Mayor Elmslie's 2025 budget priorities brought to the committee

DAN CEARNS The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: Mayor Doug Elmslie has outlined a number of potential priorities for the City of Kawartha Lakes’ 2025 budget.

These priority items were discussed at a budget committee meeting held on Tuesday, September 3rd.

“In Fenelon Falls, there is a project to reconstruct the bridge, linking Lindsay Street to Colborne Street. This is a multi-year project which will see that bridge reduced to one lane for at least two years and a pedestrian by-pass which may or may not be feasible. The results after downtown reconstruction and COVID would be very negative and would harm the business community. And, as yet, we have no approvals from the Trent Severn Waterway for the use of their lands. It is therefore doubtful the work could commence in 2025. Additionally, the underpinnings of the Bridge were worked on in 2021/22 and Engineering reports indicate there are no immediate concerns,” a letter from Mayor Elmslie stated. “For these reasons, we should proceed with the Fenelon By-Pass from Highway 35 North to the Third Concession. This would entail beginning the Environmental Assessment (E.A.) as an early start for the 2025 budget in the fall of 2024. This E.A. will then show where the By-Pass can be located. By taking this step we will alleviate the traffic volumes in Fenelon Falls, so when the Bridge Reconstruction in Fenelon commences, there will be less traffic, and by that time the Power Link project for a pedestrian bridge should be completed.”

That first letter was referred to staff for costing and a report back on both bridges.

Mayor Elmslie also identified a number of road work projects which he wrote “appear to be the most pressing.”

The first one was Balsam Grove, from County Road 8 to just north of White Tail Road. Lightning Point Road from Highway 35 to the end was another. Full road projects included Burys Green Road, Sturgeon Glen Road and County Road 30. Portions of Post Road, the Somerville Third Concession and the Janetville subdivision filled out the remainder.

The committee asked for a report back on costing and where each road falls within the City’s five year roads plan.