Evening Walk to “The Island”
One last chance to enjoy the autumn leaves and the fresh air before colder temperatures arrive. The beautiful trees and bright sunny skies are what make this place so beautiful.
One thing that happens around this time of year is that the days get shorter and nights get longer, but the weather is still comfortable to enjoy an evening walk around our town. Here are a few captures around the river just after sunset and a full moon rising in the sky.
The project that began in early spring has almost come to a close, with the paving wrapped up for this year, and the new light poles added this past week. Trees have been planted and lines have been painted. The final paving will be complete after the thaw next spring, but for now the project appears to be almost complete.
The days are getting shorter, and the temperatures have been getting cooler. The squirrels are scurrying around trying to collect as many nuts and acorns as they can to store up for the cold winter months. One thing I always try to do each year is plan at least one day where I can take in all the fall colours and enjoy the fresh air. This year we were very fortunate to have several very nice and warm days and the trees have not disappointed. Here’s a photo compilation during one of my walks through our town.
The holidays are upon us, and the council will be wrapping up until the new year, but not before introducing a few new policies, passing the annual city budget and authorizing new public work projects in the new year. For a change of pace, this month’s meeting was held at the Manoir Youville on Ile-Ste-Bernard in Chateauguay. Feel free to check out my photo tour, in the previous post, of this beautiful building.
The most discussed topic in recent months, next to the pot policies, was the housing development project planned for the Lang Farm property between Lang and St-Francis streets (Zones: H-627 and H-606). Residents in the area have been very vocal about their disapproval with the zoning change request from construction promoter RMR Leblanc. Currently construction is permitted for 12 two story single family homes. The request was made to allow for 24 single story multi-family row houses.
A registry was held and residents in the area were asked to vote at City Hall if they disapproved with the zoning change. A local resident started a Facebook campaign to get the word out to vote down this change. However good intentions were meant, it lead to quite a bit of misunderstanding. Several residents who went to vote initially thought they were voting down the entire project, and to protect this piece of land from any development, when in fact the vote was to deny the zoning change from 12 to 24 housing units. Councillor Mike Gendron clarified this and reminded everyone that the project may still go through, but under the original conditions with current zoning in place. When the vote was tallied, 172 residents came out and signed the registry, more than what was needed to request a referendum, and each resident was told that this was not a vote to cancel the project entirely.
When we contacted a few residents who live in the area, they were a little disappointed that the land could still be developed on, but were relieved that there could only be 12 houses now, rather than the planned 24. Concerns involved, traffic, noise, parking spaces and public safety, having so many people situated on the limited size plot of land.
The city had the option to move to the next step and and call for a referendum, but decided to withdraw the zoning change instead. Right now the project is on hold, we’ll learn more at a future time if the developer decides to proceed with his original plans, or leave the land vacant.
Parking has always been an issue in our town, especially during the winter months, when overnight street parking is not permitted. Not only does parking on the street cause delays to snow removal operations, but piles of snow on the street leftover where the truck had to go around. A few new parking policies and rules are expected in the new year. Currently, if a snow removal vehicle meets a parked car on the street, they need to call it in, where a supervisor will contact the police, who will then go over and ticket the offending vehicle. Plans are in the works to allow certain city employees to issue tickets, which will allow police to focus on public safety and patrolling, instead of being overnight ticket agents.
Also on the topic of parking. Many residents in Chateauguay own or work for a company that requires the use of a commercial vehicle. Officially it’s not permitted to park commercial vehicles on private property, however this will change in the new year. The mayor explained that we don’t live in Westmount, and we don’t need to have such strict private residence parking rules. The new rule would also allow for recreational vehicles to be parked in private driveways. While the books on parking are open, a new rule which would limit the amount of vehicles parked on a single family, private driveway to 5 vehicles per household. The mayor explained that it won’t effect most people, but he has seen some households with over 15 cars in the yard, and the new law will be there for these extreme cases. There is no word on when exactly this will be implemented, or if any tickets will be issued for those who don’t comply.
Ticketing will be more streamlined and efficient in the near future. The city is expected to acquire a new intelligent electronic ticketing system. The $200,000 system will allow police officers to scan driver’s licenses and tickets will be issued faster, and payment can be made sooner at the courthouse.
Cars and streets are a big part of our town, and the condition of some street still leaves a lot to be desired, where potholes outnumber solid pavement. The current budget for road maintenance, and paving projects was $1.1 million in 2018. In 2019, the budget will be increased to $3.5 million. A few major road projects in the works will include the paving of Craik street from Dunver to Parc Bonneau. Before this work begins an environmental study must be made, to make sure there will be no ill effects to the wetlands nearby. A similar study is underway on Industrial near St-Jean-Baptiste, where the width of that road is expected to double to two lanes and bike paths will be added.
