| Jan 21, 2015


AH to go it alone on transportation

After attending meetings with members of L&A County Council as well as staff from Seniors Outreach Services (SOS) in Napanee, Addington Highlands Council and Land O'Lakes Community Services (LOLCS) have decided to submit their own application for funding from a Ministry of Transportation Grant program for rural transportation services.

Susan Andrew-Allen and Marlene Dacuk from LOLCS were both on hand at a council meeting in Denbigh on Monday night (January 19). LOLCS intends to seek $54,000 in funding over two years to provide dispatch services for volunteer rides to medical appointments and other services for people who are under 60 years old in the township. LOLCS already offers rides for those over 60 using funding from the Local Health Integration Network.

Although it would be desirable for there to be only one funding application from Lennox and Addington County, a number of factors, including the $100,000 upper limit for the grant, have made a joint application between LOLCS and SOS unworkable.

“It is unclear how the funds would be divided up even if we were able to get the maximum $100,000 funding in a combined application with Seniors Outreach Services,” said Andrew-Allen.

There was talk, at the county meeting, Andrew-Allen said, of only 10% of the funding, or $10,000 going to LOLCS.

“You wouldn't be able to really do anything with $10,000 over two years,” said Councilor Bill Cox.

Council members also questioned whether the Napanee-based organization SOS and the County itself are committed to services in the rural parts of L&A.

“SOS kept saying that Arden is in Addington Highlands, to give you an idea where they are coming from,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

Bill Cox moved that the township prepare its own application for $54,000, and council agreed.

Saving the Flinton Jamboree

Andy Anderson appeared before Council in the wake of a decision by the Flinton Recreation Club and the Thibault family not to continue with the Flinton Jamboree this summer.

Anderson, a long-time member of the Addington Highlands Economic Development Committee, said that the Jamboree is an important event for local businesses and that the August long weekend is also a very important anchor for the summer season.

“We need to act immediately to stop this from slipping away for a year, because if it does we will never get that weekend back,” he said.

He added that he has been talking to people about getting involved ever since he heard that the Recreation Club wants to step back, and feels he can put a steering committee together to save the event provided he can contact people who attended the Jamboree in the past as quickly as possible to reassure them that it will be going on again.

“What do you need from us, because as you know we are not about to run it,” said Reeve Hogg.

“All I need now is free use of the site and for the township to cover the insurance,” said Anderson.

Council was reluctant to commit to covering the insurance since the new group that Anderson hopes to put together in the coming days does not have a legal status, such as a not-for-profit corporation or a committee of council would.

A motion to support the Jamboree in principle and look into the matter with the township's insurer was proposed and passed.

One convention per councilor

A draft bylaw to approve the township covering the cost for one convention/conference (such as the Good Roads Convention in February or the Ontario Municipal Association conference in August) was opposed by Bill Cox, who said he finds it helpful to attend two conferences. “There is a lot of worthwhile information passed out at those conventions,” he said.

Reeve Hogg said he put the number one in the bylaw in order to get it on the table, and Council could change the number if it wants to.

No one spoke up and the one conference rule was approved with one dissenting vote.

AHCC – Denbigh – Septic woes

It will cost thousands to pump out and repair the septic system at the Addington Highlands Community Centre-Denbigh. Councilor Tony Fritsch said that the system was backed up week. Part of the problem is that the system has two tanks and the channel between them is blocked and needs clearing. It will require two pump trucks at several hundred dollars each as well as a repair to the opening, which requires someone to go inside.

“Any volunteers from Council?” asked Public Works Manager Royce Rosenblath, who was waiting to give his own report.

The entire job will cost “thousands”, said Fritsch.

“It needs to be done,” said Reeve Hogg.

You can't please all the people ...

Royce Rosenblath said that crews have been busy with winter maintenance and that he receives service complaints on occasion from township residents.

“Some of them say we plow too early and some say we plow too late. I even heard both of those complaints from people living on the same road, not far from each other,” said Rosenblath.

Support local
independant journalism by becoming a patron of the Frontenac News.