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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 46 Issue 31
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.05% 3 Year GIC - 2.25% 5 Year GIC - 2.55% Daily Interest 1.55%
Friday, August 2, 2013
Township continues search for solutions to mould issues by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council has approved spending nearly $40,000 to remove mould from the basement of the municipal office here, while continuing to explore long-term solutions to the water infiltration that caused the mould issues. Council voted at the July 23 meeting to accept the tender of Wayne and Harold Smith Construction for $39,750 for the mould removal. One other bid, for $53,550, was received from BioSweep Environmental. While initially recommending council accept the higher bid out of concern the lower bidder would not be able to complete the project, which includes removal, storage and cleaning of records contained in the basement, CAO Patty Sinnamon advised council further discussion with the contractor indicates they can do the required work at the bid price. She noted neither company can do the required page-bypage cleaning of the documents, which would have to be done by another company. Sinnamon said having the records copied and digitized is probably the best solution. Council also dealt with a report from engineering firm R.J. Burnside and Associates on the cause of, and potential solutions for, the basement water leaks in the building, which was constructed in 1992. The engineers concluded
the source of the moisture is groundwater flow from a shallow unconfined aquifer, along with surface run-off and discharge from roof downspouts draining toward the foundation. “The fact that water is entering the basement at many locations indicates the entire foundation, including the basement floor, was not adequately waterproofed at the time of original construction,� the engineering report states. The engineers recommend excavating around the building and constructing a foundation drainage system and installing a new concrete pump chamber with sump pumps outside the building to pump water from the chamber to the ditch at the north side of the building. They also recommend demolishing and re-building the vestibule at the front of the building, digging a trench around the building and repairing cracks in the foundation, sealing the perimeter of the basement floor and re-grading around the perimeter of the building. The engineers estimate the work will cost $205,000, including $40,000 in engineering fees. Some members of council stated they preferred to implement a gravity drainage system, rather than relying on pumps. A local drainage contractor was called to provide input. He indicated one potential outlet
route for the water did not provide sufficient elevation, while another would require sending water across a neighbouring property. Public works director Larry Lynch said the contractor estimated it would cost about $15,000 to run a drain to an outlet. “There are options to go by gravity, but they are quite expensive as well,� said Lynch, pointing out that even including a back-up pump and a back-up generator system, the pumping option would be cheaper. “Fifteen thousand dollars is a lot of money, but at the same time, it’s not a lot of money, when we’ve spent more than that just talking about it for the last few months,� commented councillor Neil Driscoll. Councillor Andy Knetsch asked if it would be more costefficient to simply fill in the basement and build an above ground addition to replace the lost space. Burnside representatives at the meeting indicated they didn’t come prepared to answer that question, but suggested it would be technically possible to fill the basement with “unshrinkable fill.� However they were unsure if that solution would prove more cost effective. The engineers were asked to provide further information on the cost of potential solutions and report back to council.
Drayton Fair features 4-H theme
157th event set for next weekend
DRAYTON - The Drayton Fair will celebrate the 100th anniversary of 4-H when the gates open for the 157th annual fair Aug. 9 to 11. “The theme this year is Celebrating 100 Years of 4-H in Canada, so please make sure to visit all the exciting exhibits on the fairgrounds,� Drayton Mapleton Agricultural Society president Brad Schieck said in a message to fair-goers. “We are always looking for new members and new ideas.� Mayor Bruce Whale offered in the fair program his congratulations to organizers. He also invited everyone to attend. “This annual event dates back to 1856 when my great, great, great grandfather’s family was farming in this community. At that time it was an important social event where people would visit but also a chance for them to show off
their field and garden crops of the year as well as their livestock, in a friendly competition,� the mayor stated. “Today that tradition still exists in an expanded format to include the entire family in the competition as well as the weekend of fun and entertainment.� The fair opens Aug. 9 at 5pm with the exhibit halls and midway operating, while the Ontario Truck and Tractor Pulling Association (OTTPA) truck pull begins at 6:30pm. Gates open gain at 7:30am on Aug. 10, with the exhibit halls opening up at 10am. Other morning events include the heavy horse show at 10:30am and the goat show at 11am. At noon the midway opens and the dairy cattle show gets underway. Afternoon events include a garden tractor pull at 1pm, pet show at 2pm, the Peter
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Mennie magic show at 3pm and the OTTPA sanctioned tractor pull at 6pm. On Aug. 11 the gates will again open at 7:30am, with the exhibits and miniature horse show set to begin at 9am. The beef cattle show and the midway are scheduled to open up at noon. Afternoon events include a sheep show at 12:30pm and demolition derby at 2pm, with the midway closing at 5pm. Coffee and breakfast will be available on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Adult admission to the fair is $10 daily or $25 for a weekend pass. Children under 12 are free all weekend. A new option this year is a family pass costing $25 for a family of four. Those seeking an early start on the fun can take in Toonie Thursday, when all rides will be $2 each. Midway passes will be available for $25.
Time to relax - After 23 years of serving meals in Drayton at the Bonanza Drift-In Restaurant, Anna Assimakopoulos, centre, served her last customers on July 28. In keeping with her recently-deceased husband Nick’s wishes, all proceeds from Sunday’s open house - a grand total of $4,551 - have been donated to the Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation, to be used as a kick-start to the Radiothon campaign to purchase needed equipment. Anna, who is pictured surrounded by her children and grandchildren (Adam, Sue, Danny, Rob, Nicholas, Vicki, George and Amber Assimakopoulos), says she is now looking forward to spending more time with family. submittted photo
Switch to water meters approved for Drayton and Moorefield systems by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Council here has decided to go ahead with a switch to metered water use in Drayton and Moorefield. Council approved the move at the July 23 meeting, following the presentation of a water and wastewater rate study by Watson and Associates, and instructed staff to proceed with preparing a request for proposals for water meter installation. It remains to be decided whether council will elect to charge separate rates in Drayton and Moorefield, or charge all customers a single blended rate using the same composition of a flat rate and usage charges.
While the consultant’s report provided a variety of rate options, Mayor Bruce Whale said council’s priority at the July 23 meeting was to decide whether or not to go ahead with a metered water system. “It’s a very fair and equitable system to go to meters,� said councillor Jim Curry, who said the fact water meters would encourage conservation “is a positive for both water users and the municipality.� However, councillor Mike Downey pointed out if water usage drops, rates would have to rise to cover the costs of the system. “There still has to be X number of dollars coming in,
so if 75 per cent of the people use less water, the rates are going to go up,� he noted. Whale stressed the municipality has been approved for grants to cover much of the cost of switching to meters. “I think the opportunity is there to get federal and provincial money. If we don’t do it now, it might not be there in another 10 years if we have another project,� said Whale. Of the estimated $500,000 cost of meter installation in Drayton, about $334,000 will be covered by federal and provincial grants. The $125,000 cost of the Moorefield project will be subsidized by $83,000 in grants.
Council approves additional worker for busy public works department by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - A seasonal employee will be added to the public works staff here for a period of four months, effective July 29. In a report at the July 23 meeting, public works director Larry Lynch advised council local infrastructure projects have been hindered through the early spring and summer
Weekly Wag
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by poor weather, which has made construction scheduling difficult. Lynch noted staff vacations impacted the situation due to project scheduling changes. Lynch pointed out several capital works projects are scheduled to begin the next two weeks, including: - rehabilitation of 12.5 kilometres of Concession 16;
- the annual sidewalk repair program; - rehabilitation of three bridges and replacement of one box culvert; - widening of Sideroad 12; and - construction management of a fire hall addition. “Over the past five years, a significant number of capiContinued on page 3
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