At the regular and virtual meeting of Carleton Place Town Council on Tuesday, Oct 13, approval was given to extend the patio season to the end of October. This refers to those areas on town property currently being used by businesses on Bridge Street for outdoor seating and food service either on street parking spots or sidewalks.

In the Committee of the Whole meeting on the same evening, members approved the purchase of a speed-spy camera. Director of Emergency Services Pascal Meunier reported that at the September meeting of the Police Services Board, a motion was carried to request council’s approval for a discreet traffic speed camera which could be used to monitor and record vehicle speeds in both directions on any roadway where it was situated. The camera would not be used to issue fines, but instead would be a more accurate way of determining if a speeding issue exists, allowing police and town staff to take the appropriate corrective actions. Meunier commented that its discreet appearance wouldn’t cause drivers to stray from their normal behavior providing the right information. The police board made their decision based on the increased population growth which has seen traffic counts increase along with speeding complaints. The $2,000 price tag of this camera would be covered by savings from the bicycle patrol budget which saw less activity this year due to the pandemic.

Article by Brian Turner