NF Council looking to update offices and public works building

At Monday's meeting, Council reviewed and discussed Councillor Denis Bedard's recent report regarding the options available to update their ageing municipal buildings.

A building assessment report from Greer Galloway in 2014 noted that the North Frontenac municipal office and public works buildings were in rough shape. The report showed that the current buildings lack potable water, accessible bathrooms, accessible council chambers, and that the building requires better insulation and ventilation.

“In terms of health and safety, the interior of the building has experienced moisture infiltration which has created frost, moisture, and mould in sections of the building,” the report stated.

Councillor Bedard, in his report, presented some of the different options North Frontenac has moving forward. These include renovations to insulate and combat the moisture issue as well as elaborate plans to demolish the current buildings and construct new offices and a new public works garage. Of the six plans that Bedard presented Council whittled them down to three ideas that they want to start discussing more thoroughly.

The three options they are looking at are:

1. To renovate the existing building. This would entail removal and replacement of the insulation and vapour barrier in the ceiling and walls as well as the replacement of doors and windows, at an estimated cost of $511,250.

2. To renovate the existing building, same as above, and also add another 1,500 square feet of office space at an estimated cost of $900,000.

3. To renovate the current office building to better suit the public works department and to construct a new building for the municipal offices at an estimated cost of $1,627,500. The former Ministry of Natural Resources building on Buckshot Lake Road was mentioned in the report as a possible location to build the new facility.

Council will be holding a public meeting on August 29 at 10am in the Clar-Mill Fire Hall in Plevna to present and discuss these ideas and to create a dialogue with the community to incorporate into their building plans.

Low-interest loans available to North Frontenac

Robert Keene, a representative from Infrastructure Ontario (IO), made a presentation to Council on Monday morning regarding the different type of loans that could be available to North Frontenac through their loan program.

Infrastructure Ontario is an agency of the provincial government and provides short-term and long-term financing solutions to municipalities at low-interest rates. These loans can be used for most capital expenditures, including new construction or renovations, emergency vehicle purchasing, waste management, and road improvement.

The funding the IO is offering is available to a variety of groups such as municipalities, Aboriginal health centres, long-term care facilities, and housing providers.

IO is offering two different types of loans. One is a “serial” loan where interest is paid out more at the beginning of the loan and then decreases as the term goes on. The other is an “amortizer” loan, which functions much like a mortgage payment. Keene explained that the “amortizer” loan is the one most municipalities use in their programs.

The current interest rate for a five-year loan is 1.43% and 3.12% on a 25-year term. These loans are available through the IO for terms up to 30 years.

A total of 18 vendors set up their stalls at the Clar-Mill hall in Plevna for the annual Plevna Summer Craft show. The event, now in its fourth year, was organized by northern area artisans Betty Hunter and Debbie Emery, who together with the 16 other sellers offered up a wide variety of locally made items including quilts, original artwork, unique wooden frames, stained glass, jewelry, felt work, hand made soaps and candles and more.

Local painter, Cathy Owen of Red Dragon Studio in Ardoch, is one of the show's regular vendors and she had an interesting display of some of her latest creations. Owen, who has been painting for 26 years, spends seven months of the year in Ardoch and in 2013 she achieved her lifelong dream of designing, building and opening up her very own gallery and studio space.

Red Dragon Studio is located beside her cottage on Malcolm Lake and it is where she works and sells a wide variety of paintings, cards, lanterns and glass mosaics. Owen is one artist who continues to explore new horizons. Some of her latest work was inspired by local neighbours, Bud and Mary, who told her about a fundraising event for their community association in Virginia, in which local artisans were commissioned to create painted floor mats to be auctioned off for sale.

Owen was intrigued by these decorative and functional objects, which were first popular in the late 18 and early 19th century, when woven rugs were priced beyond many homeowners' means. As an alternative to woven rugs, floor cloths became a decorative way to not only cover bare floors and add colour to the home, but were also helpful in cutting down drafts. Like Owen's, early floor cloths were painted on canvas with both simple and complex imagery and it was not until the Industrial Revolution, when mass-produced woven rugs became increasingly affordable, that floor cloths eventually went out of style.

