North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins said he knew he was going to hear about it when he indicated at a meeting of Frontenac County Council on November 12 that he was not going to support a request for funding from Pine Meadow Nursing Home.

As a member of Frontenac County Council, Higgins said the grant would be “outside of the funding obligations and from a fiscal responsibility point of view, I can't support it.

When the matter came to a final vote one week later, only seven of the eight members of the County Council were present, and three of them, Deputy Warden Frances Smith (Central Frontenac), and Councilors John McDougall (South Frontenac) and John Inglis (North Frontenac) were in support. Even with Higgins and the two representatives from Frontenac Islands (Mayor Dennis Doyle and Councillor Natalie Nossal) voting against it, the vote still would have gone Pine Meadow's way if Central Frontenac Councilor Tom Dewey supported it.

The motion that came forward was for a $10,000 annual grant for 10 years, which would have raised the county tax rate by 0.14% in 2016.

However, even though he had indicated he would vote in favour when the matter came up on November 12, when it came time to vote on the 18th, Tom Dewey said he had changed his mind.

“I know I was in favour of this last week, but there have been questions raised since then, and I need to vote based on good sense. We don't know what will happen with Pine Meadow's finances down the road, and my fear is that approving this funding would have a detrimental effect on Fairmount Home, so I can't support it.”

The vote was lost 4-3.

Before the vote was taken, new information was brought forward by Frontenac County staff.

Kelly Pender, the CAO of Frontenac County, had said on November 12 that Pine Meadow “runs annual deficits of $500,000,” and when comparing the operations of Pine Meadow and Fairmount Home, he said, “Pine Meadow does not have 24-hour nursing staff available and Fairmount does. I think Pine Meadow could learn a few things from Fairmount”.

Pender backed down from both statements on November 18, saying that the Pine Meadow deficit was a “one-time event at their fiscal year end this past March, which resulted from transferring a loan to a mortgage after the renovation of the home last year... They also do provide 24-hour nursing, which is not what I indicated last week, but they do not have a secure ward for certain dementia patients like Fairmount does, and that is an expensive service.”

In another report to Council, County Treasurer Marian Van Bruinessen pointed out that it costs $51,344 in annual salary costs per bed at Pine Meadow as compared to $68,823 at Fairmount.

“It is evident that salaries and benefits are the greatest difference in operational costs between Pine Meadow and Fairmount Home,” she wrote, adding that although Pine Meadow has not provided a breakdown of actual wage costs, “The difference in wage rates might be attributable to the proximity to Kingston and the competition for health care providers from other long term care facilities and hospitals in the local area.”

North Frontenac Township funding decision

Two days after the county meeting, Ron Higgins presided over a budget meeting of his own North Frontenac Council.

He explained why he had voted against the Pine Meadow funding at Frontenac County, leading Councilor Wayne Good to say, “We should have passed a motion at this council telling you how to vote on issues like that.”

“It doesn't work that way,” said Higgins. “I do not represent this council at the county. When I am there I have to think about the interests of the entire county, not just North Frontenac.”

“I don't agree,” said Good.

Higgins then put forward another proposal. He said that if North Frontenac put in $25,000 on the condition that both Central Frontenac and Addington Highlands do the same, that would raise $75,000. “Since Pine Meadow has $31,000 in their capital reserve fund, they would then have $106,000 available to pay for the new windows,” Higgins said.

“I don't see that we can ask Addington Highlands and Central Frontenac to support this,” said Councilor Gerry Martin.

Higgins then proposed that North Frontenac simply donate $25,000 towards the windows. He asked CAO Cheryl Robson if there was any money in reserves to cover the donation without having to raise it from 2016 taxation, and she said there is money in the township's capital reserve fund that can cover it.

“I guess we don't have a choice,” said Councilor Gerry Martin when the vote was taken.

Council voted to make the donation.

Two weeks ago, after years of fruitless requests, there was a chance that Frontenac County would approve a $105,750 grant, over 10 years, to support a capital project at Pine Meadow Nursing Home.

The home is not located in Frontenac County. It is owned by a not-for-profit corporation and run by a volunteer management committee. However it has a unique connection to Frontenac County.

