(Mayor) Lou Stonehouse Walkway – Wallaceburg
Budget Chairperson, Mayor Hope and Members of the Budget Committee:
I hereby make a motion to fund the Lou Stonehouse walkway repair in the 2014 infrastructure
budget.
While staff will have the discretion to do the actual allocation the $500,000 funding for the repair should come from one and/or any of the following reserves:
Reserve 2014 Balance
(After any draft budget changes)
# 67 Lifecycle Trails $1,814,647.00
#20 Future Capital Projects $1,019,084.00
#23 Council Strategic Directions $729,676.00
#32 Community Investment Fund$3,735,656.00
If the motion gets seconded I will provide further comments on why Council should support this motion.
1. While it has been referred to as a bridge it is really a walkway over the Sydenham River. This is a very unique structure that should not have been listed and evaluated as a vehicular bridge in the infrastructure inventory. In speaking with Council members I believe they recognize this. The Stonehouse walkway does not allow for any type of vehicular traffic and never will since the walkway is only 6 feet wide and is not built nor certified for the weight of vehicles. However, this walkway is a key part of the Trans Canada Trail and it is the only safe and accessible way across the river for our seniors, disabled and anyone with mobility problems. Why would they cross the river? To access the downtown business core, the seniors centre, pharmacy, medical offices, dental offices, library, municipal service centre, restaurants-to mention but a few important destinations. I think members of our community have also made this point with Council.
2. Councillor Parsons and I have had extensive conversations with Mr. Kelly and CK engineering staff and we have worked on this for a long time.
3. 70% of the walkway is usable and repairs are needed to only 30%.
4. In a report to Council on April 18, 2009 $654,000 was approved by Council for the repair but it did not get done. The funding we are asking for today is less than what was allocated in 2009.
5. In a report to Council on June 28, 2013 there were five options that ranged in cost from $360,000 to $1.2 million for construction costs. We are asking that the $360,000 option be the option put into the infrastructure budget. In speaking with Mr. Kelly he indicated that he would like $500,000 just to be sure but he also thinks this is the absolute maximum and that the actual cost should be much less. These amounts do not reflect further cost savings from community partnerships which I will mention in a moment.
6. The “do nothing” option will require ongoing annual costs of $7,000 to $10,000 until the structure is deemed unsafe and, according to the June 28, 2013 report, the cost to then remove the bridge is $540,000. The cost to repair the walkway is less than the cost to do nothing and remove the walkway.
7. At the public open house suggestions were offered up to offset the cost of this project even further. While there is not, at this point in time, a detailed list of products and services that are required to complete this repair (that will come later during detailed design) the support from Chatham-Kent business has been exceptional. All support and cost savings from local businesses and volunteers will go directly to further reduce the cost as indicated earlier. I want to emphasize that all products and services whether by volunteer or local business will meet all required engineering specifications and approvals for design, safety etc. plus all legal requirements before proceeding. Here is a summary:
– The Wallaceburg Chamber of Commerce (done) and the Wallaceburg Business Improvement Association (meeting tonight) have agreed to team up with Councillor Parsons and I to recruit and lead the volunteer effort to do any tasks that volunteers can do – painting, clean up, landscaping etc. Both organizations have also agreed to work with us in getting support from local businesses to donate and/or supply products and services to lower costs even further.
– Gary Labadie – Owner – Duchene’s Paint & Accent Alley agreed to donate 20 gallons of SICO Corrostop paint PLUS 100 brushes and 24 roller sets. He has been supportive of every project we have ever done in Wallaceburg. Amazing!
– Brad Murphy – Sarnia Branch Manager for Windsor Factory Supply (he lives in Wallaceburg) will, based on the list of products and services, donate items and will also provide other items at his cost. He and his family were very involved in the successful local pool user meetings.
– Rick Zavitz – President – Chatham-Kent Ready Mix / Chatham-Kent Construction Products/ Dresden Ready Mix has committed to “aggressively bid the work in order to supply materials at the least cost to the project.”He is not from Wallaceburg but he is a very successful CK business owner who has stepped up to help.
– Keith Davis – Owner – Ecan Energy Services – Keith has offered to:
a. Provide steel and welding services;
b. Find a local business to work with him to remove the old structure;
c. Look at prefabricating the new span; and,
d. Find a crane operator.
All of the above is subject only to Mr. Davis reviewing the walkway site and engineering requirements as to the scope of what is required. Mr. Davis is an accomplished, successful and creative local business person who quite simply finds a way to get things done.
– Local business owner, realtor and BIA member Dick Primeau has been instrumental in garnering support and will continue to assist through to completion.
– There are more business partnerships to come. Council will be impressed by the support, partnerships and volunteerism this project will generate. A good story for both Wallaceburg and Chatham-Kent.
I really do appreciate the consideration of Council and I ask for your support in this matter – both Council and staff have my personal commitment (and I know of Councillor Parsons as well) that we will do everything in our power to make this a successful, innovative and creative way to get this project done…and we will have some fun in the community at the same time.
Our community has done it before and we can do it again.
Jeff Wesley
