ELORA – It’s road repair season and Centre Wellington will see $835,000 worth of asphalt laid this summer through four major projects.
Council awarded the contract to Ekum-Sekum Incorporated, also known as Brantco Construction, at its meeting on May 25.
The work includes:
- 1st Line, Wellington Road 19 to Sideroad 10, West Garafraxa, $286,965;
- 3rd Line, Wellington Road 19 to Belwood Lake, West Garafraxa, $113,696;
- 8th Line, Middlebrook Road to Wellington Road 18, Pilkington, $523,263; and
- Elora Fire Hall parking lot, $18,539.
That totals $942,464 and puts the projects over budget.
Treasurer Dan Wilson suggested reallocating the gas tax fund and using unspent gas tax funds from 2020 to make up the difference, which council approved.
Fergus sportsplex improvements
The Fergus Scottish Festival, the Fergus Fall Fair and Centre Wellington Township are working together to upgrade electrical and fibre optic capabilities on the grounds outside the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex.
Work will include repairing and updating existing power panels, installing new transformers, panels and outlets, more lighting, additional water lines and updated wifi.
Both the festival and the fair will contribute toward the upgrades and the township will shoulder the balance.
Centre Wellington Hydro and Centre Wellington Communications Inc., both subsidiaries of the township, will do the work.
Council approved a motion on May 25 to award the contracts and sign memorandums of understanding with the citizen organizations.
Parking enforcement
With time-limited parking now in effect in downtown Elora and Fergus, the township has hired Alpha Technology Systems, o/a Alpha Parking Solutions to enforce the bylaw.
“In order for parking tickets to be issued, specific employees of the company providing the enforcement must be appointed as municipal law enforcement officers,” reads a report by clerk Kerri O’Kane.
Councillors Bob Foster and Stephan Kitras were opposed to the idea.
“I’m not okay with contracting this out,” said Foster. “I think we should do this in house with our current staff.”
Mayor Kelly Linton reminded Foster that council had already approved contracting out the enforcement piece of the bylaw.
The bylaw names the seven Alpha employees who will do the work.
Kitras asked why so many officers were required and was told all seven won’t be working at the same time, but that only these seven have the authority to issue tickets.
It will be up to Alpha to schedule its employees appropriately.