Housing projects or land modifications have been a really big part of Chateauguay over the last few years, and several are currently underway, or awaiting zoning changes. Here’s a list of some upcoming projects, and potential zoning changes that the citizens can voice their concerns on:
Zoning Changes:
Construction & Permits:
Two city contributions of approximately $12,000 each for park and recreation space on Haute-Riviere and Pascal.
The city has sold a portion of its property held on Principale street for the total of $130,661 to the OMH organization (L’Office municipal d’habitation de Châteauguay). A non-profit organization with the goal to help those less fortunate find affordable housing. A representative of the group made a request during question period that the new OMH building should be tax exempt for at least the next 5 years. The mayor asked why, and she explained that the group’s finances are very fragile, and paying taxes to the city was not in their foreseeable budget. The mayor then explained that if the finances of this group were so fragile, maybe it wasn’t a good idea after all to sell this property to them. We will follow up on this discussion during the next meeting.
The city will be offering tax credits to homeowners who wish to perform renovations to their homes built prior to 1985. The credit will be equivalent to the increase in taxes due to the new higher value of their home.
Tax credits and rebates will also be offered to new industries who set up in the industrial park, and meet certain criteria, during their first 5 years of operations.
City taxes for all homeowners is going up in 2019. Councillor Marcel Deschamps voted down the 3.6% average increase. To help residents cope with the increase, the city is allowing for 4 payments to be made throughout the year instead of the usual 3 payments. I suppose we should all be thankful that we don’t live in Beauharnois; with the proposed 25% tax increase. Chateauguay still is one of the highest taxed cities in Quebec, based on revenue and property values. Hopefully we will see a dramatic increase in services and road repairs in the new year.
Finances & Contracts
Water Supply and Treatment:
City Contracts / Expenses / Agreements:
Health and Safety:
Administration and Human Resources:
The nomination for Me. Nancy Poirier to become the new city director general. She had temporarily filled the position since the summer after the previous director vacated the post. The city searched for a new director, and finally realized that the best candidate was the person who was already sitting in the chair. The mayor, as well as the council said how satisfied they were with her performance, and that she was a great leader with vision and would be a great asset to the town.
In my personal life, I met Me. Poirier when I was running as a candidate in the last municipal elections. She took the time to sit down with me and explain step by step everything I needed to know, so that I would be prepared for all the tasks required of a candidate. She organized all of the paperwork so that everything was easy for me to read, and on election day, she came to visit me at the polling station to make sure everything was alright, and if I had any questions or concerns that she was there for me. I feel it’s a great choice for the city.
New / Existing City Projects:
The city of Chateauguay would like to install 4 new boating docks along the Chateauguay River in various locations along the river, such as Parc Laberge, Parc Marcel Sears, Parc de la Commune and Parc Lachapelle. This would allow private boaters to tie up their boats and enjoy a day on the water. Wifi services will also be made available at Parc Laberge, as well as a common sitting area at the end of the dock for everyone to enjoy. There are no longer any plans for boat or kayak rentals however, which were included in plans from the previous administration.
The Sports / Soccer plex debate is still going on. The new multi-sports building is now open, now the decision is what to name it. When you go out and ask people, they’ll either call it the Soccerplex, since that was the original vocation of this building, but it has since evolved into a place where multiple sports can be played, and talks are underway with a Volleyball organization, so the decision was to name it a “Sportsplex” instead. This did not go over well with councillor Marcel Deschamps, who requested a vote on the matter, and that the city should force the Beau-Chateau committee to officially name it the “Soccerplex”. After several minutes of discussion, the vote was 3 for and 5 against naming the building the “Soccerplex”. During the question period, several citizens brought up their concerns about the actual purpose of this building and the ballooning costs to maintain it, without generating any revenue. The mayor called the previous mayoress an “amateur” and it was her fault for the poor planning and why each citizen is being forced to pay $33 extra this year and $75 the following years.
This month’s meeting was held at the Manoir Youville. I posted a photographic tour of this place in an earlier post. It’s a very beautiful and historic place to be calm and to relax, however it’s huge, and discussions are underway as to what can be done with the building now that the city owns it. Presently the city is operating a retreat hotel here. The scenery is beautiful, wildlife is breathtaking and the historic building is clean and very functional. With over 200 guest rooms, a full sized cafeteria, 3 ballrooms and a perfect location, this place has it all going for it, except word of mouth. Most people don’t know this place exists. On one hand that keeps the place peaceful and calm, on the other hand, a business can’t operate if nobody knows it’s there. The city is looking for your opinions on what you would want see done here in the future.
