Rosedale Council: Spring Cleaning is Underway for Roads, Waterways, and Properties

Rosedale’s Council meeting was fairly brief this month, with the Council handling largely routine business items including a few funding requests, a series of development agreements, and pieces of correspondence that didn’t require any discussion.

There are still a few items worth highlighting, however. Council received three tenders for gravel hauling and spreading on Rosedale roads this year, and debated whether one contractor would be able to do the entire municipality within the timeframe that they designate, which would run from mid-June to the first of July. Other constituents express concern about those roads being used for heavy hauling in the early spring while they are still soft, causing them to become rutted and in some cases impassable. With all the difficulties that rural municipalities have been having with roads this year, the concern is taken very seriously. The tender for all six wards is ultimately awarded to the low bid.

Council is also concerned about the growing zebra mussel problem which continues to make its way west across the province. The main body of concern is Kerr’s Lake, a popular fishing spot, which they predict is within days of having zebra mussel eggs spread into it. They are looking at options for assistance in dealing with any eventual problem, and want to ensure that constituents know that it is not being overlooked.

Finally, Council is discussing how to better deal with derelict yardsites, as the current bylaw does not seem to empower them to enact stiff enough penalties. They are reviewing the limitations of their current bylaw and looking towards how other municipalities have handled the problem, including such measures as using municipal resources to clean up after the owner has been given time to deal with it themselves, and adding the cost of the clean-up to their tax bill if they don’t pay it. There are several considerations, including how to define a property as derelict and how to designate the officer who is empowered to report it and address the issue.