Central
Frontenac Council –
Sept. 23/08
By Jeff Green
Rail
line purchase
Councilor
Gary Smith, the township’s representative to the Eastern Ontario
Trails Alliance, reported that the purchase of the east - west CPR
line by the townships through which it runs should be completed
within the month.
The
line is part of the Trans Canada trail, and its purchase could break
the log jam that has kept Central Frontenac from developing the land
in Sharbot Lake where the train station was once located, although it
is still not clear if that will be the case.
The
Central Frontenac Railway Museum Committeee has wanted to develop a
museum at that location for several years.
Councillor
Bob Harvey said, “If the land does come open, I think it should be
used for seniors housing rather than a rail museum”.
Garrison
Shores hearing averted – Planning
coordinator Cathy MacMunn said that the appellant has withdrawn his
appeal to the OMB over the Garrison Shores zoning. “A conference
call is scheduled for Monday to finalise everything,” she said.
Property
owners on the shores of Garrison Lake have been caught in a
bureaucratic bind ever since the ill-fated development was sold to
them almost 25 years ago.
They
have not been able to get deeds to their property in all that time,
until a zoning bylaw amendment was passed by the township earlier
this year. The OMB appeal was the final hurdle in the way of
resolving the situation, which has been before Central Frontenac
Council ever since the township was created in 1998.
Snow
removal plan to come to next meeting – Pubilc
Works Manager John Simcock said that he is meeting this week with
contractors who remove snow from smaller township roads, and he will
have a proposal before Council for changes he would like to see in
how snow is removed from township roads next winter.
“What
I'm gong to do is brainstorm with the contractors and staff, and I'll
bring a plan back to Council and you will make the decision,”
Simcock told Council. “It will involve the full removal of snow
within 8-9 hours. I will bring Council the option to stay the same as
before, and a couple of options for change.”
“Will
you bring costing for keeping the contractors and for taking
everything in house?” asked Councilor Philip Smith.
“Yes,”
said Simcock.
Warden's
development fund gets another cool response – Mayor
Gutowski said that Frontenac County Warden Jim Vanden Hoek's proposal
to establish a development fund at the county as seed money for a
project that may come up in the future was not supported by Central
Frontenac Council.
“It
is seed money if there is a project that comes up, but nothing more
specific than that. It is not entirely clear to me what this money
would do; that's why I’m bringing it here”.
“It
seems a little inappropriate to put money to an unknown purpose,”
said Councilor Normand Guntensperger.
“I
agree. I'd put it on the side burner,” said Councilor John Purdon.
I'll
bring that message back, “ said Mayor Gutowski
(North
Frontenac Council took a similar tack when discussing this matter in
August)
Coming
and going – Newly
hired township CAO Mark Hall presided over this first council
meeting.
Chris
Matheson, the township’s Information Technology coordinator, will
be leaving after next week for a job in Kingston.