A suggestion was made this month regarding our public library. Right now it’s simply called the “Chateauguay Municipal Library”, but a naming contest was held and the majority of the votes were to rename the library “The Raymond-Laberge Library”. He was a very passionate man, who was a well respected teacher and wrote the book on Chateauguay. 82.9% of the online vote agreed that the library should be named after him. The other most popular suggestion for a new name was “Bob Marley Municipal Library”.
That about covers this month’s municipal council meeting. I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And Happy Holidays to all! See you in 2019.
These past few weeks have been very hectic and busy. So on my first day off from work, I decided to take a quiet afternoon walk around our neighbourhood to unwind. The leaves are so colourful this time of year, and I rarely took the time to observe and enjoy nature’s beauty. Here’s a collection of photos from my afternoon. I hope you enjoy them.
Ces dernières semaines ont été très occupées pour moi. Pour mon premier jour de congé, j’ai décidé de faire une promenade dans dans notre quartier pour se détendre. Les feuilles sont si colorées en cette période de l’année j’ai rarement pris le temps d’observer et de profiter de la beauté de la nature. Voici une collection de photos de mon après-midi. J’espère que vous les aimez.
Who needs the summer warmth, when you can sit in on some heated discussions at the local council meeting in Chateauguay. The main topic that is on everybody’s mind right now is the upcoming legalization of marijuana in Canada. The prime minister is leaving the details up to each province to decide how to proceed. Quebec is taking a firm stance and holding in the reigns, while the city of Montreal has decided to take a more liberal approach, whilst respecting the Quebec rules. The city of Chateauguay has proposed it’s own set of rules with a bylaw that would restrict where pot could be smoked. The proposed bylaw would have come into effect on the day of legalization, and included allowing the consummation of pot along the lengths of St-Jean-Baptiste and Boul. d’Anjou. However, a vote was called to remove St-Jean Baptiste and Boul. d’Anjou from the list of permissible locations. Doing so, along with Quebec’s own strict laws would mean that pot usage would be restricted to one’s own private residence. This doesn’t mean that smoking pot in Chateauguay will be illegal, it just means that it will go against the city bylaw, and therefore be susceptible to a ticket from police. (Much the same as drinking alcohol in public would be).
The council voted 7 in favour of striking those two permissible areas from the bylaw, and 1, plus the mayor, against removing those two streets from the allowable locations to smoke pot. Each Councillor was given a few minutes to give their opinion regarding this bylaw, and explain the reasoning behind their decision. District #1, Barry Doyle felt that if alcohol is not allowed to be consumed in public, then neither should pot. District #2, Michel Enault explained his concern for local businesses that would have to deal with the pot smoke lingering in the area. District 3 & 4 would like more information on what the impact would be if it were allowed. Marcel Deschamps in District #5 agreed to remove those two streets as well, without further comment. #6 Mike Gendron would like to wait a year to see what the impact is elsewhere. #7 agreed. District #8 François Le Borgne gave several examples of why we should have these two streets accessible to those who smoke pot. For safety reasons, it would be along regular police patrols, who can be there for assistance, if needed. These streets are well lit, not directly in front of businesses, or large amounts of people, and regular bus service is available on these two streets, since driving while high is never a good idea. The mayor agreed with this sentiment, and added that it would be good for the restaurants and bars to offer a place to smoke pot nearby. He also explained that this is no way like alcohol, you are not holding a bottle.
So it appears that as of Wednesday, October 17th, the new bylaw will go into effect, which will allow for smoking pot on your own property. It will not be permitted anywhere else, including parks, sporting events, pools, playgrounds, bus stops, cycle paths, commercial buildings, health institutions, schools, tents and other locations, according to the Quebec law that also goes into effect on the same day.
In other news, the city is looking to simplify the rules for those wishing to remove trees on their properties. The city plans on offering free permits, and giving the person 1 year to plant another tree, or face possible fines.
The “Welcome Tax” is going up for those who purchase a house valued at more than $500,000, which will now have to pay 3% of the value.
The city is requesting a loan of $1.3 million to replace the aging radio system used by the Chateauguay Police department. Currently they operate with an P16 radio system. The new radios will use a P25 ACPO system.
A zoning adjustment was requested for Zone (I-301) which is located on Industrial near Albert-Einstein. This will allow for businesses that deal with machine parts, paint, electronics and house building materials. A special meeting will be held on October 25th.
A zoning change on Haute-Riviere next to the Caisse Desjardins which will allow for a depanneur and gas station in Zone (C-732) to be built. Modifications to the street, adding an intersection on Rene-Levesque and preparing the surrounding land is also planned.
