KILLALOE – Despite the weather, the current Township of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards council met for their final regular council meeting before newly-elected councillors take office.
As the meeting began, Mayor Janice Visneskie Moore indicated that they would be taking a short break in the middle of the meeting to recognize outgoing councillors Kathy Marion and Isabel O’Reilly.
Linda Gavin spoke briefly before council as the meeting’s lone delegation, asking for clarification about a burning bylaw sign-to-sign in Round Lake Centre. Council indicated that that they would not be proceeding with the development of such a bylaw, and that they would address the situation in Round Lake Centre via other means.
Reports followed next, the first from KHR Fire Department Chief Bob Gareau.
Gareau’s report provided an update on renovations at the Killaloe Fire Hall, which Trademark Building Solutions are currently working on. Gareau explained that the renovation crew had encountered further issues with regards to wall support and door installation.
The report stated that, “more steel lintels will have to be installed to support the roof and connecting rods…to ensure that the front of the building does not collapse under the weight of the new doors.”
Furthermore, the report states that the kitchen and bathroom within the hall are condemned. Reinforcing studs are in place to help take the weight of the roof off the walls, but this is described as a “temporary measure” until the spring when the building will be demolished.
Gareau’s report concludes that new construction to replace the demolished kitchen and bathroom, as well as a roof for the training centre and repairs to walls, need to be included in the new budget cycle.
“We met with [Bylaw Enforcement Officer and Chief Building Official] Don Wrigglesworth at the site,” added Visneskie Moore. “We ordered the steel that’s going up.”
The cost of reinforcement is $4,000, while the cost of the steel beams required is set at $3,700.
“To tear it down and rebuild, we’re looking at $150,000,” commented Visneskie Moore.
Councillor Carl Kuehl had some concerns over these costs.
“Didn’t we hire an engineer to do a study on the fire hall?”
Councillor Debbie Peplinskie clarified that while they had hired an engineer, he had only been asked to look at the roof. Gareau added that this study was undertaken before his time as fire chief.
“Where we asked [the engineer] to look isn’t where we have problems,” commented Visneskie Moore.
Get your November 26, 2014 edition of The Valley Gazette to read more of this story.