In the 20th century they became popular again when folk art came back into style. Owen's floor mats are unique and are made to be walked on. Painted in acrylics with three top coats of varathane, they can be easily cleaned and are durable. Their subject matter includes what Owen is best known for: nature scenes like stands of birch trees; local wildlife, like loons and herons, and wild local flora.

Owen loves nothing more than sharing her know how with others and she has been teaching for over two decades now. She offers courses at her studio in Plein air and watercolour painting and stained glass mosaics. For more information contact Cathy at 613-479-2137; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit reddragonartstudio.com.

For art lovers who missed the Plevna show, mark your calendars for the North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour, which will take place on September 26 and 27 and will include a number of northern area artisans.

Solar project proposals abundant in the Frontenacs

Rob Hitchcock, a representative from Abundant Solar Energy Incorporated (ASEI), made a presentation to North Frontenac Council on June 29. Two sites were proposed for solar farms in North Frontenac that would be built under the FIT program being offered by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).

ASEI is a 100% Canadian-owned company with its headquarters in York, Ontario. They finance and engineer solar farms, and contract out the construction stage.

“Every site that we develop...we use as much local material and labour,” Hitchcock said, referring mostly to excavation, electricians, and general labour.

Hitchcock explained how previous solar farms, such as the ones near Kingston and Westport, were installed when renewable energy building regulations in Ontario were much more lax. Times have changed, and the IESO now requires that companies awarded contracts under the FIT program follow strict guidelines as far as visibility from dwellings and points of interest, as well as incorporate green space setbacks into their plans.

Unlike certain recently proposed wind turbine projects, electricity that is generated by these panels is fed back into the local grid, rather than being exported outside the province.

ASEI is bankrolled by a solar flow-through fund (SFF) which offers investors a tax break on money invested into alternative energy, using a similar model to tax breaks passed on to investors in the oil and mineral sectors.

In this North Frontenac proposal, ASEI is planning two separate panel arrays on neighbouring lots, both located along the Mississippi River, near Farm Lake, which are accessed via Gutheinz Road. Hitchcock explained that they typically overbuild their systems by 20% to make sure they are always generating the maximum electricity they are allowed to feed into the grid, within the regulations of the FIT program.

“We're very involved in the communities we do business in,” Hitchcock explained. “The term of the contract is twenty years.”

Mayor Ron Higgins confirmed with Hitchcock that the ASEI would be responsible for repairing potential damage to public roads as a result of their activities.

The procurement process for solar projects, through this IESO program, works similarly to the wind turbine application process that North Frontenac has recently faced. ASEI are awarded points for having the municipality on board with the project. Their bid will become more competitive with a letter of support from the township.

Dam leaks!

Mayor Higgins and Councilor Gerry Martin recently took members of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) on a tour of some of the lakes and rivers in North Frontenac that are connected with the Mississippi River water system.

Martin reported to council that the Kashawakamak Lake Dam is leaking and that the MVCA will be fixing the dam by pumping liquid cement “into the surrounding hillside” to hopefully stop the flow.

“It was a pretty productive day,” Martin said. “North Frontenac Township was really highlighted...” He said that he has “got a lot of comments back...congratulating us on what we're doing up here and our countryside.”

The Kashawakamak Lake Dam is at the east end of the lake and helps regulate the water flow of the Mississippi River.

Linda's Loop

Linda and Bruce Sterling recently sent a letter to North Frontenac Council asking for help organizing maintenance on Linda's Loop, a 20-km trail network built by the Sterlings many years ago, that winds along Crotch Lake.

Historically, the trail has been maintained by the Sterlings and other local volunteers but they've found it difficult keeping the trail in good shape these last few years. They are requesting help in clearing brush, marking trails, and some chainsaw work and are hoping that the Township can help co-ordinate the maintenance. In October 2014 they built a 40 foot bridge on the trail with help from the Rideau Trails Association.

“The township has much to gain by maintaining these trails and expanding them,” the Sterlings said, and suggested that North Frontenac could gain revenue as well as boost local business.

“A lot of people use it...it's an advantage to the whole area,” a lady in the audience said. “She [Linda] has maps. They've done a lot of work on it and it would be a shame to let it go back. I hope they'll get some support from Council.”

Mayor Higgins responded by saying that the idea will be given to the economic development task force to look into.

What a difference a week makes.

