Gananoque council briefs

Traffic control box to be replaced

Gananoque council has unanimously voted in favour of the purchase of a traffic controller for Carmichael Street.

The traffic control box at the intersection of Carmichael Street and King Street East controls the traffic lights through sensors installed under the pavement, as well as pedestrian push buttons.

Town staff was requesting that this control box be replaced in 2024, however, the malfunctioning has become too much to bear operationally.

It was noted to council that Public Works staff and Gananoque Police Service dispatch staff are now receiving on average two calls per week to report the traffic lights either on a four-way red light flashing cycle, or completely out of power. Each instance is costing Public Works approximately $700 for an emergency repair/reset on the control module.

The control box was reportedly struck by lightning earlier this year, which has made it more difficult to troubleshoot issues.

Staff recommended to replace this control box as soon as possible as it is a critical juncture on the King Street East throughway in town.

Council recordings to be made public

An initiative spearheaded by Gananoque Mayor John Beddows has now come to fruition.

Council recently directed the clerk to investigate and recommend a means of recording and making publicly available recordings of town council sessions.

“It speaks to transparency,” said Beddows.

This motion was unanimously passed by council.

“I think this is a wonderful and great initiative and the community will be embracing the fact that they can listen to council meetings when and as they want to,” said Coun. Anne-Marie Koiner.

(Keith Dempsey is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Brockville Recorder and Times. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.)

Keith Dempsey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brockville Recorder and Times