The Lang farm property, located behind the houses on St-Francis and Lang streets was initially approved for single family dwellings. The developer has requested a change of zoning to allow for multi-family attached houses. A meeting was held last week. We’ll learn more about what the next step is at the following council meeting.
Finances & Contracts:
Administration and Human Resources:
Construction & Permits:
Minor Changes:
Construction:
Modifications
The city has acquired a warehouse space in the industrial park, at the cost of approximately $17,000 per year for the next two years, to house the donated goods for the local Food Bank and the Rencontre Chateaugoise.
The Chateauguay Skating Club will receive a total of $1563.86 due to a clerical error and/or miscommunication. The city forgot to mention the 4% billing fees to this organization, so the city will cover those costs this year.
The RTM (exo) will be studying uses for the land adjacent to the public transportation parking lot. Plans will include a customer service centre, offices, and 11 bus bays. The city is giving exo 1 year to complete this study.
The two first dog parks (Oliver Park and Alfred Dorais) will open officially to the public on October 27th, 2018. This coincides with the new city bylaw which allows dogs, that are on a leash, access to public parks in Chateauguay. (G-027-18).
Citizen Concerns:
Citizens had their chance to voice their concerns in regards to issues they’re experiencing in our city. One citizen requested that the city ban all outdoor fireplaces in the summer due to the smoke becoming a nuisance. The mayor said he would look into holding a meeting next spring to address these concerns. Another citizen reported that our city does not offer enough cultural events. This citizen also noted that our local monthly guide is lacking the proper information needed to contact her councillors.
That’s about it for the mayor topics discussed at this month’s town council meeting. I will continue to add more details and other topics discussed as more information becomes available. Thank you for visiting and I hope you found this information useful and informative.
Until next time!
Several hot button topics were on the agenda this month at the local council meeting.
I’m going to start with the one that everyone I know has been talking about, and that’s the proposed land development in the Lang Farm orchard between St-Francis and Lang streets (Zones: H-627 and H-606). The owner of the land, and project developer, Mr. Leblanc had been permitted to build up to 12 single story single family houses, since the land was already zoned for such. However, new plans were drawn up, which would double the density up to 2 stories, and double the amount of houses up to 24. The first phase was supposed to be adopted tonight however it was postponed until the next meeting in October so that more residents in the area could be informed and have their opinions heard.
A new residential development project near the corner of Pascal and Industrial Blvd was presented to us. The zoning in this area would need to be changed due to the amount of houses requested, and the size and proportions of the land available. One such modification would be to have two parking spots side-by-side in the front of the house, since access to the rear would be too narrow for vehicles to pass. The minimum 40% green space and required tree planting would still be there, however the driveway would be located at the front steps of the house.
The proposed project is currently in a much larger zone (H-304) that includes parts of Albert-Einstein all the way up to Nobel. As not to change the zoning for the entire district, the city has proposed creating a new zone for this one project (H-341). This way homeowners in the current sector would not be able to automatically change their properties to build several houses on their same lot, or build closer to the edge of the property lines than previously permitted. Residents will have the opportunity to sign a registry if they do not agree with this project, and a referendum will be held if there is sufficient opposition.
The mayor has proposed to the council and residents, the idea to purchase and renovate the old Caisse Populaire building on Principale street. The current building was left abandoned when the previous owners moved to their new Siege Social building near the hospital. The building is up for sale for $550,000 and the mayor proposed that this would be a great place for a courthouse, council chambers, permits office, 311 information call centre and city projects office. The 3 steps required to complete this transaction would involve the approval (by majority) of the councillors, a building inspection within 30 days, and municipal affairs approval of the loan to purchase the building. A vote was held during the meeting and the proposal was turned down 7 councillors to 1. Somehow I don’t believe this is the last we’ve heard about this project, and perhaps it will be proposed again at a later date. Personally though, it doesn’t seem like that bad of an idea, in principle. The mayor explained that the current chambers located on d’Anjou Blvd cost the city over $100,000 per year in rent, within just a few years the new building would pay for itself. (Plus it would mean they won’t be tearing down yet another building in our town). We don’t know all of the details, so there could very well be other reasons why the proposal was turned down.
And speaking of tearing down buildings. The Albini project has been given the green light, so the historic 150 year old house and associated land is making way for 16 new houses. Another historic building is going away as well, 10 Omer-Loiselle. This time so they can add 13 new parking spaces for the community centre across the street. Contract was awarded to “Univert Paysagement Inc.” for the amount of $128,513.31 to clear the land and pave it over.
While I’m on the topic of parking. The CHSLD Trefle d’or (long care facility) has requested the use of a nearby city owned parking lot at Parc Chevrefils. One concerned citizen mentioned that normally a health care facility has to charge for parking, and would this also mean that this parking lot would also become a pay lot as well, and the mayor confirmed this as a possibility.