A member of North Frontenac Council is appointed to the committee that oversees the home. Pine Meadow was built in the 1990s with the financial and volunteer support of groups and individuals from the former Kaladar Township in Lennox and Addington and Barrie Township in Frontenac County. That community support has remained constant ever since. Barrie Township (now ward 1- North Frontenac) makes up 45% of both the population and tax assessment of North Frontenac Township. Kennebec ward, which makes up 25% of the residents and tax assessment of Central Frontenac, also has a historic connection to Pine Meadow.

For those who live in the north-western corner of Frontenac County, Pine Meadow is an integral local institution, the largest employer and health care institution in the region, and the place where many Frontenac County residents spend the last year or two of their lives within reach of family and friends.

The proposal that came to Frontenac County Council last week was to spend, in a discretionary fashion, $100,000 on Pine Meadow over 10 years. During that time, that same council will requisition, by my estimate, $100 million from Frontenac County ratepayers.

Before the vote on the request was taken, Council received information from their staff that pointed out the risks associated with spending the money. They were told it might lead to the unions at Fairmount Home claiming the county had more money available for long term care than they had let on, and pouncing on that at the bargaining table. They were told that other not-for-profit homes with residents from Frontenac County might come looking for money. They were told this is not the kind of spending that fit with the long term financial planning that staff have meticulously constructed for the county.

These are all legitimate things for staff to say. They are doing their job.

I would point out, however, that when county staff were pushing County Council to approve a $2 million renovation to the Fairmount auditorium four years ago, another discretionary item, county staff did not make any of these points. County staff also did not oppose a request of $540,000 over 10 years to fund capital projects at Kingston General Hospital, another discretionary item.

In any event, the two councilors from Frontenac Islands voted against the grant to Pine Meadow. That is not surprising. They live closer to Syracuse, New York than they do to Northbrook.

But what really did the proposal in was the fact that North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins and Central Frontenac Councilor Tom Dewey both voted against it.

They did not do it lightly, but they pointed out that they felt it would be irresponsible to vote for the spending, given all the risks and the strict logic that they need to adhere to as County Council members.

I don't doubt their sincerity or their convictions; it's just that they were wrong. They were over-influenced, perhaps because they are new to County Council, by the bureaucratic and institutionally constricted logic that has been drummed into them since they arrived at their first county meeting less than one year ago.

Higgins and Dewey were elected by their constituents. Ultimately, no matter what anyone says, they represent their constituents to the county.

Yes, they need to consider the bigger picture, but they need to remember who sent them there and whose interests they are bound to represent. They need to pick their battles, to be sure. This was a little battle, and it was one that they could have won.

Frontenac County has virtually no footprint in its northwestern corner. Fairmount Home is a two-hour drive from Cloyne. The City of Ottawa is closer. Ambulance service comes from Lennox and Addington. The K&P Trail is located an hour's drive away.

All Frontenac County does for Ward 1 (North Frontenac) is requisition money through municipal taxes.

This was an opportunity, for very little money, to establish a small footprint for Frontenac County in one of its forgotten corners.

It was an opportunity squandered.

One more thing. Out of all this, some hard figures have come out. It costs $17,000 more in annual labour costs to pay for a bed at Fairmount Home than it does at Pine Meadow Nursing.

Frontenac ratepayers deserve to know why this is the case.

Funding request is defeated in a 4-3 vote

(Update on this story. Tom Dewey of Central Frontenac has decided not to support the motion. Higgins still against it. The motion being voted on is for $105,750 over 10 years. There are only 6 members of council in attendance. 5 have indicated how they will vote. 3 for and 2 against. The final vote comes down to Natalie Nossal from Frontenac Islands. Recorded vote nossal votes no, motion defeated in a 4-3 vote.)

North Frontenac mayor, Ron Higgins, said he will be voting against a proposed grant of $125,000 for Pine Meadow Nursing Home when it comes up this week at Frontenac County Council.

