City extends lockdown relief (eleven council briefs)

Responding to a request from Ward 3 Coun. Matthew Shoemaker and Ward 4's Rick Niro, City Council has agreed to waive all interest and penalties on late payment of taxes for the remainder of 2021.

Similar relief was provided by the city last year, and again in February of this year.

"We're six months into the year," Shoemaker said.

"Businesses are still locked down. I think that the city has some very limited tools at its disposal."

"Waiving interest and penalties to the end of the year is one of them."

"Let's pray that we won't be having this discussion again in 2022," Shoemaker said.

"We have to continue to do what we can," added Mayor Christian Provenzano.

"There are a number of industries that are particularly hard hit. Barbers, hairdressers – that whole industry is really struggling."

Some other huevos rotos from Monday's City Council meeting:

• Dependable Emergency Vehicles of Brampton won an $828,000 contract to provide Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services with a new tanker/pumper truck. The company's proposal was ranked highest among four proposals received
• KLE Distributors will continue maintaining our local firefighters in sartorial splendour, providing them with $43,500 a year in arduously fitted uniforms worthy of their collective agreement. The deal involves a piggyback arrangement through Kitchener Fire Services. The arduous fittings may be compromised by social-distancing requirements
• Brandt Tractor Ltd. will supply two motor graders to the city at a cost of $455,579 each
• TMS Truck Centre won a $521,834 contract for a vacuum truck
• The Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre will be getting $79,999 worth of window blinds, provided by Floormaster Inc. of Brampton
• one-year contract extensions will be granted to suite-holders and major sponsors at the Memorial Gardens, to compensate for the COVID-stolen Ontario Hockey League season. These include: GFL (naming rights sponsor - $75,000), Pepsi (beverage rights holder - $24,000) and Molson (beer pouring rights holder - $43,000)
• Sault Transit will look into running a new bus route to Hiawatha Highlands. If ultimately approved, the bus will run from one or both of the city's transfer stations on weekends after Labour Day. Ward 1 Coun. Sandra Hollingsworth is hoping the initiative may lead to an Adventure Bus serving other non-accessible local attractions
• in a crackdown on rail crossings, the city will collect up-to-date maintenance schedules for each crossing within the city limits, including identifying who's responsible for the work. "We're getting complaints from constituents," said Ward 2 Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen. "I've see some potholes and some issues, so I think it's important we know who's responsible"
• Sault MPP Ross Romano and Laurie Scott, provincial minister of infrastructure, announced that the province will contribute $18 million toward a $27.9-million replacement for the W. J. McMeeken. The job was then awarded to Ellis-Don Corp., which has previously built Sault Area Hospital, Sault College's campus redevelopment and other local projects
• a memorial wall will be set up in a quiet spot near the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre to remember Saultites who lost their lives to substance abuse. The idea was suggested by Save Our Young Adults from Prescription Drug Abuse (SOYA). The $4,000 cost of the memorial will be paid by Mayor Provenzano out of his office budget. Subject to family wishes, names of opioid-crisis victims are expected to be included on the wall