EXO, the organization responsible for public transportation in the Montreal Area, is in discussions with the city to build their new offices at our Autoparc, as well as to modify the bus entrance and exit and add 11 bus bays. Currently there are 650 parking spots, but the proposed construction would cut this number down. The mayor has proposed to EXO that they build a 3 story parking structure which would accommodate many more cars. Negotiations are still underway, however, at the present time, the answer is no. The city hopes to pressure the government to force EXO to build this parking structure, whether it be above ground or underground. Councillor Leborgne suggested that if they build it, they can add green vines and plants on the side of the structure to make it more appealing.
The city will no longer need to rent out gym space, and will now use the Sportsplex for the various activities. This will save approximately $50/hr of time used, which will go towards covering part of the fees associated with the new building.
Rules for cannabis consumption and usage, for the public and for the city employees, will be finalized on October 15th. 3 days before the new Canadian law comes into affect, legalizing its use. The city will make adjustments to it’s alcohol, drug and medication policies for its city employees.
The city is still looking to find a new place for the municipal snow dump. The amount of available undeveloped land is running out and the city would like to make the snow dump, along Albert Einstein, available for developers. The deal involving 3 promoters, “Placements Raymar Inc.” , “Azimut Promoteur Immobilier Inc.” and “Gestion Leblanc Borduas Inc.” would require them first to build the streets and connect to the city services, at which point they would return the infrastructure back to the city.
The foundation “Gisele Faubert Inc.” is looking to build a new home for a palliative care institution in our town. In the meantime the city has provided them with office space at the public library in the currently unused “Café”, for a period of two years at $1 per year. A side note, councillor Michel Eneault is the president of the Gisele Faubert foundation, and based on information obtained at the meeting, he has not held any position in this foundation beforehand.
Finances & Contracts:
Administration and Human Resources:
Construction & Permits:
Minor Changes:
The property cleaning division has been making several inroads, and has sent notice to one resident on Seigniory who was brought up last month regarding chicken carcasses, feminine products and diapers scattered in the front lawn. Cleaning has also taken place at 154 Oliver West, where city workers noticed very tall weeds and a filthy swimming pool. And a registry has been created to record the significant deterioration of the property on 382 Colville.
The city will be submitting it’s request for the finals of the “Jeux du Quebec” in 2022.
During the question period several questions to the city were brought up including the ongoing issue with excessive smoke produced by some backyard campfires. Parking issues along the river on Salaberry near the boat launch. Three large piles of dirt have been sitting on Gilmour the last few days. The resident says it was from a nearby construction project, and the dirt is polluted and why the city doesn’t do something about it. Another citizen was upset that he was forced to pay $312 at the new speed bumps on Salaberry near the Old Orchard. When asked what the two had to do with each other, he explained that he drove around the speed bump, and the police stopped him for crossing a solid yellow line. The city promised to look into a more permanent solution, and they agree that the speed bump is quite high, but it will be removed shortly for the winter and a new solution will be found next year. This corner has always been quite dangerous, but has gotten worse since the new traffic light was installed that permitted traffic to continue at speed instead of a stop sign that was there previously. Also in this location a few citizens were upset about a recent change in parking policies at one lot. “Someone sitting on a lawn chair collecting $10s from everyone who wants to park there”. The city says there is nothing wrong with this, and it’s not against any rules, since it’s their own private property to do with what they wish. However, it doesn’t help the lack of parking in the area that already exists. The city said they will assist in trying to find a solution, since it was a city modification that allowed 3 restaurants to operate with limited parking availability in the first place. New options could be extra parking at the church across the bridge, or the community centre when it’s not being used. Discussions will continue next month about this.
The Beau Chateau committee will be meeting on Thursday at 1:30pm, and a concerned citizen is invited to request an explanation for the $160 fee that the Sportsplex will be charging for every player from out of town that participates on a local team. Also, fees will be explained where every house, condo and apartment in Chateauguay will be charged a fee of $50 for the new Sportsplex.
Finally, a topic that has been in the local news these past few years. Councillor Mike Gendron has finally had his name cleared of all wrongdoing. This was a municipal matter, and the city will be covering the costs of $70,000 for his legal fees. Mike Gendron was represented by the now mayor Mr. Routhier, who transferred his file to an associate when he was elected, to avoid any conflict of interest.
That’s about it for this month. As usual I hope you found this recap interesting and informative. Let me know if you would like to hear anything else about the meeting that I haven’t mentioned, and I’ll do my best to get an answer for you.
Until next time!
