A6

By Corinne Fitzherbert

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It looks like Plaster Rock youth will gain an outdoor activity park in the spring. The concrete slab left behind by the demolition of the Tobique Valley Centennial Arena will be transformed into a multi-use play area.

"There is still work going on there right now so we wouldn't be doing anything until the spring," Danny Braun, CAO for the village, noted at the Aug. 18 council meeting.

Braun noted he carried out a telephone survey with residents of streets near the old arena explaining what the site will be used for and asking for their response if they had any concerns. He noted he received only one call from a resident looking for assurance the site would be fenced in and closed at a reasonable time in the evening.

The tentative plan is for the park to have a four-foot fence with gates that could be locked at 9 p.m. The concrete slab would be turned into a multi-use park where youth could safely enjoy activities such as ball hockey and biking. Closing the park in the evening would eliminate concerns with noise being generated late at night.

Mayor Judy St. Peter noted she received a few phone calls from residents who had questions about the proposal.

A long list of incidents investigated by the RCMP in Plaster Rock last month raised a few eyebrows around the council table. During the protective services report which was read by Braun in the absence of Deputy Mayor Suzanne Mullin, it was noted the police answered more than 20 calls. RCMP responded to a traffic collision and reports of one harassing phone call, one sexual assault, one theft over $5,000, one missing person, one export of counterfeit money, one incident of disturbing the peace, one assault and infractions of the Liquor Control Act, Mental Health Act and a municipal bylaw.

Council is moving ahead with explorations into setting up a Neighbourhood Watch program in the community. A meeting with RCMP representatives will be held in October.

Braun noted he will set up a date for council to look at the site where a building on the shoreline of Roulston Lake could take the place of the large tent usually rented for the World Pond Hockey Championship. Money for such a structure was set aside in ACOA funds awarded for pond hockey needs. The building could also be used for other events in the park year-round.

The problem with how to enforce village bylaws was again addressed by council. Braun noted he spoke with legal counsel and was told someone from the village would have to take on the role of bylaw officer. That person would gather statements and evidence in the case of a bylaw infraction complaint. They would then take that information to the crown prosecutor who would decide if it should proceed to court or be dealt with by the parties involved.

"I guess the crown prosecutor usually recommends not taking it to court but working together to find a resolution," Braun said, adding the village doesn't have the authority to fine anyone. "Trying to mediate is about all we can do."

The village agreed to go to tender for the quarterly inspection of its fire trucks. There is a list of what items must be inspected every three months and what must be checked twice a year.

In the public works report, Councillor Carolyn Crawford noted patching of village streets is on-going. Belts were changed on the blower at the lagoon and banners were erected for the Homecoming. A gate valve box on Girouard Street was repaired and a fire hydrant across from the fire department was also repaired.

The installation of curbing and sidewalks along Main Street from Brook Street to Fraser Street has begun as set out in the designated highways plan. That same section of road will be paved next year and then curbing and sidewalks will be continued on to Daye Street. The public works department is raising, lowering and shifting manholes, catch basins and shut-offs along the sidewalk route.

Two public works employees wrote their waste water exam in Fredericton on July 25. A water approval compliance report for the village water system was carried out with Kevin Gould from the Department of the Environment and everything went well, Braun reported.

A decision on what to do about replacing damaged siding on the Plaster Rock fire hall was tabled until next month so more information can be gathered.In the financial report for July, income in the general account was listed at $89,526.93 and $24,691.88 in the water and sewer account. Expenditures were $137,257.51 in the general account and $32,056.20 in the water and sewer account. A financial review revealed things are tight and Mayor St. Peter noted every department needs to be "frugal" in the coming weeks.

"We have to try and come in balanced at the end of the year," the mayor noted.