Good afternoon. From the heart of Prince Edward County, I’m Will Pearson with your County FM News.
Last night, County Council had to address difficulties with the Wellington Trunk Infrastructure project. Brenda Little has more.
The Wellington Trunk Infrastructure project ran into some unforeseen problems with crews hitting steel and excessive water requiring some changes to the process that in turn has delayed completion and increased costs. The development services department made a request for an
addition $5 million dollars to cover the unforeseen problems and after much discussion the motion was carried. Councillor Neiman asked why the county was on the hook for the additional funds and Councillor Brany asked for a completion date. The project is expected to be finished in the fall.
Also at council last night, the finance and IT department requested the approval of a motion to accept a longer-term arrangement for financing the Wellington Infrastructure project. The request was to approve the financing of the $31.1 million cost over 40 years instead of 30. Council members were reluctant and expressed various opinions but voted to accept the motion.
Council also dealt with remuneration for the mayor and councillors. At the last council meeting, two councillors were absent, and the vote on the issue was tied. Last night, everyone was present as they reviewed the options. Once again, there was considerable discussion but in the end option 2 carried, by a vote of 8 to 6. Councillors Pennell, Neiman, Prinzen, Harrison, Engelsdorfer, and Brany all voted against the motion. Option 2 uses the average of six other comparable single-tier municipalities. Starting Jan. 1st next year, the base salary for the mayor will be over $96,000, and councillors will be paid over $40,000. Currently, councillors receive over $29,000 and the mayor is paid over $59,000 annually.
The Committee of the Whole meets tomorrow afternoon at 1 in Shire Hall. They will consider reports from the Development Services Department, one regarding the implications of updated population growth forecasts for infrastructure planning, and another regarding the program to reduce development charges.
We also have a reminder that County Council will be hosting the Civic Recognition Program award ceremony this fall. You can nominate an outstanding resident or group to shine a spotlight on those who go above and beyond, who lift others up, bring the community together, and make the County a better place to live. Guidelines are listed in the nomination form. Fill out a nomination form online, or pick up a paper copy at Shire Hall. The nomination deadline is next Tuesday, June 30, at 4:30 pm.
And finally, in international news, Ukrainian drones knocked out power in the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea today. The drones also targeted facilities in central and southern Russia, underscoring the reach of Ukraine’s attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian oil refineries, depots, and supply routes this year, pushing up gasoline prices in Russia, where authorities have limited sales in some regions.
Sports
At the FIFA World Cup yesterday, in the second game of round-robin action in Group L, England was only able to tie Ghana at zeros, while Croatia eked out a 1 – 0 victory over Panama. England and Ghana sit atop the group with four points, and Croatia is third with 3. Panama has been eliminated from the next round. In Group K, Portugal thumped Uzbekistan 5 – 0, and Colombia defeated Congo 1 – 0. Colombia leads the group with six points; Portugal follows with 4.
Today, in Group B, Canada takes on Switzerland, and Bosnia plays Qatar. With a win or tie, Canada wins the group.
In Group A, Mexico takes on Czechia, and South Korea plays South Africa, with Mexico at the top of the group with six points and already through to the knockout round of 32.
In Group C, Brazil takes on Scotland, and Morocco plays Haiti, with Brazil and Morocco tied for first place in the group on four points. Haiti also is out of the tournament.
In MLB, the Toronto Blue Jays have just started a ten-game homestand against teams with records below .500. They split the first two games against the Houston Astros on Monday and Tuesday, and look to win the series tonight. The Jays have dropped back one game below .500 again, and continue to sit in third place in the A.L. East.
