Highlights of the City Council meeting of July 2, 2024

The City Council met on July 2, 2024 for its monthly public meeting. Mayor Pascale Mongrain opened the meeting by speaking on several topics of interest:

• Water heating at the Seaway pool;
• Sorting guide and the benefits of good sorting;
• Good maintenance of parks and public roads;
• Vandalism at the Alexandra pool;
• Boulevard de l'Union and Hickson Avenue rehabilitation project;
• City Hall heritage study recommendations;
• Two Riverside School Board expansion projects for Reach School;
• Upcoming update of property assessment roll;
• Agglomération de Longueuil's mixed expenditure breakdown;
• New collective agreements for Longueuil's white-collar workers and police officers;
• Update on draft pesticide by-law;
• Congratulations to Lambert resident Carl-Éric Aubin on receiving the Ordre du Québec;
• Invitation to the Fêtes de Saint-Lambert and have a great summer!

The following is a summary of the main issues discussed and orientations adopted:

1. Renovation of municipal workshops

The Ville de Saint-Lambert has reached a new milestone in the refurbishment of its municipal workshops. The municipal council approved the contract for the preparation of plans and specifications, including supervision of the work, to Groupe Leclerc Architecture + Design inc. in the amount of $882,950.

The building has undergone a number of interventions over the years, often carried out in the context of recovery or adaptation to available space. In many cases, these interventions resulted in solutions that were acceptable for only a short time. The building is in need of major upgrading and is showing advanced signs of obsolescence. The city must therefore carry out major work on the building. It will also take the opportunity to update the building to meet the current needs of the administration and public works teams.

According to the preliminary schedule, the work is scheduled to be completed over the next two years. We'll keep you informed of developments.

2. Recycling and green waste collections

As of January 1, 2025, Quebec towns and cities will be required to comply with new government requirements concerning the collection of residual materials. This means major changes for Saint-Lambert, in terms of collection sectors, frequency and schedules.

In this vein, the City has adopted two other contracts:

• recyclables to 9386-0120 Québec inc.
• green waste to GFL Environmental Inc.

Once all the contracts have been awarded, the Town will meet with the various companies to plan operations. Full details of the new measures will be communicated to you in the autumn.

3. Family and Seniors Policy and Municipalité amie des aînés (MADA) recognition

The Ville de Saint-Lambert's Family and Seniors Policy is about to expire, and the city would like to update it. At the same time, it also wishes to renew its Municipalité amie des aînés (MADA) recognition.

The Ville de Saint-Lambert will begin the process by submitting an application for support under the call for projects for Component 1 of the Programme de soutien à la démarche Municipalité amie des aînés. This will be an interesting project to follow!

4. Tree planting grant application

Trees are an important asset for the community, and one of the City Council's priorities. The City wishes to pursue its ambitious projects to plant and develop urban forest islands on its territory. It would like to seek financial support to help it do so, and has therefore decided to apply to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Canadian Community Canopy Growth program. More details to follow.

5. Construction of a sidewalk linking rue Mercier to the Saint-Lambert train station

In response to repeated requests from residents to make the route between Mercier Street and the train station safer and more pleasant, the Ville de Saint-Lambert has proposed the construction of a sidewalk, which was approved by the City Council. This new development will be carried out under an agreement to be signed with the Réseau de transport métropolitain (exo).

In addition, exo will install a pedestrian safety area in the parking lot. If all goes according to plan, this project should be completed as early as this fall.

6. Changes to on-street signage in various sectors

For safety reasons, the City Council has approved the following modifications to the Saint-Lambert road network:

• Removal of the STOP sign on avenue du Régent opposite addresses 260-264 and addition of a pedestrian crossing with central beacon during the summer period;
• Removal of the STOP sign on avenue de Bedford facing address 263 and addition of a pedestrian crossing facing the park entrance, with a central beacon at the right of the crossing and upstream and downstream of it during the summer period;
• Addition of STOP signs on Achin Avenue for a distance of approximately 10 metres opposite the two entrances to Upper Edison Park;
• Addition of STOP signs on Queen Boulevard at the Edison Avenue intersection.

7. Asset management policy

The Ville de Saint-Lambert considers asset management to be an ongoing practice within a municipality, involving numerous strategic and operational processes. By assets, we mean all physical infrastructures, natural assets, as well as specific assets such as the vehicle fleet and IT infrastructures.

The aim of this policy is to provide the city with a clear direction, and to ensure that investment decisions are made in harmony with the three pillars of sustainable development: the economic pillar, the environmental pillar and the social pillar. In this way, the policy is part of our continuous improvement process, which is a key element in instilling a culture of improvement and the search for best practices. You can consult the policy.

8. Special authorization for lawn mowing at the Country Club de Montréal

City Council has granted special permission to the Country Club de Montréal to mow its lawn on six Sundays in the summer of 2024. This authorization is justified by the holding of major tournaments for which the Country Club de Montréal must be adequately prepared.

Although the Nuisance By-law does not permit lawn mowing on Sundays, the Country Club of Montreal will exceptionally be able to dispense with it on Sundays between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on the following dates: July 7, July 21, August 4, August 18, August 25 and September 1, 2024. We thank you in advance for your understanding.

9. Upcoming work at Reach School

The Municipal Council has approved the site planning and architectural integration program (SPAIP) for the construction of an addition to Reach School, located at 675 Green Street:

• the extension and transformation of the façade;
• mechanical equipment and exterior storage space for residual material containers;
• landscaping;
• parking lot.

For details of the work, visit the Riverside School Board website.

Couldn't make it?

You can listen to the regular meeting on our YouTube channel. The full agenda and related documentation can also be consulted at any time.