West Mary Street to approximately 300 metres south of the Millennium Trail.

The road work will also feature upgrades to the existing traffic signal installation at the intersection of Talbot Street and Main Street.

Funds for both projects were allocated in the Municipal Capital Budgets in 2018 and 2019.