CarletonPlace.com

By: Lyle Dillabough

There was definitely some cold hard cash handed out at last night's (Jan. 26th) Town Council meeting.

The Mayor and Council approved and/or have decided to move forward on several initiatives. Some of these are official town business while others are personal acts of generosity on the part of the Mayor and some Councillors.

Council passed a bylaw which authorizes $600,000 to do construction work along Bridge Street this year and another $333,333 to be used on the Trails located at the south end of McNeely Avenue.

Funds used for both of these projects will come out of reserves that were accumulated from the sale of The Carleton Place Hydro Commission to Hydro One in the year 2000. Council plans to replenish the reserve fund by the sale of the Bennett property (located along Townline Road) to the tune of $800,000.

A delegation from Algonquin College appeared before council last night seeking support for the proposed new college facility to built in Perth near the current Perth Campus site.

Council passed a motion which will see the Town of Carleton Place contribute $10,000 to the project. This amount will be paid over the next five years.

GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION

Aside from the commitment from council mayor Paul Dulmage has donated $10,000 personally to this project. The mayor said, "I am a self-educated man and I had to learn most of what I know from the 'school of hard knocks.' Hopefully this will help others to take an easier route."

Several other councillors spoke in support of Algonquin College and it's positive effect on the community and made it known that they too have supported this initiative privately as well.

Just under $16,000 was approved to assist the Royal Canadian Legion to do restoration work on the Cenotaph located beside the Library. It is possible that most (if not all) of this amount may not need to be used if Federal grants are approved to cover the total $31,158 cost of the project. It is believed that this is quite possible.

Once again however, the Mayor and several Councillors stated that they would contribute personally from their discretionary funds if Council decided to not support the Legion's request for funds.

The Hall of Valour (located in the Victoria School Museum) is also looking to expand and wants to construct a new $500,000 addition at the Museum location. However the town recently approved the construction of a Labyrinth at this site and many questions have arisen over the Hall of Valour proposal.

Councillors have made it known in preliminary discussions that they wholeheartedly support the Hall of Valour and will work with them to ensure that it will be successful now and into the future. But just how that will all transpire is yet to be determined.

Council will have to work hard in other areas (particularity with the proposed new hospital and in senior's housing development) if they want these things to materialize. "The time is now" said mayor Dulmage. "We have to make an all out effort representing ourselves as the Town of Carleton Place to the higher levels of government. It's crucial now more then ever that we be able to do this successfully," he said.