Feature Article June 17, 2004
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Central Frontenac Council meetingby Jeff Green
Civic Address blades: responding to a request from Mr. Kirchen, whose civic address sign on the Brewer road was destroyed by gunfire earlier this spring, Council received a report which pegged the cost of replacing only the address blade of a civic address sign at $20, rather than the fee for a sign and a post, which is $75.
Parham Fair: A letter of request for financial support came in from the Parham Fair, and Council decided to donate $1,000. I think its a great thing that they are trying to do with the fair this year, and we should all be thinking about volunteering to help out, said Councillor Frances Smith.
No Parking signs: Councillor Jack Nicolson had made a request for a No Parking sign on the Arden road at the Legion Hall. In preparing a bylaw, clerk/administrator Heather Fox asked Council if any other No Parking signs are needed throughout the township so one bylaw could be prepared for several locations. The locations must be clearly specified in order for the bylaw to be enforceable by the townships bylaw officer, Ken Gilpin.
Several councillors said they couldnt think of any locations on the spot, and wanted the matter deferred until the next meeting. Councillor Murray wondered why it was not possible to pass a general No Parking bylaw, and add locations as they became identified.
Councillor Bill Guigue then said he didnt see how No Parking signs were enforceable anyway, since the bylaw officer covers the entire County and is almost never on site to hand out traffic tickets. Most people will show courtesy for a No Parking sign, and we can leave it at that. We dont really need a bylaw to restrict parking.
The issue was deferred until the next meeting.
Summer meeting dates: Council will be meeting only once a month for the months of July and August, unless a need for other meetings arises. The July meeting will be on Monday, July 12, 7 pm at Mountain Grove, and the August meeting will be on Monday, August 16, also in Mountain Grove at 7:00 pm.
Doctor Search: A letter came to Council from Reeve Ken Hook of Addington Highlands, asking for financial support for a trip to some Find a Doctor Roadshows being held at five locations in the province. Mayor Bill MacDonald said this might be a critical issue in Central Frontenac in the near future. Councillor Frances Smith suggested the medical centres in Sharbot Lake and Tamworth be contacted to see if they would like to take an active role in this, and Councillor Janet Gutowski volunteered to contact the two medical centres. Id like to take this on because its a matter of concern for the economic development committee, Gutowski said. Gutowski will report back at the next meeting.
Fencing tender: A single response was received to a tender call for fencing along the K&P Trail. The tender came in from Northern Tree Service at $22,720. The council has only set aside $20,000 for fencing along the trail this year, so the fencing job, which was started last year, will be close to completion but not quite finished when the work ends this year.
Expensive bridge: Four tenders came in for the reconstruction job on the Stones Bridge on the Brewer Road near Sharbot Lake. Council had budgeted $450,00, but for bridge reconstruction buy the lowest bid came in at $557,737.50. The public works manager recommended not awarding the contract until the consultant has finalised his negotiations with the sub-contractor and contractor. The matter was deferred.
Animal bylaw: A debate on the definition of an animal ensued after a bylaw was presented to prohibit the trespassing of large animals, excluding cats and dogs, within the township. Clerk Administrator Heather Fox said she had looked up the definition of animal in the municipal handbook and animal is defined as all animals, excluding humans.
The bylaw was prepared in response to a complaint about cattle that are habitually loose on the Price road near Arden, but the definition of animal led many councillors to question whether the township will be expected to start dealing with all manner of wild animals that trespass on property within the township.
The township will be receiving calls any time a deer is eating apples, a porcupine is in a tree, or raccoons are into peoples garbage, said Councillor Logan Murray. Our bylaw control officer will go crazy.
Councillor Jack Nicolson suggested passing the bylaw as is and revisiting it if indeed people began phoning in about wild animals. In the end it was decided to add the word domestic in front of animal, thus protecting the township from responsibility for wild animals.
