CAO appointment confirmed and other good news

Sue Klatt (above) outside MV Township office

During her opening remarks at the May 4 Council meeting, Mayor Kim Love announced,

Ms. Suzanne Klatt has accepted the position of CAO/Clerk for the Township of Madawaska Valley as of May 28. Ms. Klatt is already well known to our community from her time as an Administrative Assistant, Asset Management Clerk and Community Emergency Management Coordinator for the Township. Since then she has served as Deputy Clerk and Treasurer and then as CAO/Clerk for the Township of South Algonquin. Most recently Ms. Klatt has been the CAO/Clerk for the Township of Horton. Horton Township’s loss is definitely Madawaska Valley’s gain. Ms. Klatt brings a wealth of knowledge, skill and plenty of diverse municipal experience to this leadership position. On behalf of Council it gives me great pleasure to welcome Sue Klatt back home to Madawaska Valley.

Also during her address, Love welcomes Ms. Judy Gutz to the municipal services team. Gutz will be the Combermere Recreation Facilities Coordinator.

Another announcement

Council approved a recommendation from the Operations Committee to complete the remaining 2.7 km of Old Barry’s Bay Road in conjunction with the current construction project in 2018. Mayor Love pointed out that Council’s approval means this project (estimated at $405,000) will be included in the 2018 budget. The reason for advancing this project is to take advantage of economies of scale while the equipment and labour is there to do the previously-approved section of the road.

Love said,

We don’t usually make a decision on a large capital project  outside of the budget workshops process but it absolutely makes sense to get on with it and get some good pricing.

After consulting with members of Council and staff about whether they could speak publicly now, Love then announced,

We got $1.7 million from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund to go towards this project.

Love said she believes the reason they were successful with this OCIF top-up application is because the municipality invested in the engineering and the work to produce a “shovel-ready” application for this grant. She asked Councillor Peplinski as chair of the Operations Committee to speak to it. Peplinski paid credit to Operations Manager, Hilary Kutchkoskie, saying,

My compliments to Hilary and the staff for doing what they’ve done because it was [his] recommendation that we do the engineering and that was really what got us over the hump. Thank you.

The project includes making a small section of Old Barry’s Bay Road through Kaszuby near the Scout camps an Active Transportation zone with wider shoulders to allow for more pedestrian use of the road. Kutchkoskie confirmed residents will be notified of construction plans.

Love concluded with,

It will be a bit difficult this summer but think of the great road we’re going to have at the end of it.