| Feb 14, 2013


Changes coming to local waste site

Waste Management Supervisor Kyle Labbett brought a number of updates and proposals to a meeting of Central Frontenac Council this week (February 12).

First, he informed Council that as of February 1st the township's recycling program has expanded. The township now accepts most forms of styrofoam, including cups and flat styrofoam trays, as well as plastic grocery bags, bread bags, wood pellet bags, etc. All recyclable materials must be cleaned.

This expansion of the recycling program comes on the heels of the release of recycling results in 2012, when the township went to a clear bag system for waste. Cans and plastics were up 29% in 2012 over 2011 and mixed fiber (paper) recycling was up 15%.

A further change is coming to the recycling program, since Council approved the recommended purchase of large, 40 cubic yard recycling bins to replace the ageing 16 yard bins that are currently in place. Buying the new bins is tied in with setting up hauling contracts with a private hauler to transport them.

The entire cost of the purchase of the bins and a new compactor is prohibitive, $200,000, but according to a report from the Waste Management Committee, because of more efficient operations over 10 years there will be a savings, and over 15 years the township will not only have paid back the $200,000, but will be ahead by another $184,000.

Council gave the Public Works department its approval to seek proposals for bins, a compactor, and a hauling contract.

Labbett proposed that Council enter into a contract for a hazardous waste recycling day on July 20 from 9 am to 2 pm. The estimated cost of the one-day event is $30,000 and last year the township received a rebate of $26,000 from Waste Diversion Ontario. Council approved Labbett’s proposal.

Council also gave the go-ahead to establish year-round dump hours of 8 am to 12 noon, and 1 pm to 5 pm, eliminating summer and winter dump hours.

Arden dump site to formally close – Although the Arden dump has not accepted any waste since 2007, it has technically been in limbo, and it has a limited amount (600 cubic metres – about 30 dump truck loads) of potential dump space available.

But the costs involved in re-opening the dump in order to make use of that space is prohibitive.

“It will save us money to forego the 600 cubic metres and go through the steps to formally close the dump,” said Labbett. Again, Council concurred.

After dealing with all the waste matters, which took over an hour to work through, Public Works Manager Mike Richardson said to Council – “I promise not to bring Kyle with me the next time I bring a report.”

Let’s not be so easy on CP, says Richardson

Mike Richardson commented on a proposal by CP Rail to put in a signal stop at the railway crossing on Eagle Lake Road. In a letter to the township, CP said that the federal government is cutting back on subsidy money for these kinds of projects.

Under the system that applies until now, the government would cover $219,000 of the $273,00 cost, with the township paying $34,000 and CP $20,000.

With the change the Feds will only pay $136,000 and they recommend that CP cover the difference, bringing their cost to over $100,000.

Not wanting to spend that kind of money, CP is asking Central Frontenac to double their commitment, so both Central Frontenac and CP would pay $68,000.

“CP rail would be happy if we said yes to this but I think we should be a little bit miserable with them over this,” said Richardson.

He suggests that the township go to the County or to the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus to seek support from others in the same position, and Mayor Gutowski said she will indeed bring the matter forward to those bodies.

Road allowance for habitat – The township's lawyers, Cunningham and Swan, have agreed to waive their fees to stop up and close a road allowance for the proposed Habitat for Humanity project on a lot on the east side of Road 38 just north of Tichborne. Council agreed to waive their fees as well to help the project along.

Recreation guide to go ahead – Council agreed to pay $1,500 towards the production of a Central and North Frontenac Recreation Guide for 2013, an increase from the $900 they contributed in 2012. The increased cost came about because Northern Frontenac Community Services backed out of the guide, which is produced by the Frontenac News.

CF Budget target set

After listening for two days as department heads went through their budget requests, Central Frontenac Council has asked the interim CAO Cathy MacMunn and Treasurer Michael McGovern to make some cuts to the proposed budget and bring the document back to council. The target that council set was for the overall budget, including education and county rates, to stay within a 2.5% tax rate increase. With the average property seeing an increase in assessment of 2.73% this year, that would mean the average Central Frontenac ratepayer would end up with an increase of over 5% in their 2013 property tax bill.

The preliminary township budget that McGovern presented to Council called for an increase of $700,000 in the levy to ratepayers for local services, and he will have to cut about $280,000 to get to the level that Council is asking for. Council expects to finalise their 2013 budget later this month.

Township planner to pay the price for budget shortfall

Central Frontenac has employed the services of Tunnock Consulting ever since the township came into existence in 1998. The township pays Glenn Tunnock a small retainer of $2,500 each year so that he will handle all planning work that comes forward from local residents and developers for zoning bylaw and official plan amendments, site plan agreements, etc. The fees charged to applicants cover Tunnock's fee for completing the work. Glenn Tunnock has also written the township’s Official Plan and Comprehensive Zoning bylaw and the updates to those documents as well, and he charges the township for that work.

With an official plan review scheduled for this year, Council is now reconsidering their relationship with Tunnock.

As council was going over the budget for planning in their 2013 budget, Mayor Gutowski said, “There is a way to save money here. There is $16,000 in the budget to pay Glenn Tunnock for an Official Plan Review. If we switch to the County for planning services, there will be no charge for the review.”

Council's interest was piqued.

“Could we just have the County do the Official Plan Review, and leave everything else as it is?” asked Councilor Norm Guntensperger.

“I'm not sure that we can pick and choose,” said Gutowski. “The offer to do all of our work for free was part of an offer to take over the entire service.”

“I move that we have staff investigate having the county do our planning, so we can cut $16,000 from our budget,” said Guntensperger.

The motion was carried, setting the stage for a change.

The Frontenac County Planning department already provides service for the Township of Frontenac Islands and has an open offer to take on the work from North Frontenac Township, which also uses the services of Tunnock Consulting.

Frontenac County has two planners on staff, and their salaries are covered through county-wide taxation.

South Frontenac Township, which saw $30 million in new construction activity in 2012, has its own in-house planning department.

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