AMHERST – Amherst is going to install a new crosswalk from Centennial Villa across Church Street to Pharmasave.
For several years, residents at Centennial Villa and Gables Lodge, a pair of nursing homes at the top of Church Street, have been asking the town to build a crosswalk across the street to the pharmacy.
The town has denied those requests for various reasons, including the proximity of the Church Street and Robert Angus Drive intersection that has its own crosswalk.
A recent request was reviewed by the town’s traffic authority, police chief Ian Naylor, and he approved the installation of the crosswalk since it falls within the most recent guidelines of the Transportation Association of Canada manual.
Before the crosswalk can be installed there is some infrastructure work the town has to complete, including extending a culvert. The extension, along with concrete and asphalt, is expected to cost $5,000 and will come out of this year’s operating and asphalt patching budgets.
The owner of Pharmasave has also agreed to do some work on his property to make the crosswalk a reality.
Amherst buys new sidewalk machine
AMHERST – Saunders Equipment was the successful bidder to provide a new sidewalk machine to Amherst for $142,360 plus HST.
The funding will come from the town’s 2017-18 capital budget.
The approved capital budget for this item is $162,000.
Saunders’ bid was the lowest of two bids and it also scored highest in the bid evaluation process. Its Trackless brand name is fully compatible with the town’s existing fleet of Trackless vehicles.
With the purchase, the town can retire its oldest, least efficient sidewalk plow.
Council extends committee appointments until January
AMHERST – Amherst is extending its council committee appointments until January while it looks at the relevance of its participation in the current list of committees.
Mayor Dr. David Kogon is on the L.A. Animal Shelter board and the regional EMO committee, Deputy Mayor Sheila Christie is on the police commission until Oct. 31, 2018, the planning advisory committee, Susan Taylor Theatre advisory committee, the VON and YMCA boards of directors.
Coun. Jason Blanch is on the police commission until Oct. 31, 2019, the Municipal Alcohol Project, the tree advisory committee and the Tyndal Wellfield advisory committee.
Coun. Vince Byrne is with Cumberland Joint Services and the regional EMO committee, Coun. Darrell Jones is with the police commission until Oct. 31, 2019, the senior safety advisory group and the Tyndal Wellfield advisory committee while Coun. Wayne MacKenzie is with the library board, the planning advisory committee and the West Highlands Redevelopment Committee.
Coun. Terry Rhindress is with the CJSMA, the Northern Region Solid Waste Committee, the planning advisory committee and the West Highlands Redevelopment committee.
All councilors are on the committee-of-the-whole and all, except for Coun. Byrne, are members of the audit committee.
Amherst names new youth town council
AMHERST – Amherst council has approved a new 10-member youth town council for 2017-18.
Olivia Pulsifer, Austin Coates, Rohin Minocha-McKenney, Rajan McKenney and Allie Degenstein are returning to council while newcomers include Mason Carter, Tegan Tran, Braden Lines, Emily Jewers and Abby Letcher.
