WESTMEATH — The sidewalks along the main street in Westmeath will be in much better shape later this year.
Whitewater Region council agreed to have sidewalk reconstruction work done in co-ordination with the road construction work Renfrew County is doing this year. The cost is around $25,000 and will come out of the roads reserve budget.
During the roads committee meeting on May 24, Councillor Charlene Jackson said, “It’s unfortunate we don’t know of these projects ahead of time. More often than not, it’s after the budget is passed that we are informed that the county is doing a project that could very well affect us.”
If there was better communication between county and municipal staff, then projects could be co-ordinated and the work could be included prior to the budget being passed, she said.
This is the second or third project that it has happened after the budget has been passed, she said.
CAO Robert Tremblay agreed, saying staff at both levels have to be more pro-active to co-ordinate with what each other is doing in the municipality – and letting the residents know as well.
He noted it will be a busy construction season in Whitewater Region between the work the municipality is doing as well as the county. He is aware that Westmeath and Beachburg roads will both have certain areas reconstructed this year.
Following a question from Councillor Daryl McLaughlin about the history of the sidewalks in Westmeath, Mayor Hal Johnson believes all the curbs and sidewalks were put in when the roads were all paved in the former Township of Westmeath in one year sometime in the 1960’s.
Councillor Cathy Rathwell said, “Those sidewalks are really, really bad and I know we’ve tried to do the best we could by rectifying some problems, like pulling out weeds in the cracks.”
Coucillor Chris Olmstead agreed that after seeing the condition of the sidewalks the money will be well spent.
Roads supervisor Randy Buckwalt said there are 50 slabs to be replaced, because they are in sections, and 10 intersections where sidewalks will be tapered down to street level so they are wheelchair accessible.