Ben Greenhouse, from NextEra said this week that the company is considering changes to its North Point 2 project as the result of the unequivocal statement by North Frontenac that they are an “unwilling host” for wind power projects.

While he would not say that North Point 2, which is now set for Addington Highlands and North Frontenac, will be adjusted in order to bypass North Frontenac entirely, he said it is a possibility.

As of early this week, North Point 1, which is entirely based in North Frontenac, is still a project that NextEra is planning to submit, along with North Point 2, to the Independent Energy Service Operator (IESO) under a call for proposal for renewable energy procurement in.

When Greenhouse, along with his colleague Ben Faiella, appeared at a special meeting of Addington Highlands Council a week earlier, they answered questions about the companies financial offer to the township, which included a Community Vibrancy of $1,750 per megawatt of power produced by them in the township.

Maps were available at thT meeting and are now posted at nexteraenergycanada.com under the “Proposed Projects” tab in the middle of the home.

Councilor Tony Fritsch asked why the vibrancy fund offer is is contingent on the township passing a motion expressing support for the project.

“When we calculate our bid, the value of municipal support is weighed in, and if we don't have that, our calculations change. If we win the contract without municipal support, we can come back to council and talk about a different vibrancy fund, but for now it is contingent on the motion of support,” said Greenhouse.

Fritsch also pointed out that for other projects, the value of community vibrancy funds paid out by NextEra has been as high as $3,500 per MW, double what is being offered to Addington Highlands

Greenhouse said that the larger payments took place under earlier procurements for wind power, when the amount paid to the producer of the power was much higher.

“This time it is a competitive process, the upper limit is $115.00 per MW/hr,” said Greenhouse, “and the winner will have to come in somewhere under that, so there is not as much financial room left.”

The township will be making a formal counter offer to NextEra's initial community vibrancy fund offer on June 29th.

Tony Fritsch made a motion that the counter offer include a community vibrancy fund of $3,500 per MW, double what NextEra is offering.

Council unanimously supported Fritsch's motion.

“If we don't ask for more, we'll never get more,” said Councillor Bill Cox)

(Note – a front page photo in last week's edition incorrectly identified Ben Faiella as Ben Greenhouse)  

(Note - this article was editerd on June 11 to reflect a decision made by North Frontenac Council on June 10th)

On June 10th, North Frontenac Council passed a resolution declaring the township an "unwilling host" for the NextEra wind power projects, nothPoint 1 and Northpoint 2. It was a unanimous vote among the 7 member Council.

The company had offered a sweetener for municipal support for the project, in the form of a community vibrancy fund that would have been worth as much as $200,000 per year for 20 years, in addition to a projected increase in tax revenue of more than $100,000 per year. The money was available under two conditions: the township needed to pass a motion supporting the project; and NextEra’s bid for the project needs to be a winner in the procurement process that has been set out by Ontario’s Independent Energy Service Operator (IESO).

The motion that was proposed to Council at a Special meeting on Wednesday night (June 10) was crafted by Mayor Ron Higgins, and when contacted on Tuesday he said that he has been talking to members of Council about the NextEra proposal and is confident his stance will be endorsed by the entire Council.

“There were many red flags about this proposal as far as North Frontenac is concerned, starting with the fact that instead of being approached by the company we initially read about it in the newspaper in early March. It also involves major construction and conflicts with the entirely different economic development strategy we have been developing,” he said. “and beyond that our residents have voiced their opposition in large numbers.”

The NextEra bid to IESO can proceed without municipal support; however the statement that North Frontenac is not a willing host will cost NextEra valuable ranking points in the procurement process, which will make it difficult for them to compete with bidders in “willing” townships

While the municipal support provision was included in the latest wind energy procurement process to provide for some local input, it does not go as far as granting municipalities any authority to approve or reject proposals.

In spite of Council's decision, NextEra could still submit a winning bid, and the turbines would be built in North Frontenac. In that case all that North Frontenac Council will have accomplished by stating they were “not a willing host” will be to lose up to $10 million in revenue over 20 years.

It is this fact that led North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins to write a letter of complaint to Premier Wynne.

“Ultimately it is the way the province set up this process that has put us in this position. I thought it was important to explain our position to them and to add our voice to those municipalities who oppose the way the Green Energy Act has been formulated and implemented,” said Higgins about the letter.

