Timmins is still debating about what to do when it comes to maintaining the many rural roads throughout the city. Council has been talking about the best course of action when there is a rural road, and when those who live on it need services, like snow plowing.
Mayor Steve Black says right now if the homeowners bring the road up to a certain standard, the city will maintain it. However, he says that may change. What was missing from the policy, is the homeowners having to come to council to ask if the city is willing to assume it, if they bring it up to standard. Black says there are some long roads that only have one house on it, and that may be something the city can’t justify maintaining. But, if the homeowners brought it up to standard, under the old policy, the city would then have to assume the road.
Black says now they want council to be able to look at the road and the costs, and see if they want to take it over. However there is a debate as council tries to work out if it’s fair for some roads to be maintained and not others. But he says the same is true for any of the city services, like transit routes, as not every urban street has a bus route on it.
The issue is expected to come to a vote during Monday’s meeting.