Feb 15, 2017


(Subsequent to the posting of the article beneath, Central Frontenac Council cut another $80,000 from the budget. The final budget levy to ratepayers is $7.45 million, an increase of 4.1% over 2016. Because total property assessment in the the township dropped by 0.8% last year, the tax rate itself is up by 4.3%. During their deliberations, Central Frontenac Council cut a total of $311,000 from the levy tahta was initalliy proposed to them by staff, through cost cutting and dipping into reserve funds)

Members of Central Frontenac Council huddled with Treasurer Michael McGovern after their regular council meeting late on Tuesday afternoon to go over the last few departmental budgets in search of some savings.

Before they started, McGovern presented them with an amended budget that included enough cuts to bring the total tax rate increase down from 6.2%, which is where it was a week ago, to 5.1%. The tax rate for township purposes, had dropped from an increase of 7.9% to 6.3%. (see note below)

In order to bring the rate down, McGovern was recommending cuts of $56,000 from budget lines in the  waste disposal budget, $15,000 from spending on the asset management program, $14,000 from grants for recreation, $25,000 from salaries, $10,000 from the culvert replacement program, and a number of smaller cuts. In total, the budget Council was looking at this week was over $230,000 lower than the one they were working from a week ago.

Mayor Frances Smith had set the target of a 4% increase after the previous meeting, a tall order considering all of the major departmental budgets have already been combed through, leaving only development services, cemeteries and the swim program for Council to go through this week.

Updated budget numbers as the result of Tuesday evening’s deliberation can be found at Frontenacnews.ca

(budget note – Central Frontenac collects taxes for their own spending and transfer obligations, but also collects money that goes to Frontenac County and the Ministry of Education. The township amount is the largest (70.5%) compared to Frontenac County (14.2%) and The Ministry of Education (15.3%)

This year, the amount being charged by Frontenac County to Central Frontenac is up by 5%, while the Ministry of Education rate remains as it was last year, a 0% increase. Because all these numbers are combined, the local increase of 6.3% results in an increase in the total tax collected of 5.1%)

Other items from Central Frontenac Council

New MVCA regulations to have little impact, planner says
Planner Reid Shepherd presented a report to Council on the implications of a proposal by the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) to begin regulating development near all designated wetlands in the Mississippi River watershed. The MVCA is one of three conservation authorities that have responsibility for parts of Central Frontenac. The other two, Quinte and Rideau Valley, already regulate wetlands. As well, as Shepherd pointed out, Central Frontenac already has its rules in its own official plan about setbacks from designated wetlands, so the impact of a new role for the MVCA “will likely be small” he said.

Shepherd added that development pressures on wetlands in the township are minimal.

“Most of the development in Central Frontenac is on the shores of lakes,” he said, pointing out that “for the six years encompassing 2011–2016, only 10 applications were submitted for development within 30 metres of wetlands throughout Central Frontenac, and only 2 applications were filed within the boundaries of the MVCA.”

A map that was included in Shepherd’s presentation, showed a large number of green shaded areas that could be included under new regulation, but he said more study on the ground will be needed to determine where wetlands are actually located.

For planning purposes, wetlands must be over 1 hectare in size and must be fed by and drain into another water body.
Councillor Bill Macdonald, who is the Central Frontenac representative on the MVCA Board, said that “other townships, including our neighbours in Tay Valley and North Frontenac, have passed resolutions opposing this, but really the MVCA is just doing what every other Conservation Authority already does, and the implications for Central Frontenac are very minimal if there are any at all.”

In the end the township received Shepherd’s report for information. No resolution opposing the change was passed, or even contemplated.

(Note – Mayor Frances Smith informed Council that Reid Shepherd will be leaving Frontenac County to take a job in Ottawa for a consulting firm. Shepherd has been working as community planner for Frontenac County and has been doing much of the work in Central Frontenac as part of a contract the township has with Frontenac County for planning services.)

Culvert replacement and sand stockpiles under pressure
Interim Public Works Manager Mike Richardson reported that the work on replacing a culvert on 4th Lake Road has been hampered by the weather and other complications. He is hopeful the plan for replacement will not need to be changed or that any delays will occur, and said he would know more by the end of the week.

The sand stockpiles have been depleted due to the amount of freezing of rain that has occurred, culminating in a large freezing rain event on February 7 and 8. Richardson said the next three weeks will tell if more sand needs to be sourced.
Waste amnesty dates approved

Richardson recommended and council approved that the waste amnesty (1 trailer load per household per year) should take place within the regular waste hours throughout the summer, rather than during a small waste amnesty window. The waste amnesty program this year will extend from May 13 to September 10.

Strategic plan
After an eight month process, Council approved the first Strategic Plan for Central Frontenac. The plan includes 6 focus areas: asset management; environmental services; good governance & effective administration; health, recreation, culture & lifestyle; infrastructure; and the protection and health of the natural environment. 

Cemetery benches in Mountain Grove
John Purdon, appearing on behalf of Judy Gray, asked for township to approve spending of up to $9,000 for 3 granite benches, one for each of the cemeteries in Mountain Grove. The money for the benches has been raised in Mountain Grove during annual cemetery services in the summer.

As Purdon pointed out, “this is a budget matter but it does not involve tax dollars as we have raised all the money, and we have almost $10,000 put aside.”

Council approved the plan as presented.

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