The home, which is located in Northbrook, has asked the County for money in the past to help with capital projects. They asked for support on a yearly basis in the run-up to the rebuild of Pine Meadow, which was completed last year, but Councilors representing South Frontenac and Frontenac Islands have always voted as a bloc against the funding, ensuring that it has never happened.

When the matter came up last week at a meeting of the Committee of the Whole of Frontenac County Council, this time to pay for replacement bay windows in the older part of Pine Meadow, Councillor John McDougall from South Frontenac indicated he would be supporting the motion. This would give the elusive fifth vote needed for a majority in the nine-vote council (there are eight members of Frontenac County Council, and Ron Vandewal has two votes by virtue of being Mayor of South Frontenac).

But then Ron Higgins spoke.

“I struggled with this myself, but I can't see that the County of Frontenac should start supporting other homes. Based on the budget restrictions that we have in pace, I can't vote in favour, just from the fiscal responsibility perspective. I know I will hear about this,” he said.

Deputy Warden Frances Smith and Councillor Tom Dewey, both from Central Frontenac, as well as North Frontenac Councillor John Inglis, along with John McDougall, all indicated they would support the request. Ron Vandewal said that since he was already set to vote against the proposed 2016 Frontenac County budget because it includes a 2.5% increase, “so I can't support this because it will add even more to the budget.”

Warden Dennis Doyle and Councillor Natalie Nossal, both from Frontenac Islands, did not speak to the motion.

Frontenac County is the owner and operator of the Fairmount Home, which is located adjacent to the county offices. As a municipally run home, the 128-bed Fairmount Home receives $2.7 million from municipal taxation in addition to provincial funding and resident fees towards its $12 million annual operating budget. City of Kingston ratepayers contribute about $1.8 million and Frontenac County ratepayers will pay $908,920 towards the home's operating expenses in 2016.

By contrast, the 60-bed Pine Meadow Home receives only the provincial funding and resident fees with which to finance its operations.

Betty Hunter, a member of the Pine Meadow Management Committee, made the pitch for funding at the regular monthly meeting of Frontenac County Council on October 21.

“We are looking for only capital support,” she said at the time, “not operating funding, but this is a matter of some urgency for us. Pine Meadow is not located within Frontenac County, but neither is Fairmount Home. Pine Meadow serves a high percentage of residents from North and Central Frontenac.”

Pine Meadow received $250,000 over 10 years from the County of Lennox and Addington towards its rebuild and expansion project, which was completed a year ago. Like Frontenac County, Lennox and Addington also operates its own municipal home in Napanee, the John Parrot Centre.

In his report regarding the application for funding, Frontenac County Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Pender expressed the concern that supporting “a long-term care facility outside of our geographic boundaries will open the door for other facilities in neighbouring communities that routinely receive County of Frontenac residents.”

He also said that he was concerned about the “ability to pay” argument, which could surface in contract negotiations with unions and arbitrators representing Fairmount Home staff.

“If we can afford to financially support long-term care outside of our jurisdiction, the argument that we can only keep salary increases to the cost of living for our own employees would be weakened,” he said.

Pender also told the Committee of the Whole last week that he had requested financial statements from Pine Meadow after receiving the funding request in October, but had just received them and had not had a chance to look at them.

Ron Higgins then proposed a deferral of the motion to support Pine Meadow pending a review of the finances, and the matter was deferred until a meeting this week,

Since last week's meeting, the funding request has been clarified by Pine Meadow. The request is now $105,750. Pine Meadow administrator Margaret Palimaka said the Home would be happy to receive the money over five or even ten years.

“We would be happy to receive anything,” she said.

The proposal is included in the agenda for the county meeting that is set for Wednesday, November 18.

(This story will be updated at Frontenacnews.ca to reflect the results of that meeting)

A delegation from Frontenac County, including Pender, Fairmount Home interim administrator Steve Silver, and North Frontenac councilor, John Inglis, paid a visit to Pine Meadow in late October to meet with staff and administration.

Betty Hunter and Ernest Lapchinski, members of Northbrook-based Pine Meadow Nursing Home's management board, appeared before Frontenac County Council on October 21, seeking financial support for new windows at the home.

