Verdun restaurants and bars can now serve alcohol to patrons whether or not they order food.
You can now have a beer without eating in Verdun,” said Verdun borough mayor Jean François Parenteau. “It’s official. It’s an historic moment. This officially ends the practice of passing a sandwich from table to table to ensure that everyone is seen to be eating if they’re going to drink.”
The borough passed five motions to change the bylaws that prevented alcohol service during their December 2 meeting. They were all passed as a block. One changed the zoning for three different neighbourhoods, Wellington Street and the two ends of the Champlain Bridge. Another one approved a new service tax. The third one set tariffs, although the mayor said that it removed permit fees. The fourth approved the operating budget of the Société de développement commercial Wellington for 2015.
Mayor Parenteau also announced that the meeting would be fully paperless because borough councillors brought their computers instead. The move is intended to save 10,000 pieces of paper per meeting. Attendees were still given copies of the borough council agenda and the borough executive council meeting.
Verdun has also launched a social media campaign that includes Facebook and Twitter announcements.
Several contracts were awarded.
Snowclearing equipment will cost $357,848.62, with part of those funds paid to J.A. Larue Inc. and the other part to Nortrax Quebec Inc.
Thirty-eight park benches will cost $45,800 from Matérial roulant et ateliers.
Chalet Poirier will be renovated at a cost of $14,693.80.
Another $16,000 was awarded to Beaudoin Hurens to modernize the Natatorium plumbing. The total contract is now up to $58,741.20.
There was a motion to award almost $100,000 to a company for bicycle path lighting, but it was removed from the agenda.
The borough is getting new downtown-style parking meters in January.
The renovation of La Station will cost another $55,000 to make sure that archeological collections occur as they need to. Borough staff said that so far some broken pieces of tools had been found.
Motions to approve expansions of buildings at 40 to 46 Rielle, and 7263 Truman were passed.
Borough councillors also approved the demolition of a 2-storey building at 903 to 905 Rielle so that a three-storey six-unit building could be constructed in its place.
Note: This article appeared on page 14 of the City Edition of The Suburban yesterday.
