Kawartha Lakes Police Service have seen a near 10 per cent increase in collisions dating back five years.
Sergeant Dave Murtha says in reviewing statistics in the latest traffic report compilation, from 2014 until 2019 the increase in total collisions over half a decade can “be attributed in part to the ever-increasing population and number of vehicles on our roads.”
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock will receive more than $3 million across eight municipalities, including the City of Kawartha Lakes receiving more than $2 million, according to a recent announcement from MPP Laurie Scott.
This year is going to be another big year for construction and infrastructure repair for Lindsay. Below is a snapshot from the City of Kawartha Lakes of what to expect in the coming months:
Enbridge Gas Pipeline Replacement
In order to upgrade aging infrastructure located in downtown Lindsay, Enbridge will replace the natural gas pipelines on Kent Street West starting in late January 2020.
The project scope involves replacing approximately 1.1 kilometres of natural gas main infrastructure on both sides of Kent Street, beginning at Lindsay Street South and ending at Victoria Avenue. The project is expected to last approximately eight weeks.
Susan Blayney has been a long-time volunteer with the Environmental Advisory Committee and is stepping down from this role. Chair Pat Warren and Councillor Richardson presented a certificate of appreciation to Susan for her work on several initiatives. Susan was the driving force behind Kawartha Lakes being named as a Bee City. The Pollinator Pathway project is Susan’s latest project and she invites all who would like to add their properties to the list to register. Shelley Candel, Director of Bee City Canada attended to thank Susan by saying, “You’ve made Kawartha Lakes a better place.”
At today’s committee of the whole meeting, former Deputy Mayor Elmslie thanked the public for participating in the Roads 101 Roundtable sessions by attending community meetings and providing feedback online through Jump In, Kawartha Lakes.
The feedback received from the community resulted in three key recommendations:
The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC), at its annual inaugural meeting held last week in Kingston, appointed City of Kawartha Lakes Mayor Andy Letham as the 2020 chair and warden Rick Phillips as the 2020 vice-chair.
Pat O’Reilly, councillor for Ward 7 was elected as the Deputy Mayor of Kawartha Lakes for the 2020 term, effective January 1. Doug Elmslie ended his one year term as Deputy Mayor and made the nomination for Pat O’Reilly.
At the Special Council meeting on December 3, Council approved the 2020 Operating Budget. There will be a 3.5% increase to the tax levy, slightly below the forecasted increase in the long term financial plan.
Council received a presentation from Jennifer Stover, Director of Corporate Services. Stover noted that the Operating Budget is $205 million of a total municipal budget of $305 million. The Capital, Water and Wastewater and Special Project Budgets were adopted by Council on November 26 totalling $100 million.
At the November 19 meeting, Council passed a motion to proceed with a voluntary ban on single use plastics throughout the municipality. The report was originally brought forward at the November 5 Committee of the Whole, where staff discussed the possibility of implementing the ban and presented both the environmental and economic impacts surrounding the municipality.
Last week, the Kawartha Lakes Public Library Board presented our proposed 2020 operating budget to City Council. Part of our proposal is a request for additional funding to create a new manager of public services position.
Far from libraries dying out or become redundant in the digital age, usage of our library system has grown over the last several years. Our branches are often one of the few places in our communities where everyone is welcome. Whether it is a place to study and do research, to find a new book to read, or learn a new skill, our libraries offer something for everyone.