Pine Meadow Nursing Home, a 60-bed long term care facility, is located in Addington Highlands Township, County of Lennox and Addington, but up to 50% of its residents at any given time come to the home from North and Central Frontenac, Ernest Lapchinski pointed out.

Over the years representatives from the home have made numerous presentations to Frontenac County seeking funding, mostly for the major renovation and upgrade to Pine Meadow that was completed in 2014.

“L&A County put in $250,000 over 10 years, and Addington Highlands waived the building fees for the project, but Frontenac County declined several requests for support,” said Betty Hunter.

Frontenac County operates the municipally owned Fairmount Home. In rejecting annual requests for funding, successive Frontenac County Councils argued that maintaining Fairmount is already a burden for county ratepayers, and satisfies the legislative requirement that the county pay into the long term care system in Ontario.

There is a precedent for the county to support capital projects for health care institutions outside of its jurisdiction, however. The budget includes a 10-year commitment of $25,000 per year towards capital upgrades to Kingston General Hospital.

“What we are looking for today is funding support for the replacement of 11 bay windows in the original Pine Meadow building, which was built in 1993 to standards that are not what they are today. The new section of the building is up to those standards, but there are still challenges in the original building. The repair is extensive since it includes the supports, and the cost is $13,530 per window plus HST, about $165,000, which would be about $25,000 per year for seven years from Frontenac County,” said Betty Hunter. “It is a matter of some urgency.”

“The home operates within the funding envelope provided by the Ministry of Health,” said Ernest Lapchinski, “and we manage our operations within budget and have always done so, but since the home is owned by the Land O'Lakes Community Services, which has its own funding challenges, there is nowhere to turn except fund raising and grants for capital projects such as this one.”

“For years Pine Meadow has been coming to us looking for money. Council needs to find some niche to allocate money to this building, which is important to our residents in the North. We have to find an envelope to pull that money from; that is our challenge,” said North Frontenac councilor, John Inglis.

“May I point out there is no long-term facility in Frontenac County,” said Betty Hunter, referring to the fact that Fairmount Home, although county-owned, is located within the City of Kingston,

“I would try to see us do something; when it comes to budget time, I will be supporting this,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith.

While Pine Meadow (60 beds) and Fairmount Home (128 beds) receive money from the Ministry of Long Term Care according to the same funding formula, and also charge resident fees, as a municipally owned home, Fairmount receives an additional $2.6 million from municipal sources. Of that money, $1.7 million comes from the City of Kingston and $900,000 from Frontenac County. The total operating budget for Fairmount Home in 2015 is $11.6 million.

The discrepancy in funding has been brought up at Frontenac County Council in the past, particularly under the late warden Bud Clayton, who coincidentally also chaired the Pine Meadow Management Committee.

Steve Silver, the interim administrator of Fairmount Home, said recently that care staff tend to be paid more at municipal homes as compared to the not-for-profit sector, based on how arbitration hearings tend to settle contract disputes between unions and management in the municipal sector.

Silver, along with Chef Administrative Officer Kelly Pender and Councilor John Inglis, are visiting Pine Meadow this week to get a first hand look at the operation and its finances. They will also be paying a similar visit to Rideaucrest Home, which is another municipally owned home in the City of Kingston.

Frontenac County will be entering budget deliberations for 2016 on November 12, when the draft budget will be tabled by staff.

Land O' Lakes Seniors rocked on at Pine Meadow Nursing Home just prior to Thanksgiving when they visited our friends and group members there, were welcomed by Barb Ellsworth, activity director and pastoral leader, and also shared some snacks and stories. Our Pine Meadow folks have been busy of late- enjoying Tai Chi, a visit to Miles Farm for a tractor and wagon ride, and of course their annual fall fair was over the top in fun. It featured balloon darts, bobbing for apples, judging of the staff's homemade pickles, snacks of popcorn, and apple slices dipped in caramel sauce. The Pine Meadow fantastic Kitchen Club have their baking supply cupboard all stocked up and ready to go thanks to generous donors, so the club will continue to bake their wonderful homemade treats based on their recipes and memories of years past.

