Central Frontenac Council - Aug 13/13

Jeff Green | Aug 15, 2013

Toilets at Sharbot Lake Beach need immediate attention

The Sharbot Lake Farmers Market is a major user group at the Sharbot Lake Beach. Over the last three weeks the market has drawn over 1,500 people to the beach.

The market also partnered with Central Frontenac township in a successful grant application to Frontenac County that included improvements to the washrooms as a major focus.

And yet, at the August 13 council meeting, Market Manager Mary de Bassecourt and vendor Carol Pepper came forward as a delegation to Central Frontenac Council to talk about maintenance at the beach generally, but specifically about ongoing deficiencies in the washrooms.

“The beach is well used throughout the week. Both customers and vendors have told me they won’t use the toilets at the beach because they are so disgusting … residents have told me they leave the beach, which means they leave public events held there as well as the market, sooner than they normally would because of the state of the toilets. Unless this problem is resolved, the complaints will continue,” said Mary de Bassecourt in a letter to Council.

Mayor Gutowski asked Jeremy Neven, the Chief Building Official, to respond to the concerns raised by de Bassecourt.

Neven, who happens to hold a plumber's license in addition to being a building inspector, said that a number of the specific problems with the washrooms, such as a lack of water pressure and problems with the toilet flushing mechanism, can be dealt with.

For example, the township used the county grant to install a submersible pump in Sharbot Lake to improve water pressure, but the pipe being used to transport the water is too small.

“It’s like driving a racing car on a gravel road, you can only go so fast,” he said. “I am getting prices on full one-inch pipe and automatic flush valves, which should improve the toilets,” Neven said.

He also said he would be looking into new fluorescent lighting in the washrooms as well as taking measures to improve the sight lines for privacy, and making the washrooms more viable as change rooms.

“However, it is still a public washroom, and the effects of vandalism are always going to be a concern,” he said. “Everyone here, staff and council included, take the complaints from the public personally. The beach is an important township asset,” he said.

Members of Council spoke out in support of Neven’s plans, with Mayor Gutowski saying the Sharbot Lake beach is “our crown jewel as a tourism destination.”

Councilor Norm Guntensperger, while supportive of the direction of Council, questioned the long term viability of a farmers' market at the beach.

“I think it is absolutely wonderful that we have a farmers' market in Sharbot Lake,” he said, “but the beach is first and foremost a recreational area. I’m wondering if it is really the ideal location for the market, maybe there is another location in Sharbot Lake where the facility could be established. I don’t remember the beach being a permanent location when we first approved the market.”

“I think the recreational and market use of the beach go well together,” said de Bassecourt. "The economic benefit of the market for other local businesses has been demonstrated, and we leave the beach cleaner when we leave each week than when we came.

Councilor Frances Smith and Mayor Gutowski both spoke out in favour of the continued use of the beach by the market.

“The market enhances the profile of the beach to visitors,” said Smith, “we just need to fix the washrooms and improve maintenance at the beach in general,” she said.

Lions at Oso waste site: The Sharbot Lake & District Lions have installed a small building at the Oso waste site to collect beer, wine, and liquor bottles that residents bring to the site instead of the beer store.

“The Lions come twice a week to pick up bottles, and return them for the refund, using the money for their programs. It helps us keep the glass we collect down, and allows residents to save a trip to the beer store,” said Public Works Manager Kyle Labbet.

Other groups may come forward with similar plans at other township waste sites.

Wagarville Bridge over budget: Five bids that answered a tender for the reconstruction of the Wagarville Bridge ranged from $390,000 to $476,000. Unfortunately the township budgeted only $260,000 for the job.

Since the township has received a $2.1 million infrastructure grant, for which the bridge project was one of the items, Public Works Manager Mike Richardson recommended going ahead with the project, which needs to be done and would likely cost more if delayed by a year. Council agreed and will be contracting Clearwater Construction to complete the work this year.

Trailer licensing: Following the lead of South and North Frontenac, Central Frontenac will be considering taking on property owners who have trailers parked on vacant lots. As bylaw officer Ken Gilpin put it, “When people park and occupy trailers on vacant waterfront lots, they use township services, roads, waste sites etc. just like their neighbours, but instead of paying waterfront residential taxes, they pay a small fraction as owners of vacant lots. This upsets their neighbours and costs the township money.”

The township will consider doing an inventory of trailers, determining which have been in place since before bylaws came into place banning them, in which case they will be a legal non-conforming use and can be charged a fee. Those put in place after the bylaws came about will be ordered removed.

Gilpin suggested Central Frontenac may give some lead time before the removal to encourage the property owners to put in permanent cottages in place of the trailers. “In South Frontenac they were given five years, and when we checked most had been removed well in advance and many new structures put up in their place, improving the township’s tax base,” he said.

Composition of Council - A public meeting, set for early September, will be held to discuss whether the current council structure should be maintained for the 2014 election and subsequent four-year term, or changed. A consultant's report said that the current nine-member council (two representatives from each of four wards and the mayor’s position – elected at large by all voters) is larger than comparable municipalities of the same size.

Proposals for seven, six, and five-member councils are being considered by Council. All of the new alternatives involved cutting the number of ward councilors from two to one.

The five-member option would include four ward politicians and the mayor; the six-member option, four ward politicians, and a mayor and deputymayor/county representative elected at large. The seven-member Council includes four ward politicians, and a mayor, deputy mayor, and separate county representative, all elected at large.

Of the three proposed changes, the six-member council appears to have the most support on Council, but the status quo nine-member council may still be the most popular option. Details about the proposals will be posted on the township’s website and the meeting will be advertised.

Construction back to normal: After a slow 2012, coming after an above average 2011, construction activity figures show 2013 as a return to the norm for Central Frontenac. Permits for $3.45 million in construction have been taken out in 2013, as compared to $2,498 million at the same point in 2012 and $5,344 million in 2011. That total value includes permits for 11 new residences, as compared to eight at the same time in 2012, and 10 in 2011.