Grey County is going to start spreading infrastructure funding soon.
They are deciding where to spend the 2.1 million dollars they’ve received from the province.
Warden Kevin Eccles says the funding announcement made at the Associaton of Municipalities of Ontario conference certainly came as a shock to most.
He says the great thing is that it’s for capital spending and the county isn’t restricted as to where they can spend it.
Eccles says there are certainly some roads and bridges that need to be looked at throughout the county, but they also need to put money into their long-term care homes.
He says Rockwood Terrace needs about $5 million to $7 million worth of retrofitting so that it doesn’t get any closer to falling short of provincial standards.
Eccles is also glad that there was discussion about the Alvanley intersection on Highway 21 at the Grey-Bruce Line.
Eccles says the intersection can’t be left as it is, because it’s dangerous with poor sight lines and elevation levels.
He says they now have a committment from the Ministry of Transportation to come look at the site in 2010, once the construction work is finished on the Grey-Bruce Line.
The county’s transportation committee will be deciding on a tender to complete work on the line at this Thursday’s meeting.
Eccles adds it would be nice if this funding was a long-term committment, instead of just a “one-off.”
He says it would allow municipalities to do better long-term planning, if they knew they’d have the money to do it.
Eccles hopes a funding formula is put in place soon.