The residents travelled down Memory Lane when they visited the homestead of Andy Armstrong in Plevna where Andy's niece and nephew offered tours and sharing of history. They also enjoyed a picnic lunch at Armstrong Lake where folks had a fun time. As well the residents went to Wheelers Pancake House for a super yummy treat and visit there. So, that's just a partial sharing of one month's activities, but other monthly happenings include weekly worship services, musical groups, exercises, singing, baking and so much more. We are so fortunate to have such a fantastic facility right in our area.

Close to 100 guests gathered under the outdoor pavilion at the Pine Meadow Nursing Home in Northbrook on September 11 to officially celebrate its long-awaited refurbishing and upgrading from a class B facility into a “new home” rated facility, which is one step above its initial goal of becoming a category A nursing home.

Carl Gray, on behalf of the board of directors of the Land O'Lakes Community Services (LOLCS), emceed the event, which included greetings and speeches by various dignitaries, including the Warden of Lennox Addington, Gordon Schermerhorn; Addington Highlands Councilor Bill Cox; North Frontenac Councilor Vernon Hermer; Pine Meadow's current administrator Margaret Palimka and its chair of family council Brenda Martin; and representatives from Extendicare, Sharon Gilmour and Tracey Mulcahey.

The road to the facility's redevelopment has indeed been a long one. It began 14 years ago when Kim Harvey, Pine Meadow's then administrator, initiated the process, which was approved by the LOLCS and set in motion with the appointment of a planning committee.

Ernest Lapchinski, chair of Pine Meadow’s planning and building committee, has been involved in the project from the start. He also spoke at the ceremony, thanking all of the individuals and parties involved in seeing the project through to completion. These included the LOLCS; the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and Infrastructure Ontario; Georgina Thompson, first chair of the South East LHIN (Local Health Integration Network); the County of Lennox and Addington; Extendicare Canada; project manager Peter McConnachie and architect Gail Lamb; and Brian McMullen and Jamie Broeders of Frecon Construction of Kingston. Also thanked were the various local organizations and groups who supported the project, including the Northbrook Lions and Legion, as well as the staff and residents at Pine Meadow and the local and surrounding communities. Lapchinski ended his thanks by saying that, “Rural communities such as ours without significant political clout have learned that they must work together to get what is needed for our citizens and that takes persistence and passion, both of which have brought us to success”.

Other presentations included a plaque in memory of former mayor of North Frontenac, Bud Clayton, which was presented to Bill Cox. Clayton was very involved with the project and Cox said he would have been “very proud.”

A presentation was also made by Margaret Anderson on behalf of her partner Brian Lorimer, who gifted a large work he painted, titled “The Weathered Pine” to the facility. The painting depicts a tree located near the facility, one that residents often walk by on their hikes. Anderson said it demonstrates how an old, weathered tree is still beautiful and can still offer an important role in the ongoing circle of life it inhabits.

Betty Meeks, president of the residents’ council, also spoke on behalf of the residents and said that despite the refurbishing process, during which residents and staff endured “..lots of dirt, noise and confusion, ongoing changes in routine, we now have a much nicer building - brighter, bigger, and more pleasant with more areas to visit with friends and family.”

The upgrades, which cost approximately $5.5 million, were completed at the end of July, 2015. They include two extensions made to each of the two wings of the facility, which each now have 32 beds and an increased number of square footage per resident. There were also upgrades and renovations to the dining room, visiting areas, washroom facilities and outdoor facilities.

Emcee Carl Gray especially thanked the staff at Pine Meadow, who he said always, throughout the construction process “maintained a 'residents first' approach”. He also thanked the members of the Pine Meadow Management Committee, past and present, who he said “have worked tirelessly to see this redevelopment become a reality.”

Following the ceremony, staff, residents and guests enjoyed cake and refreshments, and staff gave tours of the new upgrades.

The 14th annual Pine Meadow Charity Golf Tournament took place on June 20 at Hunter's Creek Golf Course on Hwy. 506 near Cloyne. As in previous years, this year's tournament was generously sponsored by numerous businesses and community members, raising over $15 000. These funds are used for a variety of items at Pine Meadow, which cannot be included in their regular budget and which enhance the lives of the residents at the nursing home.