The summer break is over and municipal council is back in session, and that means that I’m back with the recap of tonight’s council meeting, August 20th, 2018.
Everyone I talked with before the meeting had one topic in mind, and that was regarding the conservation land status on Maupassant street. An emergency meeting was held last Wednesday, and the room was filled to capacity. The city of Chateauguay had planned on changing the zoning of an entire piece of land bordering the “Green Belt” from conservation status to habitation status. This was to allow the construction of a garage for property owner Raymond Leblanc. However, by changing the zoning to allow this one project could potentially open the door for more development in this protected land.
After much discussion the mayor and property owner M. Leblanc came to an agreement. The city would divide the zone into separate parts and only rezone the land absolutely needed for the construction of M. Leblanc’s garage project (H-831), and leave the rest of the land untouched and protected (P-840). M. Leblanc would be allocated approximately 8000sq/m of space, and the remainder of his land claim, which totals to about 6000sq/m, will be sold back to the city of Chateauguay for the token sum of $1.
Many residents were relieved to hear this, however some were still concerned, since this still leaves a large portion of land in sector P-840 at risk in the future. The mayor explained that this land bordering Lery is owned by a developer from Lery. The city of Chateauguay has not been approached by this owner to rezone his parcel of land for development, yet.
So in this instance, the fight appears to have been won, but the war is far from over.
On the topic of zoning changes, the city has adopted changes to Zone H-304 and H-341 on Pascal street. The sectors were designated for single family homes, but will now allow 3 family homes. The number of parking spaces has also been adjusted to reflect the increased density of the sector.
Further steps have been taken in preparation for the new residential construction project on Albini street. A request was put in to demolish an existing historic house built in 1864 located at 167 Chemin de la Haute-Riviere. I don’t know how far along the process is, but based on my research, this house is already owned by developer RMR Leblanc. So time appears short for this historic 150+ year old house!
The land near Chemin St-Bernard has been a hot topic all summer long, and was discussed in detail on the July 4th, 2018 meeting. The rezoning of this entire sector has now been downgraded from multi-family / multi-story homes and restricted to single family and row houses.
Ideally for our environment, it would have been nice if the land could have been protected from further development, but based on our available options, it appears this is the lesser of the two evils. It also doesn’t mean that someone will begin building tomorrow. If and when the time comes that a developer wants to build on the swamp and forest space, the citizens will be given the opportunity to voice their opinions.
Work at the old BMR building in the industrial park is expected to be underway shortly. A request was put in to allow garage doors to be installed in the front of the building, rather than at the back. This is a quality of life request, so delivery trucks will load and unload at the front rather than the back, which borders a residential district.
Also in the industrial park, the city has passed the resolution to allow competing towing companies to set up shop, as long as they abide by the rules already in place. See more details about this zoning change from the meeting that was held on July 4th, 2018.
The zoning change for thermopumps and pool filter and equipment locations has been adopted. Thermopumps and pool equipment can now be located 1 metre from the property line (previously 3 metres and 1.5 metres respectively).
The city has acquired a small stretch of land on Salaberry North, near the Black train bridge, from the commission scolaire des Grandes-Seigneuries, for a total of $2788.14. This will allow the city to extend the bike path along this stretch of road. This does not include the parking lot, or the crumbling wall that has fallen into disrepair. When questioned about what the school plans on doing with that dangerous wall, the mayor explained that the school board was waiting for the environment minister to allow them to repair it. Work to fix the wall and reopening the parking lot will take place sometime in the near future.
Taxis will no longer be allowed to park in the parking lot of the Saint Joachim church on Youville.
There will no longer be discounts offered to youth groups or seniors who wish to rent out hall space owned by the city. This will standardize the price so everyone will pay the same.
Administration and Human Resources:
Finances:
October 16th, 2018 at 10:00am will be the last chance for citizens, who are behind on their taxes (missed payment for a period of 2 or more years) to pay their debt. After this time the property will be auctioned off. The city has made a few changes to the process this year. At the auction the city will place the first bid starting at the amount owed on the property (Example, if $5000 is owed in back taxes, that will be the first bid), after that, anyone else can place a bid. If nobody bids, then the city will become the owner of the property. At this time the original owner will have one year from the purchase date to buy back his/her property for the amount owed in taxes, plus a 10% fee.
The city has made a $2100 contribution to the Chateauguay Chamber of Commerce (in return each councilor and the mayor will receive tickets to events held by the committee).
A contract was awarded to company 9030-5814 Quebec inc. for road signage and maintenance at the cost of $27,188 per year for the period of 3 years, with possible 2 x 1 year extensions.
