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Don McConnell is retiring at the end of the month
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City Planning Director Don McConnell is retiring at the end of the month.
McConnell served the city for 44 years, gaining employment with the City of Sault Ste. Marie after completing his studies and a summer internship in 1978. He became senior town planner in 1984 and department head in 1998.
Mayor Christian Provenzano called McConnell a gentleman and thanked him for his hard work over the years.
Chief executive Malcolm White said McConnell brings a lot of institutional knowledge with him, including the many regulations, policies and laws used by the planning department.
McConnell “always tried to find a way forward to satisfy as many people as possible and get the job done,” White said.
McConnell said he was lucky to be able to return to his hometown and have the job he loved for so many years.
“It’s a real rarity,” he said, adding that he’s had a number of interesting projects and people to work with.
He said good working relationships between the board and staff are also rare and he is grateful for that.
“I can’t wait to retire,” he said, adding that he expects to meet people from across the community in the future.
Queen Street Cruise
The cruise is back after a two-year hiatus.
The Queen Street cruise will begin Friday at 6 p.m. with the cruise followed by beer garden and band and events on Saturday.
This year, 150 cars are registered, double the number of the past.
“We’re thrilled to be back,” said Gary Trembinski Jr. “It’s very exciting.”
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The event takes place in the parking lot of the GFL Memorial Gardens.
Marconi meets the world
A three-day festival will celebrate cultures from around the world.
From July 21-23, Indigenous, Italian and other cultures will be showcased at the Events Center and will include live entertainment, world cuisine, vendors and a children’s area. Tickets are $25 per day or $100 for the three-day event, including a goody bag.
Updated 9-1-1 system
City Council approved a new, updated contract with NG-911 Netagen Managed Solution Services to establish an updated 9-1-1 emergency system for Sault Ste. Married.
The federal government requires all police departments or major public safety responder systems to upgrade their systems and decommission existing services.
The service meets and exceeds existing requirements, the council said in a report.
The total monthly fee for the new system is $24,965/month on a sixty month term plus a one-time contract initiation of $25,000 for a project total of $1,497,790. Costs for 2022 will be funded from the city’s asset management reserve using the one-time funding allocation transferred from the 2022 police services budget. Funding for the remaining term will be managed through a increase in the operating level of the direct debit in 2023.
Expansion of the mausoleum – Phase XVI
The tender for the next phase of the mausoleum expansion went over budget.
expansion costs are
is $1,760,000 (plus HST).
During the 2022 budget deliberations, the board approved the allocation of $1,100,000
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for the crypts of the cemetery mausoleum. After architecture and engineering costs
Professional fees, remaining value for construction is $1,050,500.
A corresponding price increase for mausoleum crypt sales will cover total construction costs of $1,841,350.
The uncommitted balance of the cemetery’s reserve fund does not cover the full construction costs, but the difference will be funded internally, the council said.
Applications for Tourism Development Funds
The city council has approved a number of applications to the tourism development fund.
Poutine Fest, Queen Street Cruise, Canadian Institute of Forestry Conference 2022 each received $5,000. The Marconi Meets World will receive $10,000 for its event and the Forest the Canoe-Adventure Bus will receive $15,000.