A special thank you goes to Brad Douglas of Yourway Home Building Centre, who has been our major corporate sponsor for 13 years. Brad intends to continue to support the charity as a community sponsor.

Funds raised this year will be used to subsidize the monthly excursions planned for the residents and to repair the screened gazebo in the courtyard area. Several other items will be purchased as well, including slings, a specialty mattress, chairs for the activity room, a sofa for the entrance area, serving carts for the new dining areas and casino games and ipads for the residents to enjoy.

This year, 59 golfers participated in the tournament on a bright, sunny day at Hunter's Creek. Raffle prizes included a beautiful quilt made by the Treadle Quilters and valued at $1100, which was won by Glenn McFadden and an ipad mini, which was won by Joan McPhee. There was also a 50/50 draw with a prize of $105, won by Sue White, who donated the money back to the fund. The microwave, donated by Smitty's Appliances, was the prize for the chipping contest and was won by Cory Andrew. A compressor donated by Kaladar Auto Parts was purchased in a silent auction by Everett English for $170 and this money will also be added into the Special Needs fund.

The members of the first place team at the tournament (pictured) were Jeff South, John South, Miller Hodgins and Dave Anthony. There was a three-way tie for second place and the members of the three teams donated their winnings back to the charity. Many thanks to Fern Sedore, Barb Dion, Mary Locke, Michelle Walters, Lawrence Flynn, T.J. Flynn, Everett English, Richard Rashotte, Ab Meeks, Herb Clark, Phil Brown and Ron Fobert.

The men's closest to the pin was won by Ron Nowell and the women's closest to the pin was won by Dawn Reiser. The men's longest drive was won by Miller Hodgins and the women's longest drive was won by Barb Dion, who donated the funds back to the charity.

The raffle sales brought in over $5600 and we are very grateful to the many ticket sellers, who gave of their time and enthusiasm.

by Jean Brown

Last week a large contingency of our Land O' Lakes Seniors visited two members at their home in Pine Meadow, notably Verna Cowdy and Betty Tarney, along with many other friends. Sharing laughs, telling hunting stories, and enjoying coffee made for a fun morning, in spite of the roaring snow outside. We donated funds to aid the Pine Meadow Family Council, whose mission is "to improve the quality of life for all residents by promoting an atmosphere of sensitivity, caring and support among staff, friends and family members of the residents." The Council supports the needs of staff and residents by offering fun and fundraising events that enable other events such as a steak BBQ for all residents, staff appreciation day, Christmas gifts for all residents, and much more. Pine Meadow is buzzing with excitement as Christmas approaches and as the new addition nears completion and folks move into their newly renovated rooms. Thanks one and all.

A few weeks ago there was a municipal election, as some of us vaguely remember. However, because of the way things are set up by the province, the election is followed by a bit of a dead zone, a month or so when the soon-to-be-former councils continue to meet as the new council members wait in the wings.

In early December that will all change and the full implications of the October elections will start to be felt.

The changes that are coming are vast. Of the 16 council members in South and Central Frontenac, 12 will be new. The mayor-elects in both townships are new as well, although both Ron Vandewal (SF) and Frances Smith (CF) have significant municipal experience.

While four of the six members of North Frontenac Council are returning, the mayor-elect, Ron Higgins, has never sat on council before.

Members of council don't ride along with grader operators, inspect building sites, or cover waste sites with fill, but they do oversee budgets and take responsibility for the overall direction of the townships. They also send two members each to Frontenac County Council, the mayor and one other, who will be selected at the first meeting of the new councils in December.

Because of the changes at the township level, there could be as few as one returning member (Dennis Doyle) to the eight-member Frontenac Council, which will meet for the first time on December 17. Two other current members of the council, John McDougall from South Frontenac, and John Inglis from North Frontenac, were re-elected in their own townships, but if they are to return to the county they will have to survive a vote at their own council.

Frontenac County Council oversees a $40 million budget.

