Snow – Traffic

Fresh snow made for winter driving conditions this morning.

Roads and highways throughout the region were snow covered with slippery sections.

10 to 15 centimetres of snow is in the forecast for Kingston tomorrow.

There was a downtown traffic mess yesterday prompting people to make renewed calls for a 3rd crossing.  A vehicle rolled over onto its side at the La Salle Causeway just before 8:30 in the morning.  The driver wasn’t injured.

City Council – Ranked Balloting

Kingston city council is holding a special public meeting at 6:00 p.m. today to discuss ranked balloting.

The city is considering a referendum question on changing the way people select the mayor and councillors.  If it approves the referendum question by March 1st it will be on the ballot for the municipal election in October.

The system they’re considering would allow people to rank the candidates.  A formula is then used to determine the winner.  It’s a complicated system that means the person with the most votes doesn’t necessarily win.

Party Bylaw

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson says he hopes a new bylaw to crack down on out of control house parties in time for St. Patrick’s Day.

The city and Queen’s student government have been working on the nuisance party bylaw.

Under the proposal…police would be able to decide if a gathering was a nuisance party.  They’d issue a verbal warning and request people to leave.  If the warning is ignored they could be fined.

If the bylaw is passed it would apply to everyone in all parts of Kingston.

Bell – Kingston

Kingston is getting into bed with Bell Canada again.

The company and city are working together to develop an Internet of things pilot project.  The six month project will analyze data about the city…including social media comments from the public.

The information can then be used to improve city services and operations.

Vandalism

Vandalism is causing problems and added expenses for some businesses on Princess Street near Bath Road.  The Star Diner has had a window broken twice in the past three weeks.

Owner David Blodgett says it will cost over $3,000 to replace the glass.

The restaurant has filed a restraining order against a homeless man it believes is responsible for the vandalism.

The Royal Bank at the corner of Princess and Drayton Streets has hired a security company to keep homeless people out of its lobby.

A security guard has been parked in a vehicle on the sidewalk outside the bank overnight to make sure homeless people aren’t sleeping in the heated lobby where the ATM’s are located.

Westport Crash

A 19 year old from Harrowsmith is in hot water after landing in cold water in Westport.

The OPP has charged Austin Watson with impaired driving and dangerous driving after a vehicle went through a stop sign…hit another vehicle…and kept going.  The vehicle went over a dock and wound up almost completely submerged in Upper Rideau Lake around 6:30 on Saturday night.

Ferry Dock Construction

Construction is underway to upgrade the Amherst Island Ferry docks.

Temporary docks are being constructed so the existing docks for a side-loading ferry can be removed.

New docks for end loading ferries will take their place in both Millhaven and Stella.

The project is worth $52 million and will accommodate the Frontenac Two and the new Amherst Island Ferry when it goes into service.

Filed under: Bell Kingston, City Council, Party Bylaw, Ranked Balloting, Royal Bank, Security Company, Snow, Traffic, Vandalism