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Addington_Highlands_Council

Feature Article April 29

Feature Article August 12, 2004

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Addington Highlands Council Aug. 3, 2004by Jule Koch Brison

- MPAC TRAILER PARK ASSESSMENTS: Richard and Jan Foy, owners of Browns Tent & Trailer Park, came to council to ask for support regarding the Municipal Property Assessment Corporations (MPAC) trailer assessments.

The problem is that when the trailer park received its tax bill, there was no breakdown of the taxes for the individual trailers. As the Foys need to collect the taxes from the trailer owners, this puts them in the uncomfortable position of being tax assessors. We dont want to have to tell people - you owe $100 - you owe $200, said Jan Foy. An MPAC representative had visited the trailer park about a year and a half ago and measured every trailer, so the Foys felt MPAC must have the individual assessments in their files.

Township Clerk Jack Pauhl said that MPAC no longer gives breakdowns on the individual tenants on the tax bills of malls, for example, and that trailer parks are probably a similar case. However, Council will write to MPAC on behalf of the Foys.

-WASTE DISPOSAL SITES: Mike Benson of Conestoga Rovers Associates (CRA) reported he had good news and bad news for council about two township waste disposal sites.

The good news is that the Mackavoy site has room. Reeve Hook said he did a quick calculation using the figures given and came up with 41 years of remaining life for the site. Benson said that number could be correct, and that if recycling and composting were maximized, those years could be extended.

The bad news is that the Denbigh site is overfilled; however the township can apply for an emergency 2-year extension while it is determined whether the site should be closed or whether it is a candidate for expansion. Either option involves expenditures of between $50 - $100,000 up front, and annual monitoring, costing between $25 $30,000 per year.

Council will hold an intensive meeting on the subject in September, and the MoE will be informed of Councils progress.

After Bensons presentation, AH resident Dave Harcourt addressed council about being deprived of the enjoyment of his property. In the 30 years since the Mackavoy site was opened beside the property where Mr. Harcourt has lived for 60 years, hes put up with a lot. Thirty years ago fire was the problem. Ive had to stay up all night hosing my roofs, he said. Hes lived with wounded bears and hordes of flies, but overall, odour is the biggest problem. Mr. Harcourt was satisfied with councils promise to deal with the problem by covering the trenches closest to his house.

-LOLCS CHILD & YOUTH TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM: Marlene Dacuk from Land o Lakes Community Services asked councils assistance in securing funding for the agencys child and youth transportation program. The program is not funded by the Ministry of Transportation, and costs $10,252 a year to operate. Between April 2003 and February 2004, LOLCS provided 272 rides for children and youth in the area.

The program began with a grant from Sunnyside Childrens Foundation, and was continued with a grant from the Early Years Challenge Fund, which ran out in May. LOLCS has done fundraising for the program and raised $4,000, but when that money runs out, the program will end unless they can secure additional funding from the National Child Benefit Fund (NCB), administered by the county. However, LOLCS was told that the NCB no longer funds groups but individual families for recreational programs. Council agreed to assist LOLCS.

- HALLS READY FOR EMERGENCIES: The Denbigh and Flinton halls have both been wired for a generator that will run everything except the electric furnaces in Flinton.

- The bin at the Flinton hall that injured the finger of an AH resident has not yet been replaced. Royce Rosenblath will purchase the new bins.

- DOCTOR TOUR: Central Frontenac Township has contributed $250 towards the effort to attract doctors to the area.

- LOGGER DAMAGE TO ROADS: A request by KBM Forestry Consultants for input on forestry activities in the Mazinaw-Lanark Forest will give council an opportunity to address the problem of loggers tearing up the roads, although it is not clear if anything could be done when loggers are working on private land. Loggers working on crown land must restore roads to their original state. Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath said he would like to see the township put a load limit on roads, with a special permit needed for greater loads. The permit could be free; its main purpose is to hold users accountable for repairing any damage they cause.

With the participation of the Government of Canada