Late start

The new city council got off to a late start after a four hour closed-door session delayed the public meeting by two hours Monday night.

Originally slated for the usual 6:30 p.m., council didn’t start the public meeting until around 8:30 p.m. due to appointments for city committees. Council would go back behind closed doors twice more throughout the public session due to legal matters.

Mayor Keith Hobbs said he wasn’t surprised with the late start because the appointments, both for citizens and councillors, had to be made so the committees can begin meeting.

"I wasn’t very comfortable however due to the load that we had particularly the committees it couldn’t be helped," Hobbs said. "I don’t like people having to wait for two hours."

While campaigning on a promise to do more council business in public, Hobbs said legal matters still need to be discussed in private.

"Those were sensitive legal matters," Hobbs said. "Legal matters when you’re talking about people and possible things that shouldn’t get out in the public."

Coun. Paul Pugh said he doesn’t like having meetings delayed, but added that appointments generally come once every four years so council needed to take its time going over the various candidates for committees. As for legal matters, those questions will always come up at meetings and force council to go in camera.

"They pretty much have to be done behind closed doors," Pugh said. "It’s the lawyer’s call, you can’t really tell whether the lawyer’s right or wrong until you’ve heard the information and being lawyers they’re extra cautious that’s their job."

Also Monday, the first phase of an $18 million, 5.3 kilometre facelift to Golf Links Road and Junot Avenue is closer to its 2012 start date after council approved the Environmental Study Report.

The $6.72 million first phase will upgrade Golf Links Road from the Harbour Expressway to Oliver Road. Along with four lanes, the designated major road will see a recreation trail on the West side and sidewalk on the east.

Water, sewage and storm drain improvements also need to be made. With the route already exceeding its 12,000 vehicle per day maximum, Coun. Ken Boshcoff asked why the city would try to improve traffic flow and then put up more traffic lights such as proposed signals at Golf Links Road and Central Avenue.

"It seems like every time you think we can move traffic we propose more lights then any city I’ve ever seen," Boshcoff said. "Is there any possible way to remove the amount of traffic lights."

City engineering manager Pat Mauro said based on traffic counts, the lights are warranted.

Another proposed set of lights at Junot Avenue and Riviera Drive for phase two are not warranted based on traffic, but concerns from residents about pedestrian traffic Mauro said.

Boshcoff said he doesn’t think people realize how much traffic lights cost to put up and keep running. Mauro said they are at least $100,000 and $32,000 for electricity alone.

City administration expects 50 per cent of the $18 million price tag to come from Renew Thunder Bay, with the provincial and federal governments kicking in the rest.

Coun. Pugh asked if those provincial and federal dollars could be counted on.

City manager Tim Commisso said because the project will create jobs and stimulate economic development in areas like Innova Business Park, the city shouldn’t have any problems securing money from other levels of government.

"Based on that we’re going to go forward and pursue funding," Commisso said. "You can be assured over the next year we are going to be doing that aggressively,"

Phase two of the project, expected to be $8.19 million, will stretch from Oliver Road to John Street with construction beginning in 2013.

The final phase at $3.55 million will stop at Walkover Street.

Construction is expected to begin in 2014.