A maintenance contract was awarded to Les Specialistes AVA inc. to maintain the electrical equipment at the pumping stations in our city for the amount of $41,000 per year until the end of 2022. (Approximate hourly wage of a qualified electrician).
A maintenance contract was awarded to Nadco Inc. to maintain and repair the pumping station generators in our city for the amount of $125,000 per year for the next two years, with possible extensions until the end of 2021.
The municipal court will be closing the books on overdue fines that they feel will be impossible to recover for the amount of $36,387, and the city will be doing the same as well, which amounts to $28,000 of funds that they are unable to recover. (Councilor Marcel Deschamps mentioned that some debts are owed and could potentially be recovered from organizations including the MRC Roussillon for renting a room that they have not paid for, and a high school in Chateauguay for not paying their bill to the city. – We will have to follow up on this next month).
A contract has been awarded to CBCI Telecom Canada Inc. for the amount of $48,464.54 for a period of two years to replace the videoconferencing equipment in the Weslow and Marguerite-Bourgeois rooms at City Hall.
The property cleanup team has their eyes on several more properties that have been left in severe disrepair on Paul VI, Montmorency, Maple and Jack streets. Homeowners are being encouraged to maintain your property, or if the city is forced to do it, you will be left with the bill.
Several citizens presented themselves in regards to the property cleanup program and invited the city to visit a particular home on Seigniory, where the neighbour witnessed the homeowner leave out raw chicken carcasses, open trash cans, dirty diapers scattered in the front yard and a family of raccoons seem to have moved into the 2ft tall grass out front. Another homeowner mentioned a house on Ross street where he has seen over 80ft of wood fence piled up, a rear extension falling off the back of the house, a car in disrepair with half a tarp over it, and a backyard he relates to “a jungle”.
Along with citizen concerns, a resident would like the city to take a look at a bus shelter on Prince street that is leaning back into a ditch, and a community mailbox that attracts too much traffic in front of a school. Another citizen would like parking to be eliminated on Ross street due to it being very narrow and hard to park or leave her driveway.
New speed bumps were added on Salaberry South in front of the Old Orchard (northbound) and the Hair Salon (southbound). One issue with that is, many drivers are going around the speed bump. The mayor said if anyone is caught doing that, they could expect at least a $75 fine for crossing a solid yellow line.
Stop sign on Jack Street is up for debate again. It’s not in a high traffic location, but it is a 1/4 mile of straight road where many residents have been seen racing. (Even with the stop sign, according to a resident who lives on the street, nobody stops there anyhow).
The parking lot at Fernard Seguin should be completely paved by sometime in 2019.
Community Activities:
The mayor would like to thank everyone for taking part during Family Day last Sunday. It was extremely successful and the city is looking into expanding this event into an entire weekend of activities next year. Plans are already underway for the annual Christmas activities, and the city promises that we will have an amazing parade, activities for the whole family and a beautiful fireworks show. The city has promised to contribute $16,000 for this year’s celebrations. Mr. Routhier is looking for suggestions on the duration of the event. Normally the Christmas festivities happen over a period of two half-days, the city is looking at making all happen on one entire day, or an entire week of different activities, nothing is set in stone as of yet.
Some concerned citizens were questioning the mayor’s decision to leave up the illegal pre-election posters that have popped up all over town. The city bylaw states that each sign, if they are not removed, should receive a $200 fine per sign per day, however the mayor said it would be a waste of time taking them down, since the election begins in just a few days and most likely the candidates running will do the work for free and take those signs down and replace them with their own.
Commercial vehicles being parked in residential streets is another issue that has gotten out of hand in some areas. There are inspectors making sure the by laws are respected, but they work during business hours, times that the commercial vehicles would be working. One resident requested that the city hire inspectors that could work nights and weekends and catch the offenders. The mayor said he would look into the possibility.
Upcoming meetings, the next to be held on August 23rd at LPP school in regards to the noise coming from Autoroute 30. The transport minister will be present to discuss possible solutions to the ongoing problems with the noise pollution.
And August 27th a meeting will be held to award a contract to begin work on the two initial dog parks (Dorais Park and Oliver Park).
That’s it for tonight’s meeting. I hope you found the information useful and informative. Let me know if there is any other information about the meeting that you would like to hear, I’ll do my best to answer. See you next time!
Good evening once again for a quick recap on the monthly municipal council meeting for the City of Chateauguay this July 9th, 2018. The last regular council meeting before the summer break, until the end of August, 2018.
Good news for those who have gardens or plants in their yard. The city has now authorized the use of watering cans to keep your plants alive. The restriction still applies to the grass, which is still forbidden to water during this drought. However, if you are caught abusing this by watering your driveway or wasting water in other ways, a fine could still apply. City workers will be on patrol tomorrow observing any offenders.
