The state of Renfrew’s municipal buildings and what can be done to fix them took centre stage at their most recent council meeting.
Chief Administrative Officer Gloria Raybone took Tuesday night to share some key points from her recent series of site visits to a number of town-owned structures, most notably recommending that council prioritize space in the upcoming budget to immediately address major safety issues at locations like the Public Works garage.
The most significant offender is the Public Works garage, which has everything from a leaky roof to rotting supports, ventilation issues, and more, but her report also points to suspicion of mould inside the Bruce Street Landfill’s garage, crumbling foundation work at the town’s fire hall, and suspected water damage to the internal walls of the O’Brien Road Caboose.
That information did not come as a surprise to councillors, with Kyle Cybulski lamenting the length of time it has taken to see a sense of urgency in finding a solution.
Raybone’s report points out that some of the structures might have time left before becoming serious issues, but she warns that waiting too long could increase the risk of damage and require a larger scope of repairs to stop the deterioration.
Councillor Jason Legris was not shy about the condition of the buildings some town employees have to work in, saying the situation leaves his stomach in knots.
Council will have to balance these repairs with a number of other key items in their 2025 budget, including vital road work projects and the first debenture repayments for the Ma-te-Way Expansion project.
(written by Kasey Egan)
