Medical Centre expansion approved - and notes from Central Frontenac Council

by Jeff Green

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Central Frontenac Council has accepted a tender offer from Frecon Construction for an expansion of the Sharbot Lake Medical Centre as it prepares for its role as the headquarters for the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team.

The offer from Frecon, which was the lowest of five bids for the contract, was still almost $200,000 over the $1 million budgeted for the construction contract. The total costs of the project, which includes a new septic system, a new hydro pole, a security system, etc., had been slated at $1,586,505

Funding for the project is coming, in large part, from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, under whose auspices the Family Health Team will operate.

Under the original budget, Central Frontenac was slated to pay $500,000 towards the project, an amount that is to be recovered by renting the building back to the Family Health Team.

Acting township Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) John DuChene told council this week, “There may be some savings in the items that were outside of the contract” but intimated that a shortfall in the $125,000 to $150,000 range is likely.

“FreCon is prepared to begin construction within 7 days of receiving the contract, and it will take 30 weeks to complete the construction,” DuChene said.

He suggested that the township go back to the Ministry of Health and make them aware of the cost overruns and request assistance in covering the overrun, perhaps by adjusting the rent paid for the use of the building.

Councillor Frances Smith, who has been the township’s contact person to the Family Health Team, said, “The Ministry has been very good to work with, and I think they might be receptive if approached on this.”

Dr. Peter Bell, the prime mover behind the project, arrived as council was debating a resolution aimed at asking for increased funding from the Ministry of Health to cover the shortfall. He responded to a question regarding the wording of the resolution, by saying, “This is all right if it is a bargaining position, but I wouldn’t push the Ministry too hard. It might be necessary to put some municipal tax dollars into this.”

Mayor Janet Gutowski pointed out that she had attended a Doctor Recruitment meeting in Verona recently. She said, “The community there is facing the fact that the current doctor owns the medical centre, so a new doctor will either have to buy it, or the community will have to buy it. We are in an enviable position compared to other communities.”

In the end, Council softened the wording in their request for further support from the Ministry of Health. They also passed a resolution granting the construction contract to FreCon.

OPTING BACK INTO THE TRANS CANADA TRAIL – Back in the early days of Central Frontenac, in 1999, council spent $31,539 for the purchase of the portion of the East-West former CP line that runs through the township, joining with a number of other municipalities in the project.

A couple of years later, the implications of the century-old Line Fences Act were brought home to the township by some landowners on the K&P trail north of Highway 7, which the township had previously purchased. Section 20 of the Act says that municipalities are liable for fencing costs along abandoned rail lines if they own them.

In light of this, Central Frontenac pulled out of the CP deal, although they have never received their money back.

Recently, the Line Fences Act has been changed to mitigate potential costs to municipalities, and the township has been approached by the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance (EOTA), the not-for profit trail manager and ATV tourism marketer based in Tweed that has been managing trails in Hastings and Tay Valley townships, with a proposal for Central Frontenac to enter into a three-year license of occupancy agreement for the trail.

According to a report to council from John DuChene, Cindy Cassidy of EOTA told him that there were “no fencing needs identified for Central Frontenac under the new Line Fences Act and therefore we had little or no exposure to costs associated with fencing portions of the CP line in this municipality.”

DuChene’s report recommended that the township enter into the agreement.

Councillor Frances Smith said that before entering into the agreement, “we should really opt back into the purchase. Otherwise I don’t think we should sign it.”

Council debated whether continuing with the purchase, which will take at least two more years to complete, will lead to exposure to potential fencing costs, even with the changes to the Line Fences Act.

Although the situation is not clear, council decided that since Central Frontenac is smack dab in the middle of the trail, which runs from Hastings County all the way to Perth, they might as well opt back into the purchase.

Deputy Mayor Bill Snyder was unconvinced, arguing that council was making a costly mistake. “We’re way out in the wilderness on this one as far as I’m concerned.” he said after the vote.

PROJECT END ZONE OVER BUDGET – Material costs has put another construction project over budget.

When tenders were received for the renovation project at the North Frontenac Arena, the only tender that came in was $160,000 over the $475,000 that was budgeted for the project. Fundraising has been going well, including a $200,000 commitment from Central and South Frontenac, and the volunteers with Project End Zone (the nickname of the fundraising campaign) have been confident the $475,000 will be raised by the end of the year. Suddenly being faced with an extra amount has not deterred them, but they will need more time to raise the money.

Jim Stinson, the arena manager, wrote a letter to South Frontenac Township asking for bridge financing to cover the shortfall that resulted from the increased construction costs. South Frontenac is willing to do the bridge financing, on the condition that Central Frontenac commit to covering 41% of any shortfall that would occur should the fundraising campaign run out of steam. (The townships are co-owners of the arena, and South Frontenac has traditionally paid 59% of the costs and Central Frontenac 41%)

Council agreed to make the commitment.

TOWN CRIER –  Mayor Gutowski submitted a report requesting that Central Frontenac engage a town crier for special events, and pay that person a $50 honorarium for each function they attend. Gutowski said that during the recent Heritage Festival the ad hoc Town Crier that was in attendance (Paddy O’Conner) was very well received.

“With a number of special events such as Canada Day, Relay for Life, opening of the Sharbot Lake Fire Hall coming up, members of the Central Frontenac Heritage Festival Committee feel that the creation and appointment of a Central Frontenac Town Crier would greatly enhance these special events and help to stimulate feelings of community pride,” Gutowski said in her report.

The Crier will be engaged a maximum of 10 times per year. Gutowski suggested that the position be advertised.

“It should be a farmer who gets the job,” said Councilor Bob Harvey, “They do more crying than anyone else I know.”

The proposal was accepted.