Dunn provides off-road vehicles task force update to council

Councillor Pat Dunn, who serves as chair of the Off-Road Vehicles Task Force, was asked by Mayor Andy Letham to provide council with an update on the work of the task force at the recent council meeting.

The task force has been asked by council to look at the issues surrounding off-road vehicles accessing municipally owned roads, and what roads, if any, should be opened to the off-road vehicle community.

Dunn said, “The task force has met almost every week since early February. On March 19 in open session we heard presentations from 26 delegations on both sides of this issue. We were able to hear them all. People were very polite and respectful of each other. Some had good ideas and some had ideas that were off track.”

“Our job is to identify routes that will connect approved trails together,” Dunn continued, “including a pathway through Lindsay for use by ORVs. There were a number of inaccuracies in some of the points made by some of the presenters.”

Dunn told council that there is real interest in the work of the task force if online activity is any indication. On the Kawartha Lakes municipal website there is an opportunity to fill in a survey regarding ORVs and what roads should be open to them, and so far 572 individuals have completed the survey.

The task force has received 395 pieces of email from the public regarding the working of the task force, and Dunn said “some of the suggestions were constructive proposing different routes for the task force’s consideration.”

“We have a route through Lindsay ready to be approved by council at their May 4 meeting,” Dunn said. He also promised that additional documentation will accompany the recommendation for council’s consideration.