Late Friday afternoon, March 11, 2011, the Town of Clarenville conveyed a message to the Balbo Safety Committee, informing the group that Council will not act to remediate the road safety issue near Balbo Elementary before the school population doubles in September.
In their press release Mayor Best and all the Councillors have acknowledged the unsafe conditions that will result from the increased traffic and doubling of the student population. Despite this, they have decided that after more than a year's notice that the school population will be doubling, less than six months before the school is scheduled to open, and three weeks before the provincial budget is to be released, another study of the area was the best solution they could envision.
This road was in the Town's development plan as a requirement from 1997 -- 2009, even before any talks of the school's expansion. For years, no further development was permitted in the Shoal Harbour Valley Region until this collector road was constructed. In 2009, the Town, after discussions with the Town Planner, determined this collector road was no longer necessary. No studies, nor any consultation, were necessary to remove this road which was deemed necessary for over a decade.
The Town's Press Release states that at the last Council meeting, Council felt that if the new road could be funded entirely by the Province, that option should be pursued. They concede the road is a good idea. Yet, when our Council learned that Clarenville is only eligible for 80 funding they decided that the best solution was to commission another study. The conflicting statements suggest they just don't want to pay for 20 of the cost. How much would the 20 cost of that road be? Clarenville area residents are entitled to know what Council thinks their children's safety is worth.
Council said the resolution of this road safety issue was a priority. If that is true why don't they vote to find the 20 cost of funding needed to construct the new road? We would like to know what was the total amount of provincial funding requested by Council for municipal capital infrastructure in the upcoming provincial budget. Where does this collector road fit on that priority list?
Council said the safety of our children is of the utmost concern and a priority of Council but their money saving direction is obvious and contrary to that statement.
