Mayor Lou Maieron wants to see the municipal culvert on Station Road removed – not replaced.
And like a dog with a bone, Maieron was unwilling to give up his ideas without a fight.
At Erin’s April 3 council meeting, the closure of Station Road in Hillsburgh came up again. The mayor referred to a motion from a previous meeting where council authorized engineering to complete a detailed design required to replace the existing culvert under the dam and causeway. The road has been closed for months because of problems with that dam.
The day after passing that motion and reviewing a Ministry of Natural Resources letter a few more times, Maieron came to believe “It is clear to me that we don’t need to replace the culvert.”
He thinks it could be removed and the road fixed.
Any proposal to remove the culvert would need to deal with the lost amount of water capacity, and ensure it could be dealt with by the existing sluiceway.
Another option would be the creation of another spillway or culvert at another location.
“That was my thinking all along,” Maieron said.
He said maintaining the culvert simply because it lies under the road could be a problem because it would tie that culvert into an aging infrastructure that was not inspected when constructed.
“The road has had problems in that location twice – and has been repaired. I really have no interest in continuing to have a piece of culvert there that was never really approved of in the past – and which continues to give us hardship on the road.”
He added, “Contrary to some suggestions, the mayor is very keen on fixing this road. He’d like to only fix the road and not anything to do with the dam.”
Maieron hopes the town will be able to proceed and open the road to traffic.
“Mr. Mayor … what exactly are you proposing,” asked councillor Barb Tocher.
Maieron said, “I’m not proposing anything.” He added the response from the MNR indicates the town can move the culvert and fix the road.
“Mr. Mayor … We have a resolution that has been passed by council … unanimously I might add,” said Tocher
It authorized engineering work to replace the culvert.
“What are you proposing?” she again asked.
Maieron said, “I’m letting you know that the MNR will allow us to remove the culvert and fix the road. I think that could be done more expeditiously than putting a shiny tailpipe on an old aging infrastructure.”
Councillor John Brennan said council made a decision based on the information it had at the time. “Obviously, this presents us with a new opportunity.”
He said if there is a way to find another location and close the culvert, “it bears investigation.”
He suggested determining if that option is viable.
Maieron said his intent is to limit long term liability to a long term problem.
Again the question was raised what approach the town wishes to take.
Tocher said at the moment, the town has a resolution, passed by council, authorizing engineering work to replace the existing culvert. “Have you stopped process?”
Town manager Lisa Hass said the application submitted would address both options. “It’s the same paperwork for both.”
Tocher said she doubts council would be interested in installing another culvert. “It would just create the same situation in another place. The only solution is if the existing structure that holds the water back, can hold the capacity, that the two structures now carry.”
Maieron said the culvert was never intended to [consistently] carry water in the first place. “Putting a different culvert in a different location and at a different altitude would deal with surface overflow – and would not lead to an issue where it would undermine a road.”
He suggested such a culvert would be at near ground level.
Maieron said he did not want put another pipe in 10 feet down and have it subject to problems in the future. “I want to limit my liabilities moving forward. My interest is in only fixing the road.”
He said to expedite that, the town needs a permit to remove the culvert. Whether it is replaced is another matter.
“So the existing resolution of council still stands?” Tocher asked.
“For now, until we get the response back from the MNR,” Maieron said.
