HENSALL – Municipality of Bluewater council is moving ahead with its community improvement plan for Hensall, approving a parkette for King Street and the possibility of banners affixed to roadside light fixtures at the Aug. 23 council meeting.

According to a report from Bluewater chief administrator Lori Wolfe, the municipality has also received several inquiries about business facade improvement grants provided in the plan, and various locations in the village have been updated with new waste receptacles, as well as new player benches at sportsfields.

Among the other initiatives proposed for the plan are:
o repairs to the chimes at the former town hall;
o renting vacant store fronts and furnishing them with "civic-minded display materials" similar to a display recently used to promote Bluewater's Communities in Bloom initiative;
o an information kiosk at the Hensall Community Centre;
o gateway signage for the village, a matter that will come back to council at a later date.

Wolfe's report also states the Hensall arena parking lot will see an upgrade this year in the form of surface treatment, adding that tenders have been issued and the work is to be completed in 2010.

The report states pricing on the tenders provides an estimate for staff to follow up on repair work for the town hall parking lot, "which is in poor condition."

During council's discussion of the matter, Hensall Coun. Kay Wise said she thinks the facade grants are "something that can really catch on.

"I think what we have to do is maybe get something started – get something off the ground," she said.

In an interview, Wise noted two years ago Hensall residents and business owners were sent surveys asking what improvements they'd like to see, and she said there was a good response.

"Now I'm really anxious to let them know we mean business and it's going to get started," she said.

Wise said there weren't many problems from other councillors related to the improvement , "because I think they can see if we can start that here, it'll just carry on to another community.

"That's a good feeling, that people are working together," she added.

Wolfe's report states that after council's approval, a work plan for the parkette will be developed and brought back to council for further review and approvals.