The letter asks the Premier and the Minister of Energy to change course and begin to work with local municipalities more directly.

In the conclusion to the letter, Higgins wrote, “We implore the Minister of Energy to take this resolution and similar resolutions from other municipalities very seriously. Like us, you were elected to office to set policy and support the people who put you in these positions. If the policy is flawed, as it is in this case, then fix it. The Government of Ontario has stated they are going to provide more focused support for rural municipalities. The support you can give us now is by supporting our resolution, which would help us stay focussed on our strategic direction and our vision. It may take us longer to accomplish our goals rather than accepting this temptation put in front of us today, but we will be a much better and sustainable community long into the future.”

(For more detail in the wind power projects thata re proposed in North Frontenac and Addington Highlands - http://www.frontenacnews.ca/north-frontenac-news/item/9482-councils-job-no-breeze-questions-for-nextera

History of Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes documented In new book

Brenda Martin presented a recently completed book on the history of Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes. What had started out as a calendar quickly blossomed into a thick book full of photos and stories about the lake's past which is now available for purchase. She brought copies of the book on DVD to donate to the Ompah and Clarendon-Miller libraries.

Martin also spoke about a need for space to store the archives that have been collected throughout the process.

The book, 'History of the Lakes: Malcolm and Ardoch' is available to purchase for $20 on a DVD or for $125 in print, which is the actual cost of printing, via the Malcolm and Ardoch Lake Association Work Team.

Support for Studio Tour

Betty Hunter, an artist from North Frontenac, made a presentation to council informing them of the work she and her peers do to promote the artwork of local artisans, and asked for their support.

With the help of local artists, Hunter is organizing this year's North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour, which will take place September 26 & 27. The North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour was created in 2014 by Jim Craig and friends. In its first year, the tour had 15 artists displaying their artwork, in their own studios, spread out across North Frontenac. Some of these studios reported over 200 visitors. 17 artists have signed up to display work on this year's tour and that number could grow. Hunter was hopeful that the audience for the tour will continue to expand.

“It brings people into the area. We want a lot more people to know about it this year,” Hunter said.

Hunter asked council for $750 to help create and publish 5000 brochures for the studio tour as well as to update their website. In addition, she hoped to secure funding at the county level to subsidize making signs for the tour. Council agreed to the grant request.

Proposed 5-Acre Solar Farm For Clarendon

Abundant Solar Energy Inc., an Ontario company headquartered in Toronto, has asked council to sign a letter of support for Abundant's bid to build a 500kW array of solar panels on 5 acres of land on Gutheinz Road, near the Mississippi River in Clarendon. This letter of support would help make their bid more competitive to the Independent Electricity System Operator (ISEO), the governing body who awards the contract for which they are applying.

Council deferred signing the letter until they gather more information about the project and the possible damage to roads when accessing the site during construction and maintenance.

One Person's Trash...

Local resident Mavis Wade wrote to council suggesting they look to McDonalds Corners and its “re-use” centre as a solution in diverting waste from the landfills.

Council discussed the possibility of creating a volunteer-run recycling or reuse centre in North Frontenac, similar to the one in McDonalds Corners, where residents could leave items that are still functional or useful but no longer wanted. The idea is that someone else might find a use for the item and thus prevent it from going into the landfill. The successful McDonald's Corners facility was started by volunteers but now receives some financial support from their municipality.

Council is hoping to develop a more thorough proposal with Wade and the Public Works Department to discuss its viability at a future meeting.

Dock Talk

In a discussion concerning a request from the Malcolm Ardoch Lake Association (MALA), the entire category of docks sidelined Council.

“There have been so many different directions out there. The point is we need a policy we can follow. Consistency,” Corey Klatt, the Manager of Community Development, explained. “It's frustrating for us... we don't have consistent directions.”

MALA wants to to build a small platform, at their own expense, at the Malcolm Lake boat launch Council decided to approve this dock and will draft a new public boat launch by-law.  

NextEra Energy, a subsidiary of American-owned Florida Power and Light, is proposing to install over 100 industrial wind turbines across the rolling hills of Addington Highlands and North Frontenac municipalities if their bid is successful with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) this fall. NextEra hosted two mandatory, well-attended, open houses over the weekend to inform residents of their plans, including potential sitings of wind turbines, and to answer questions the public had about their company and their proposal.

