Bay Roberts to further look into non-serviced roads policy

By Mark Squibb/August 19, 2022

The predicament of folks living on non-serviced roads was once again a topic of discussion around the Bay Roberts council table this past week.

The matter was last discussed in March, when Deputy Mayor Geoff Seymour called for new policies to better serve people living on non-conforming roads who may have bought homes not knowing they would not get Town services such as garbage pickup or snow clearing.

Council, at the time, voted to ask staff to compile a list of the town’s un-serviced roads.

That report came before council this week, courtesy of Director of Public Works Sean Elms, who was not present at the meeting.

The report contained a list of roads the town has not taken over and may meet some of the non-conforming road policies.

“I think these are generally the ones we’ve been talking about when we were talking about doing this review of the non-conforming roads policy,” said Town CAO Nigel Black. “What Sean tried to do was give you a listing of what’s actually there. So, when it says water and sewer, there are service lines, there’s not an actual service main, its just service lines. Surface is either gravel or paved, but most of them are paved. Also (it specifies), length of the road, width of the road, and whether we collect garbage there currently.”

Black said the document was to aid council’s decision making around non-conforming roads.

“To me, it’s difficult to deal with, because each of these have very different circumstances to how they got to where they are right now and what people knew when they were developing them, and what they didn’t,” said Black.

Mayor Walter Yetman said that in some, but not all, situations, developers and homeowners were made aware of the lack of services before building or purchasing homes.

“They went ahead with their development knowing what services would be available and what would not, so, some were not, and I’m thinking it was based on time,” said Yetman. “The further back you go, they were probably not made aware, but in more recent times, they were made aware exactly what was offered.”

Councillor Silas Badcock asked whether folks were made aware in writing, and Yetman said that, to his recollection, people were made fully aware — although he couldn’t say that all were.

“One of the key issues, and I’m the one who tabled this, so I’m going to speak to it, is that there is no equity in this, in some cases,” said Deputy Mayor Geoff Seymour. “It’s fine to say, ‘People were made aware.’ But, in some instances, these properties have been sold, and people who bought these properties have no way of knowing that these conditions were in place.”

He said policies need to be put in place to ensure future developers or homeowners don’t get caught in an unfortunate position. He noted some non-conforming streets receive garbage collection and snow removal, while others don’t.

“That’s not fair,” said Seymour. “You can’t give the services to some, and not to all, and still charge the same tax base.”

Yetman allowed due diligence on the town’s behalf was followed, and that people looking to build on non-serviced roads are made aware of the conditions.

Seymour said he wasn’t insinuating the Town was being negligent, but just that when properties changed hands, information wasn’t always passed on to the new owners.

Councillor Dean Franey motioned the matter be moved to a private meeting with appropriate town staff for further discussion.

“I don’t want to say, carte blanche that we’re not going to do everything,” said Franey. “But I don’t want to say, at the same time, we’re not going to do anything. I think it deserves a look.”

The motion to hold a further meeting passed unanimously.