Martin C. Barry
Starting off the Town of Rosemère’s monthly public meeting last Monday evening with a short item of positive news, Mayor Eric Westram announced that town council has decided to create a new “green committee” that will work on environmental issues affecting Rosemère.
According to the mayor, council received a good number of applications from residents with impressive credentials who expressed willingness to sit on the committee.
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New committee
“I would like to thank all the candidates who applied, whether they were retained or not, for their commitment to their community,” said Westram, while noting that those not chosen for the central committee may be able to sit on several sub-committees that will assist the main one.
On the same environmental note, the mayor pointed out that on May 25 from 8 am to 2 pm in the parking lot outside town hall town employees will be distributing tree seedlings, special bags for the disposal of leaves and other similar items.
Leaf composting
During the same event, residents will be able to take part in a presentation on the composting of leaves which will take place at 11:30 am and at 1 pm. in Rosemère town hall in the council chamber.
At the same time, Westram made a statement on the impact of the recent ice-storm followed by flooding that impacted the North Shore region, as well as other areas of Quebec.
“Mother Nature showed a little bit of everything over the past few weeks,” he said. He thanked the many town employees, including police, fire department and public works, for their dedication during both weather crises.
According to a report on the Town of Rosemère’s financial situation up to last Dec. 31 (the first year of the Westram administration’s mandate), Rosemère recorded a surplus of $836,124, representing 2.7 per cent of the operating budget.
Annual finance report
“As a city council, we constantly aim to preserve Rosemère’s enviable position in terms of debt,” he continued, maintaining that during the current council’s first full year since the election they had stabilized the town’s debt.
Westram said 2019 will be a key year for Rosemère’s future. He said a consultation will be taking place in June on investments to be made in the town’s infrastructures. As well, the town will be holding consultations next fall on orientations for urban planning, he added, with the goal of presenting a new urban plan reflecting the aspirations of Rosemère residents.
Anti-flood measures
During the first question period, a resident who submitted a petition earlier in the evening signed by 92 residents of Maurice St. asking for improvements along the banks of the Rivière des Mille Îles, asked the mayor for his reaction.
Mayor Westram said he had mandated the town’s administration to examine the state of Rosemère’s four dikes, including the one near Maurice St. “We want to know when those dikes were built, how they were built, what sorts of materials were used,” he said.
Dikes to be tested
“And once we have received the report from the engineers specialized in this issue, we will perhaps have decisions to make then regarding consolidation, restructuring or reconstruction depending on what we find out.”
While Westram said there were initial concerns over whether the dikes could withstand additional weight placed on them by sandbags and gravel for reinforcement, he added that things ended up working out and there was no flooding around Maurice St.
All the same, he said the town will be conducting additional testing on the dikes, considering the impact of climate change on the weather and the fact Rosemère has had to contend with limited amounts of flooding in recent years.