The current NextEra proposal consists of two projects, Northpoint I and Northpoint II. Northpoint I includes 50 turbines in North Frontenac generating approximately 100MW and Northpoint II is for 57 turbines in total, 50 in Addington, and an additional 7 in North Frontenac, generating approximately 114MW, if they use the suggested 2MW turbines.

NextEra is offering both municipalities a “community vibrancy fund”, if the townships provide them with a signed letter of support that they can submit with their proposal to the IESO. This letter gains them points during the application process which discounts their final proposal price and makes their bid more competitive. Points are also awarded for getting a letter of support from a local Aboriginal group. The community vibrancy fund they are offering is $1750 per MW which would equal approximately $175,000 a year for Addington Highlands and just under $200,000 a year for North Frontenac. On top of this, the townships would also receive $1750 per kilometre of transmission line per year in their respective territories.

Because the Northpoint II project exists in both municipalities, NextEra needs to receive support resolutions from both North Frontenac and Addington Highlands on that specific project in order to achieve the discount on their proposal price.

“It's all or nothing,” Ben Greenhouse, a director for NextEra, explained. A 'yes' vote by Addington would be negated by North Frontenac voting 'no' to the 7 proposed turbines in their area for Northpoint II.

“It's not really practical, but it's a possibility,” Greenhouse responded when asked whether they'd alter their Northpoint II proposal and remove the 7 North Frontenac turbines in order to achieve a support resolution from Addington Highlands Council. This would also mean routing their transmission lines through a longer, less desirable route if they have to avoid the, ideal, corridor through North Frontenac.

Dan Carruthers, a cottage-owner on Ashby Lake, asked NextEra if the vibrancy fund is “contingent on Council saying yes, or will the community get the vibrancy fund regardless of the council vote?”

“...it is contingent and the reason is...because it allows us to bid a higher price...if we don't get the support resolution we have to go with a lower price, which means that we have less room in the process...” Greenhouse explained.

The hall echoed with folks yelling 'bribe' after Greenhouse told them this.

Chris Winney, a local real estate agent, asked on behalf of people who have already signed leaseholder agreements with NextEra, that, if the community decides that they don't want the project, will NextEra “remove the encumbrances that are on title on their properties and allow them to go forward and own their land as everybody else does?”

Greenhouse responded saying that “it's an individual question on an individual basis...we're here for 20-30-40 years. We don't want to be working with people who don't want us on their land. That's a difficult relationship...we'd sit down with them and try and understand their concerns...” but he also warned that “as the process goes further and further, and more and more money and time is invested it gets more and more difficult to change.”

Alice Madigan, a concerned resident who, on Saturday, presented Council with a petition against the turbines, made a complaint to NextEra's representatives that a friend of hers had been harassed numerous times by a salesperson from the company.

“She has a sign on her property that says 'unwilling host' yet you keep harassing her to sign up. Why?” Madigan said. “She's a recent widow...this poor lady is fragile...you're trying to wear them down.”

“If we are doing that, which I haven't heard, then we need to stop that and we will,” Greenhouse told Madigan.

When NextEra first presented their proposal to Addington Highlands Council it consisted of 100 turbines. They've since reduced that down to 50 turbines in order to “focus their resources” although between now and the proposal deadline they explained that they could be adding more turbines to the proposal.

Greenhouse suggested that they would most likely add a few more to make up for turbines that get cut out during the permitting process. During that stage of the development they may be forced to remove turbines from their plan based on their proximity to a sensitive ecological area, a house, or it being too challenging to build based on the topography.

Friday and Saturday's meetings were highly anticipated by local residents as NextEra presented preliminary maps showing possible locations of turbines as well as some photo mockups of what the landscape might look like with the turbines in place.

These photos were taken from different vantage points around the two municipalities and showed turbines in the distance, some more obvious and looming than others and some hardly visible on the horizon.

Some residents complained that the photos had been taken from very advantageous angles to show little impact and that they weren't showing a realistic representation of how things might look in the future.

“The locations I don't really see changing,” Ben Faiella, a project manager for NextEra, stressed on Saturday.

