South Frontenac opts in to communal servicing business plan

Jeff Green | Sep 08, 2022

South Frontenac Council voted on Tuesday night (September 6) to support the business plan for the establishment of a Municipal Services Corporation in Frontenac County. This clears the way for the Frontenac County planning department to move into the active phase of setting up the corporation,

Joe Gallivan, Director of Development Services for Frontenac County, was pleased to hear that his years long effort to create favourable conditions for residential and commercial developments with communal water and sewage systems, is close to being set to progress to the implementation stage.

“Because South Frontenac has the highest amount of assessment and population in Frontenac, having them on board with this was key,” he said, when contacted on Wednesday morning.

The proposal is expected to be on the agenda in Central Frontenac and Frontenac Islands at their meetings next week. North Frontenac decided to opt out of the Municipal Service Corporation at their meeting in August

South Frontenac Township staff recommended that council support the proposal.

A staff report to council pointed out that “the only municipal contribution to the fund, will be start-up funding” and that “no further funding will be raised by taxation” for operations.

The projected start-up cost of the corporation is $700,000, and costs will be allocated to the three participating townships, should they all opt in, on the basis of their share property assessment. As the largest, South Frontenac is looking at costs in the range of $500,000.

However, the province of Ontario has been asked to cover that cost.

A delegation from Frontenac County met with Ontario Minister of Housing Steve Clark, at the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa, with communal servicing on the agenda.

Frontenac Islands Mayor, and Frontenac County Warden, Dennis Doyle said that “the minister was impressed with the range of proposed projects in Frontenac County” that would be made possible with communal servicing under a municipal services corporation.

At that meeting, the Frontenac County delegation, which included South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal in addition to Warden Doyle, also requested provincial funding support for the project, which could diminish or eliminate the $700,000 setup cost to the Frontenac townships.

When the matter came before South Frontenac Council on Tuesday, Councillor Doug Morey said that he “was in favour of the proposal, so long as the corporation is a not-for-profit entity. If it is a for profit model, I would absolutely vote against it, but as it stands, I am in favour of it.

Township Chief Administrative Officer Louise Fragnito said that “from the feedback we have received from staff, we are not looking at a dividend model, but at a community benefit model.

Councillor John McGougall said “this is very exciting for me. I look forward to it moving ahead.”

The motion to move forward with communal servicing was approved by a show of hands in a non-recorded vote.

South Frontenac staff envision that “the next step in the process is for a committee to be formed that would include both county and other Frontenac municipalities, who supported the business case, to work on drafting agreements and documents in relation to the creation of the Municipal Service Corporation for the governance of communal services.

“Council will be provided an opportunity to review and provide final approval on these agreements which will provide information such as required municipal financial commitment, shareholders, community benefits and asset transfer policy.”

Once in place, the municipal services corporation will provide assurance for municipalities that privately constructed water and sewer systems will conform to environmental standards, and provide cost savings for developers.

The proposed Verona Senior’s Housing Project in South Frontenac, a proposed senior’s development at the former Sharbot Lake Public School site in Sharbot Lake in Central Frontenac, and the Marysville secondary Plan in Frontenac Islands,

For further information about the communal servicing proposal in Frontenac County, click here