LAURIE WEIR
RIDEAU LAKES — New entrance lighting at the Ronald E. Holman Complex in Lombardy has council support, but the full project may not happen until next year after cost estimates came in well over budget.
Facilities and Parks manager Steve Holmes presented the report to the Municipal Services Committee on Aug. 11. The work at the South Elmsley facility would include installing two exterior pole lights similar to those at the Portland Community Hall and Library, adding a wall-mounted light fixture known as a wall pack near the entrance, running new wiring, and completing asphalt repairs. A permit from the Ministry of Transportation may also be required.
Updated quotes placed the project at $70,245 from Dixie Electric and $61,050 from B.M. Hitchcock Electric. A site meeting with the lowest bidder identified a closer electrical panel that could reduce the cost to $53,900, which is still $22,900 over the $31,000 budgeted for 2025, plus the township’s share of HST.
South Elmsley Ward Coun. Marcia Maxwell said delaying the project would disappoint many people who expected it to be completed before the winter. “It was to make it easier for the users to find the entrance, through the winter months in particular, into that parking lot,” she said. “This is a safety issue as much as an extra cost.”
Maxwell said she was not suggesting going over budget, but wanted to ensure the project was fully funded next year after what she described as “two to three years” of delays. “I think we put in the budget $70,000 to make sure we have enough … to get it done next year and not have it deferred again,” she said.
Coun. Sue Dunfield suggested Maxwell ask the Community Enhancement Committee if it could pay for the work now and be reimbursed by the township in 2026. Maxwell noted the group has an immediate major item on its agenda to which funding may be allocated, but said she could “certainly ask” them. Mayor Arie Hoogenboom endorsed the idea.
Coun. Dustin Bulloch proposed installing only the wall pack this year and deferring the rest of the work to 2026. A single wall pack could be mounted on the building’s exterior near the entrance to provide additional lighting coverage until the full project is completed, he suggested.
Council is expected to decide whether to proceed with any portion of the work this year or defer the entire project to the next budget. They endorsed the staff recommendation that the project be moved to next year.