Jason Gibson, a land specialist from Canacre, the company in charge of acquiring land for NextEra, suggested it would be difficult to introduce more turbines to the current proposal.

“Between where the good wind is and the properties that we have available...with the setbacks on crazy amounts of stuff...even if we have a 200-acre lot...we end up with 5-acres,” Gibson said.

The Ministry of Environment (MOE) regulates a minimum setback from a turbine at 550 metres and this number rises with an increase in turbines and the sound level rating of the turbines chosen for the project. These setbacks are intended to limit sound at the nearest residence to 40dB. This 40dB level is what the World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe recommends for the “protection of public health from community noise”. According to the WHO, this is “below the level at which effects on sleep and health occur...however, it is above the level at which complaints may occur.” 40dB is the equivalent to a freezer or refrigerator running measured from about 3 feet away. Theoretically, the sound would increase as you get closer to the turbine. On NextEra's 'Jericho' project, which they built in southwestern Ontario last year, the maximum sound power level from their installed 1.6MW turbines was 103dB and the MOE setbacks are such that by the time that sound travels the distance to a residence it's no louder than 40dB.

A resident at the Denbigh meeting asked NextEra “would you be looking at making another submission to expand the number of turbines in the area?”

“This is our business...to build wind farms,” Greenhouse responded. “If the government puts another call out and we have a solid base here, it would make a lot of sense potentially to expand, so certainly we would look at it.”

A couple from Vennachar who have signed up their land but aren't yet on the map for a future turbine expressed excitement for the changes that could come from NextEra building in the community and hoped that their land would be chosen as a possible location for one of NextEra's turbines.

“It should be good for the area ... I'm not sure it's gonna change anything a lot but it may change something ... so I say go ahead,” the man from Vennachar said.

When asked if they were worried that turbines may decrease property values in the area the woman said, “it couldn't get any lower than it is now.”

They have hopes that a wind farm in the area would bring local jobs and new residents and stimulate the local economy.

“I don't want just maintenance jobs...I think we can get the skilled jobs ... they could be local kids,” the lady from Vennachar said.

An organization called Bon Echo Area Residents Against Turbines (BEARAT) was recently formed to create an online voice for the residents who are against the wind project. They have a website: www.bearat.org. There is a petition up on their site as well for people to sign in support of declaring the area “not a willing host” to wind farms.

As well, you can link to the preliminary maps that NextEra has provided of the proposed wind turbine sites on our website at www.frontenacnews.ca.

Norcan Lake Lane comes back to haunt NF council again

After passing a motion in January that bans council members and township staff from talking to anyone - the press, the public at large, and those directly involved - about the ill-fated Canalodge subdivision on Norcan Lake, residents from two previous subdivisions that were put up by the same developer on the same lake came to council this week.

And once again the name of the developer behind all three subdivisions, David Hill, was at the centre of a dispute.

Gord Hawley, the president of the Norcan Lake Cottagers' Association, which represents the owners of 27 properties that share responsibility for the upkeep of a three-season laneway, Norcan Lake Lane, requested that the township take over the maintenance of the lane.

Hawley pointed out that 10 years ago when the property owners with frontage on the lane signed the deeds to their property, which committed them to paying their share for its upkeep, they were not informed that the lane would become an access road for properties further along the road and to a popular lake as well.

“It was not a through road when we signed the deeds, but it is now. Yesterday, which was a holiday Monday, over 300 vehicles went by my property, on a road that I personally pay to maintain. Since the township gets the benefit from the traffic, and the benefit from the taxes from the 27 property owners on the lane, the township should pay for minimal maintenance on the lane,” said Hawley.

He also pointed out that the five largest properties on the lane are still owned by the developer, David Hill, who has not paid his share to the association.

“We took him to court and we won, but we do not expect we will see any money from him,” said Hawley.

He then added that a number of members of the Norcan Lake Association are now refusing to pay, and the association will likely fold at the end of this season.

“I expect I will be the last president of this association. I don't se how we can survive if we don't have enough money to cover the grading that needs to be done and the gravel that the road needs,” said Hawley.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Norcan Lane is part of the route for the spring and fall Ompah Community Association ATV runs, and a promise by the association to grade the corners of the road after last year's spring run was never followed up on.