The reality that will be faced by all of these radically changed councils is that municipal operations are heavily regulated by the provincial government, and the ability for them to effect change is limited. They will also have to learn how to navigate between the expectations of the voters and the fact that the first thing they learn when they attend orientation sessions is that council's role is to develop policies, and township staff are in charge of implementing those policies under the direction of the chief administrative officer. They are warned against the urge to micro-manage township staff.

This will no doubt frustrate many new members of council, who will think, sometimes rightly so, that this kind of talk is all about protecting the status quo and blocking change.

In addition to the changes in hte municipal world, three of the largest public sector institutions serving northern Frontenac County are about to change as well.

Bonnie George, the administrator who has steered Pine Meadow Nursing Home through a multimillion dollar redevelopment project, is leaving just as the project is about to be completed. Pine Meadow is not only the largest employer in Addington Highlands, it is also the long-term care facility of choice for residents of northern Frontenac County, Addington Highlands and parts of Stone Mills township.

Don Amos, the executive director of Northern Frontenac Community Services, the largest not-for-profit agency in Frontenac County, and a major employer in the Sharbot Lake area, is also leaving, for a job in Kingston.

Just like the politicians, neither of these two individuals provide direct service to their organizations’ clients and the day they leave their jobs the staff at both agencies will simply carry on as before, but Bonnie George and Don Amos have both been the face of their organisations to the public and to provincial funders, and have both been responsible for long-term planning.

Finally, we learned this week that Lanark County OPP will no longer be overseeing the Sharbot Lake detachment (see NF Council report). That job will be going to the Frontenac OPP office, based in Hartington, a move that is long overdue. The Kingston court (and its Sharbot Lake satellite) deal with cases generated in Frontenac County so it just makes sense to have all policing under the same umbrella as well. The changeover also means that Sergeant Sharron Brown, the relatively new commander of the Frontenac detachment (as of April) will be the senior OPP official in all of Frontenac County.

All of the institutions and municipalities mentioned above have long-standing responsibilities in our region and they all operate according to regulations and well established practices, and certainly not at the whim of their leaders.

Still, when they all face these kinds of changes, the institutions themselves can be altered in unexpected ways over time.

Bonnie George, the administrator at Pine Meadow Nursing Home, has a bit of trouble explaining how the next phase of construction at Pine Meadow will proceed.

A couple of weeks ago, residents moved into the newly constructed wings at either end of the v-shaped home.

Now that all the new construction is completed, crews are renovating the rooms in the older part of the home that were vacated by those residents. When those renovations are complete, residents will move across the hall, and those rooms will be worked on. Then the administration offices will be changed, the main dining hall and servery will be renovated.

“All of this will take place while the home is operating. It's all very complicated. I spent days with the construction supervisor figuring it all out and how it will work,” she said.

The construction phase is now 70% complete and is on budget thus far, George added, and the good news is that a number of residents are in new rooms, enjoying the benefits of an upgraded, grade “A” long term care facility.

Pine Meadow will have only two-bed or one-bed rooms when construction is complete, and each 32-bed wing will have its own admin hub, nurses' and doctors' rooms, showers and baths, common room and activity room, and dining room.

The entire home will be newly finished, and will be up to date in terms of safety and accessibility requirements.

Bill Cox, the chair of the management board that oversees the home for Land O'Lakes Community Services, said that the home has developed a reputation as a first class care facility due to the support of the surrounding community through ongoing fund-raising and donation efforts and other engagement with the home.

“The renovations include a new staff lounge plus space in what is now the dining room for public use,” said Cox. “Some day we hope to have physiotherapy and dialysis offered here for the general public. The space will be there; it will be up to the LHIN or the ministry if the service ends up being available here,” he said.

One thing that Bonnie George is hoping will happen sooner than that is a decision to increase the capacity of the home to 64 residents. The home is licensed for 60 residents, but it has a healthy waiting list, and the ministry approved constructing it to a capacity of 64.

“It will be up to the ministry to decide if we should be licensed for 64 residents, but we will certainly be ready once the renovations are complete,” she said

The projected end date for the project is February 18, 2015, and George anticipates the construction crews will be close to or spot on that deadline.

For members of the management board who began lobbying for the re-build of the home almost 15 years ago, that day can't come soon enough.