Trying to draw attention

By Craig Westcott/September 23, 2022

Bay Roberts council is wrestling, yet again, with trying to find a way to reach more people in neighboring unincoprorated areas so that it can bill them for fire protection services.

The Town has been trying for more than a year to get addresses for all residents in Bareneed, Port de Grave and part of Otterbury so that it can let them know that if more people don’t pay the fee by the end of this year, their area could lose the protection of the Bay Roberts fire department.

While more than 70 per cent of residents in those areas pay the fees (in Port de Grave the rate was as high as 78 per cent last year), it’s still not as high as the compliance rate in Bay Roberts itself. And as councillor Dean Franey pointed out when the issue came before council again last week, the Town’s fire department has actually bought pieces of equipment that are really only needed for the unincorporated areas that don’t have hydrants.

After failing to get the cooperation of the Eastern Regional Service Board for a list of addresses in the unincorporated areas where it bills for garbage collection, council has been baffled as to how to get the names and addresses of its out-of-town customers.

“I think the first thing we should do is put out letters in mailboxes to let people know that if you want to get a bill, let us know so that we can send you a bill,” said Franey. “But I don’t know where the mail goes for Bareneed or Otterbury.”

Chief administrative officer Nigel Black said the Town may be able to reach more people through social media and regular advertising. “If we had all the addresses and knew what the (postal) box numbers were, we wouldn’t have this problem,” he said. “It’s easy to say, ‘Let’s put a letter in the mail to the residents, but we don’t know where they are.”

“That’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to find them,” Franey said. “They’ve got to be getting mail.”

Mayor Walter Yetman suggested the Town rent a sign and place it on the road to Port de Grave to alert residents about the issue. “There’s only one way in at a certain point there,” he pointed out.

“That’s a good idea,” said Franey.

“Signage posted down around the communities would help,” said the mayor. “Everybody is going to see it. And as the deputy mayor just said, there’s a deadline approaching, put the date on there and say after this date you will no longer have fire services if we cannot get the information that we need. And that’s the only way to do it.”

Councillor Perry Bowering, however, said that would mean the Town will have to spend money trying to get people to comply.

“I think that’s minimal spending there,” said Yetman, who asked for a motion so the Town can take action.

Deputy Mayor Geoff Seymour said the matter should be directed to the Town’s director of protective services. 

“Get some signs made up and place them heading down that way,” Franey added.

“Want to make a motion to that effect?” asked the mayor.

“I make the motion to refer this to the director of protective services,” said Seymour.

Bowering seconded it.

“It’s got to be ASAP,” said Seymour. “This can’t be dragged out now.”

Yetman agreed. “We’ll stress that in our direction to the director,” he said. “The bottom line of all this discussion is that we need to get moving, as councillor Bowering said, now. Do something now. It’s been on the list, we’re always tossing it around, but let’s do something.”

The motion carried.