A number of council members said they were concerned about setting a precedent by taking on responsibility for a private laneway, but Councilor Denis Bedard said there are already precedents.

“We maintain Arcol Road; we maintain Sunday Lake Drive; we maintain the Mosque Lake Road. We have made decisions in the past to provide something for those residents; why not these? It is not winter maintenance they are asking for, just what is needed to make the road passable for three seasons.”

“We will be considering a report on maintenance on private roads later in the meeting. Let's look at this when we consider that report,” said Councilor Wayne Good.

Mayor Ron Higgins said that he would be in favour of approving a one-time $2,000 grant to the Norcan Lake Association to get them through this year. "That will give us time to consider our public works manager's report and come up with something for next year's budget cycle.”

The rest of Council did not agree and the $2,000 proposal was rejected.

Later in the meeting, the report on the unmaintained roads maintenance policy, written by Public Works Manager Jim Phillips, was presented to Council. It considered five different roads, including Norcan Lane, and went into detail about the history and state of repair of the road.

“An inspection of Norcan Lake Lane was recently conducted on April 24, 2015, at which time the condition of the road was found to be in fairly good condition, similar to the condition found two years ago and noting that the road had not yet been graded this year ... In fact this road was in better condition than many of the gravel roads maintained by the township ..." the report concluded.

The report said that the township is facing a cost of $300,000 overall in order to keep its network of gravel roads in good repair, and does not have that amount of money available. Adding additional roads would only add to that shortfall.

Although Council did not speak directly to the request for support from the Norcan Lake Association, it accepted Phillips' report as written, putting the matter on the shelf for now.

Snow Road Community Centre – Council will allow the Snow Road Community Centre Committee to do some further work at the centre, including painting the bathroom and putting in a horseshoe pit on the grounds.

Crotch Lake Cleanup – the clean-up of Ardoch Road by members of the Crotch Lake Association was approved for next month, with the township providing some gear for the use of the volunteers.

Tay Valley poaches another Frontenac County municipal professional – Angela Millar, the treasurer of North Frontenac, has left the township's employ to take up the treasurer's job in Tay Valley, where she will start working on June 1.

Millar joins former Central Frontenac Chief Administrative Officer Larry Donaldson at the Harper Road headquarters of Tay Valley.

“I am originally from that area,” said Millar, adding that she went to school at Glen Tay Public School, which is located next to the Tay Valley Township Office.

North Frontenac Council thanked Millar for her efforts on their behalf, and wished her well in the future.

by Betty Hunter

Once again this year we will be having planned events at the North Frontenac Star Gazing Pad. This facility is located at 5816 Road 506 between Ardoch and Fernleigh. The Pad will be available for your own group viewings once the ARCAL Lighting System has been installed at the Helipad adjacent to the Star Gazing Pad; we hope in the very near future.

The first event is being held on May 16 with a rain date of May 23. As I write this, the weather forecast is looking very good for the 16th. If you have not had the opportunity to attend one of these events let me inform you of what goes on:

Our “amateur astronomers” have been star gazing since they were young and have decades of knowledge of the dark skies and all we can see. They are our guides and teachers for these events. They bring their telescopes with them so everyone has the opportunity to see what they are talking about. It is a great interactive evening with very enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers.

The event of May 16 twilight will start around 9pm and will start with viewing Venus and Jupiter which provides a breathtaking showing on its own. As the sky continues to darken more stars and galaxies will appear.

As written by one of our friends “This time of year the Milky Way lies right on our horizon in the evenings, so we will have to wait a few months to enjoy its treasures. Its absence now gives us an unobscured look at other galaxies besides our own. In other words spring is the Season of Galaxies. The spring constellations, especially Virgo, Coma Berenices and Leo are home to scores of galaxies of all sizes and shapes. Even though most of them are more than 50,000,000 light years away, they are well within reach of small telescopes. So they will be our main focus on the 16th.”

This event will start around 9pm and continue until all participants have left (our astronomers are accustomed to being up all night). These events are for every member of the family and provide an amazing opportunity to learn about our beautiful night skies.

There is an outhouse facility on site. Bring your lawn chairs, binoculars, telescopes (if you own one), warm clothing (as it cools down and gets damp as the evening moves on). You will also require insect repellants as the bug season has started.

