Up to $300,000 from the Building Faster Fund will be used to complete a Ministry of Transportation study required for Development Area 2.
"We don't really have any other options," said Mayor Mike Bradley during Monday's council meeting.
Council also awarded a $9.4 million contract to Henry Heyink Construction Inc. for the Wellington Street extension project.
----
IPL North America Inc. will supply Sarnia's green bins.
Council approved the recommendation to accept IPL's $1.45 million proposal.
Councillor Chrissy McRoberts asked staff if it would be possible to delay the program by one year, citing concerns with what the next council may face come budget time.
Since the city has already signed agreements for the program to start in 2027, city staff said they would have to enter into negotiations with the contractors to see if they would be willing to modify the start date.
"To me, we're too far along in this process to back out at this point," said Councillor Terry Burrell.
General Manager of Engineering and Operations David Jackson also said the county recently approved that the waste diverted from the landfill through the green bin program will result in savings for the city.
----
Mayor Mike Bradley's motion for city council to endorse the continued review of the proposed Northern Shield Pipeline project received unanimous support.
Councillor Terry Burrell also asked for a report on the infrastructure needs to accommodate the proposed project and related funding necessary for development. Councillor Brian White asked for housing needs to be included in the report.
-----
City council approved official plan and zoning bylaw amendments for a proposed automotive sales and service enterprise near the intersection of Modeland Road and Confederation Line.
The property is located at 1519 and 1521 Confederation Line.
Site plan approval is still required for the proposed project.
------
City council unanimously voted to move forward with the Sarnia BACE group in its plan to build a proposed sport and activity centre in the city's north end.
However, the group will need to provide additional details before funds can be released.
In a report to council, staff asked for more information regarding: construction scope and design, project costing and financial validation, funding certainty, and operations and long-term sustainability.
While the current funding request is for up to $3.5 million in 2026, a report to council notes the broader municipal request is approximately $9.4 million.
