Spaniard’s Bay councillors clash over status of private lane
By Olivia Bradbury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Tensions rose in Spaniard’s Bay’s council chambers last month during a discussion about plowing an unnamed lane.
At the April 14th meeting, councillor Terry Sheppard, chair of public works, put forward several road-related motions. One was to begin providing snow-clearing services to an unnamed lane in Tilton immediately.
According to Sheppard, residents of the lane previously put in culverts and a turnaround in order to convince the Town to assume responsibility for the road. However, when the Town asked them to pave the road, the residents decided they could not put any more money into it.
“The road is not plowed by us,” said Sheppard. “It’s plowed by a private resident. And here’s the kicker. We have a school bus with all our children on it that goes in that main road, that highway every day and every evening that stops in the middle of the highway because we won’t plow up that road for the turnaround. Stops in the middle of the highway, puts his flashers on, backs up the highway and backs up that road to turn around with all our kids in it. So, that right there shouldn’t be allowed at all.”
Sheppard noted the lane, while not paved, has a turnaround and ditching.
“So, I think, for safety concerns alone, we should immediately reach out to the owner of this road who has tried over the years numerous times to give it over to us so that we would plow it,” he said.
Councillor Ann Marie Singleton pointed out the topic had not been discussed at the public works committee. She added for her and fellow committee member councillor Debbie Newman, it was their first time hearing of the issue.
“I didn’t know which ones (roads) you were talking about,” said Newman. “So I didn’t know what to discuss tonight. So, this is something I would like to have beforehand to have the information so that I’m aware of what’s going on.”
Singleton said the issue should have been discussed at the committee before landing before council.
Councillor Darren Smith defended Sheppard’s motion.
“Terry just brought a major concern up here,” said Smith. “We’ve got a bus full of kids. Everyone here in the chambers heard the concern and knows the concern.”
Mayor Tammy Oliver sided with Singleton and Newman. “When council has an issue that’s unbeknownst to council, and it’s presented for the first time and we do not have all the facts —there’s a lot of facts to consider in this — I don’t think it’s fair to take over a road when this is introduced tonight and we have none of that supporting information,” she said.
Oliver said more discussion is necessary to resolve the issue in a timely way.
“I agree, if the bus is backing up there, and they shouldn’t be, we obviously have to bump that to the top of the list to make sure the children are safe,” she said. “There’s no question on the line. I mean, everybody here is in agreement with that.”
Smith said council often defers issues dealing with plowing, upgrading or other services. “I don’t understand where the block is here, always,” he said.
“Councillor Smith, I don’t think there’s a block,” said Mayor Oliver. “It’s the amount of information that is being shared that seems to be an issue here tonight. We have members on the public works committee, and members that are not on the public works committee have more information and it has not been shared.”
When put to a vote, Smith and Deputy Mayor Gerald Sheppard voted in favour of councillor Sheppard’s motion, while Newman, Singleton, Oliver, and councillor Sherry Lundrigan voted against it. The motion was denied.