Come on out and bring a friend. You won’t be disappointed. Hope to see everyone there.

Support for seniors in North Frontenac

At Monday's council meeting in Plevna, Catherine Tysick, a Community Support Manager from North Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) explained to Council the many different services they provide to seniors and physically disabled people who live in the area. Caregiver counselling, foot care, volunteer transportation, and Lifeline - a 24-hour monitoring system - are only some of the services they provide in the Frontenacs.

They also subsidize some housekeeping services for eligible seniors or disabled people. One of the goals of NFCS is to provide support so these people can continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible.

“A lot of the seniors we serve are in their 80's and above...” Tysick told Council. “Oftentimes there is only one pension...we really want to be able to help people stay at home as long as they can and as safely as they can because they want to be here,” she explained. “I've never met anybody who wants to move out of North Frontenac.”

NFCS was operating a Meals On Wheels program in North Frontenac for a long time but haven't been able to provide the service recently due to logistical complications with finding a local supplier, although they are starting up a nutritious frozen meals program that has seen financial support from Meals On Wheels.

“The residents of North Frontenac are very independent...we haven't had enough people that want Meals On Wheels enough to bring it from Sharbot Lake...” Tysick said.

NFCS depends on volunteers for many of their services. They offer transportation for people in need, at a subsidized rate. This can mean driving a senior to a medical appointment or to do grocery shopping.

One of the challenges that the NFCS faces is the small population, and therefore a small demand. Tysick explained that although they are in “very good-standing” with their funders, she worries that in the future the rural population won't be safeguarded against funding cuts because the funding is based on usage.

“We just want to spread the word that the services are available,” Tysick said. “If there are some holes...if there are some needs...there may be some things we can do...to get those needs met for your residents.”

Solar And All That Jazz

Bob Mady, from Jazz Solar, an Ottawa-based solar energy consulting firm, made a presentation to Council on Monday regarding the potential income North Frontenac could be making if they installed solar panels on some of their buildings in the township. The Feed in Tariff (FIT) Program, is designed for projects designated as generating between 10 kilowatts (kW) and 500kW of electricity. There is a program for under-10kW projects called the microFIT. These two programs, once controlled by Ontario Power Authority (OPA), are now controlled by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the same organization that is in charge of administering the proposed wind turbine farm in North Frontenac and Addington Highlands.

Mady explained how a rooftop 10kW system, which costs approximately $30,000-$34,000 to get up and running, would provide the township with $4600 in annual income for the next 20 years, with the opportunity to profit over $55,000 in the long term. This system, under the microFIT program, provides the client with a protected rate, currently set at 38.4¢/kWh, that is locked in for 20 years. After the 20 year contract runs out, the owner of the system could, theoretically, stop feeding the grid and use the panels to power their building directly, with some additions to their system.

When the microFIT program was first introduced in 2009 the OPA was paying participants 80.2¢/kWh. The rate has dropped steadily, and Mady told Council that this will most likely be the last time the FIT program is offered.

(Note – the township has a micro-fit project in place on the roof of the township office)

Community Grants Policy to Set Deadline and $1000 Limit

Council voted on implementing a community grants policy on Monday. Non-profit community organizations sometimes request funding from the township. This policy would set a cap at $1000 per organization, and would set a deadline of November 30th, in order to be considered for the following year's annual budget.

“I'm gonna be a grinch here and say I don't like this,” Councillor Inglis said. “I think it's too extensive and bureaucratic...it's going to add layers of paperwork,” Inglis voted against the idea but was outnumbered in the vote. “I want to see a very simple set of guidelines...no dollar limits, no follow up reports.”

Corey Klatt, the Manager of Community Development, explained the reasoning behind the change. “It's putting some timelines on it so that we can do this at budget time.” The intention is that it will allow Council to better plan how they budget and allocate grant funds each year as well as better document what allocated grant money is spent on.

Mayor Higgins Gets a Passing Grade on Report Card

Mayor Ron Higgins presented the results of a survey he initiated requesting feedback from Council on his performance in his first quarter as Mayor. Overall the comments were positive, he said, and he himself echoed the main suggestion put forth that he “slow down” and not “expect too much too quickly”.