And speaking of patrols. Due to the public outcry, the city will be sending inspectors out tomorrow to commercial establishments to make sure they are respecting the law as well, any violators could receive a warning or a fine of minimum $100 up to $1000 for repeat offenses.
The city has justified the use of watering the flowers throughout the city, and cleared things up that this type of watering is permitted for the time being. Suggestions were made from the council to possibly find alternative sources of water to use instead of directly from the public drinking supply, and they will look into this. Note: The city has access to a separate water supply that they can use for watering plants. No word yet if they will possibly now fill up at this non-potable location.
A construction project is set to begin on Albini street near Haute-Riviere. Presently there are 2 houses on a large plot of land. A developer wishes to build 16 single family cottages on this land, situated along the river.
The old BMR building on Industrial has been purchased by a company that wishes to make changes to the existing building and include large garage doors in the front. The modification of the bylaw requested will allow wooden doors with 2/5 of the surface area to allow for glass.
Also in the industrial park a motion was voted on to allow various towing companies access to set up shop anywhere in the industrial park, and not be limited to one particular property. This should allow for competition and prevent a conflict of interest from arising, since Mayor Routhier has ownership in the single towing company in the industrial park right now.
A modification in the city zoning regarding the distance between the building structures and thermopumps, air conditioning units and pool equipment will be modified from 1.5m to 1m. However, maximum sound tolerances will still need to be respected. 60db during the day from 7am until 9pm and overnight from 9pm to 7am must remain at 55db.
Several topics were brought up that were discussed at the special meeting held on July 4th, 2018, including the zoning for residential housing in the area surrounding the wetlands and swamp near Ch. St-Bernard. The lack of transparency from the promoter who intends to build on St-Gall street, and when questioned directly about his affiliation with previous projects on the same property, that are in serious disrepair, according to residents in the area, he declined any responsibility, until it was later found out that his wife owned said properties, and they have been in court with the city for the last 7 years.
The city has updated the record for two members of the council who have financial interest in organizations in the city. Mayor Routhier with The Beauchateau, and Mr. Gendron with the Heritage St-Bernard.
One city employee (#1048) from the public works division was suspended for 16 days, while another city employee (#1872) was dismissed entirely. When questioned about the position this employee held, the answer given was that he served the public and held a position of authority, and therefore there was no choice in the matter to dismiss him after his actions. (If we find out more details, we will update this story to reflect any changes).
The city is looking to sell the Maison Moise-Pregent. Purchased by the previous administration, plans were to spend $285,000 to repair/restore this heritage house that the city paid $285,000 for. The current administration has decided to sell the property to someone interested in the land. Councillor Mike Gendron suggested to the council that if the city sells the property to try and sell it at least for the same amount that the city paid for it in the first place. (Reminders of the Marché Laberge).
The river has become a great place for boaters and jet-skiers, however there is little to no control over the speed they race around or their safety. The city says they will look into this. Also along the river, the city is looking at ways to help mitigate floods and ice jams in the future.
On the topic of water, the city is in need of a new UV disinfection filter at the treatment plant. Unfortunately the equipment is very specific and unique to our town’s application. The city is looking for a company(ies) to present plans to replace the filter.
There is no word yet on when the city will begin working on the beautification project at the docks on ile-St-Bernard. Mayor Routhier stated that he has many plans to increase awareness of our town with signs, information posters, advertisements for local businesses and maps to guide visitors to our town.
Also on the island of ile-St-Bernard a committee will be formed shortly to discuss the future of the hotel that costs the city over $1,000,000 per year to maintain.
The city has awarded a contract of $150,559 to CIMA+ to continue inspecting the Chateauguay sewer network with special cameras to check for damage and if repairs are needed. According to Mr. Routhier, this is a good investment since it gives solid proof of work that will need to be done, and it makes it easier for the city to request government subsidies to complete these repairs.
GBI-Experts Conseils Inc. was given the contract to work on rebuilding the pumping station for the town’s drinking water at a cost of $78,412.95. They were by far the lowest bidder in this process, with the following bid at over $261,000
The city has made a deal with the Grande Seigneuries school board for sidewalks near Notre-Dame-de l’Assomption school and Ecole de la Rive, and to create a safe drop-off zone for parents.
The city will also begin cleaning the messy properties that were mentioned at last month’s meeting. Home owners were given several notices from the city, and now the city will take action and clean the properties. (No word though on how they plan on recouping the money spent on the clean up if the home owners don’t pay, or cannot be found).
And that’s about it for the major topics brought up at the meeting this month. Stay tuned for further updates and discussion about our town and as always thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you find it useful and informative.
Until Next Time!
Pierre Mayer