In a split decision, Mountain View County councillors have defeated a motion put forward by Deputy Reeve Patricia McKean regarding a $16.4-million upgrade of the Acme Road.During last week's regularly scheduled county council meeting, McKean put forward a motion that read: “Council request that administration bring back a timeline for a two-year project for the Acme Road and a plan to have all the agreements signed by Dec. 15.”The $16.4-million project would see paving and other upgrades on an 11.2-kilometre stretch of the roadway, located between Highway 22 and Highway 766.Planning for the project has been underway for several years, with council approving the project during 2011 budget deliberations.The current timeline is for completion of the project within two years, with construction set to get underway in 2013.Provincial MSI grants would cover the $16.4 cost of the project, council heard.The county has been pooling MSI grant money for the past several years in preparation for the project.About 50 people attended a county-sponsored open house last week regarding the proposed upgrade of the road.“We clearly heard that people want this project,” said Coun. McKean. “The community is very concerned about the safety of this road and they would like to see this project done.“I know it is a lot of money for this project, but I don't see how after seven years of planning, the community knowing this was coming, and with us approving this in the budget last year, that we could turn around and rip that up now.”Coun. Paddy Munro voted against McKean's motion.“I think our job is we have to look after the entire county of 12,500 people,” said Munro. “The road from the Dogpound Hall going east needs some work. There's absolutely no question, and it needs to be done quickly. I think we can do a better job for all the residents of the county if we change the way that we are going to spend that money.“There's no doubt we need to spend a number, a million dollars or whatever it is, to put a new top on this Acme Road and also put some new crush on it. If we do that and it costs us a million dollars it will leave $15.4 million to spend in the rest of the county. I would like to see us spread the money around.”The provincial government, not the county, should upgrade the road with pavement if traffic counts warrant it, he said.“Our friends in Edmonton should design it, they should build it, and they should maintain it. It should not be a county asset,” he said.Coun. Kevin Good voted for McKean's motion.“The base on that road is non-existent,” said McKean. “If it was a couple of spots that we could dig up, as councillor Munro indicated, that would change the game, but the spot we need to dig up is miles long. In my rough calculation it's 50 or 60 per cent of the whole road.“I definitely support this two year time frame, shortening it from four years to two years.”The major upgrade is needed to make the roadway safe, he said.Coun. Robert Orr voted against the McKean motion.He said he would like to see the province pay for the upgrade of the roadway.Coun. Al Kemmere, who appeared at last week's council meeting via teleconference, voted for McKean's motion.Reeve Bruce Beattie and Coun. Duncan Milne voted against the motion.Mountain View County CAO Tony Marten told council: “To me it sounds like what is at the heart of this debate is, what is our business plan, what is our strategy for roads? I wonder if before you decide to do the road or not do the road, whether we should look at our whole road business plan over the next 15 years and decide what are the service levels we would like to be at.“I wonder if you shouldn't take a good look at that plan, the long-range road strategy and get comfortable with it before you make a decision.”The county is continuing the planning for the Acme Road project, he said.On Nov. 6 a recommendation will be coming before council from the operational service department calling for the preparation of a roadway management system document for the entire county, council heard.In an interview following last week's meeting, councillor Munro said council could vote to shelve the Acme Road project during upcoming budget deliberations, which get underway next month.“The idea of spending all that money on one little piece of road just doesn't sit well with me,” said Munro. “I would much rather have 15 times as much road developed at a very good standard.”
