North Frontenac Council

Jeff Green | May 04, 2016

Council votes in favour of new township building

Norh Frontenac Council chose to move forward with adding a 2265 square foot addition to the existing township building as well as renovating the existing structure in a three-phase construction project.

Jeremy Neven, the Chief Building Official, and Larry Gaines, the architect who designed the new building and addition, were at the meeting on Friday to discuss any questions and concerns that Council had about the designs.

Neven explained that the construction project would be rolled out in three phases. The first stage is building the new addition on the current township building. The second phase is renovating the exterior of the existing building including windows, doors, and insulation. The final phase is renovating the interior of the existing building, which includes mechanical upgrades, electrical work, and finishing.

Gaines spoke about how he attempted to incorporate some of North Frontenac's character into his design with a proposed timber frame structure over the entrance-way and stonework on the exterior.

“The project costs have certainly accelerated,” Councilor Dennis Bedard said.

One of the proposals that Bedard brought to Council back in August of last year was to add an additional 1,500 square feet to the existing building at a cost of $900,000.

“My gut feeling, in terms of doing renovations, is it's never under. It's always over,” said Bedard.

“You're absolutely right but I think we've accounted for that,” Gaines told Bedard.

“I want to know how we're going to pay for this,” Bedard said. “$1.3 million. I'm really uncomfortable with that dollar figure.”

“Reserves and loans,” Mayor Ron Higgins said.

North Frontenac Treasurer Kelly Watkins said that a loan would cost $59,000 a year for 25 years on a 3.24%, guaranteed, interest rate.

“If we don't do something this year then it gets more expensive next year,” Mayor Higgins said.

“Would it be worth waiting to see if we can lessen the burden on these taxpayers to see if we can get federal and provincial grants?” Councilor Bedard asked. “I don't know about you folks but constituent-wise I think a lot of people are not in favour of that kind of money being spent on a building.”

“I've had more positive comments on a new building than renovating this old building,” Councilor Gerry Martin said.

Currently there is no funding available to help subsidize the construction project.

“I don't think we're going to get a better deal than this and I'm going to support this,” Councilor John Inglis said.

“No decision like this is going to please everybody but we need to do something,” Mayor Higgins said.

Councilor Vernon Hermer expressed his worries about financing the project as well because of increased policing costs and because “the economic conditions in this municipality are bleak.”

“We still have to remember we're looking at the working conditions of the staff in this existing building,” Councilor Wayne Good said. “Going through another winter or two is unacceptable.”

“I think we all agreed that we had to do something when we started on this journey,” Mayor Higgins said.

“That 'something' has gotten very highly priced,” Bedard said.

In a recorded vote, requested by Bedard, the motion was carried 5-2, with councilors Bedard and Hermer voting against the proposal.

Mayor Higgins hopes that they will break ground on the project this year.

Fire department operational review gets heated

Eric Korhonen, North Frontenac's Fire Chief, presented his operational review of the fire department at Friday's meeting.

Terry Gervais, a former Napanee fire chief, who acted as a consultant on the report, and praised Korhonen's work on it, was in attendance as well to answer any questions that Council had. Gervais told Council that the report Korhonen prepared would have cost the township about $30,000 had they outsourced it.

Korhonen outlined in his review that a decline in the number of residents, and an aging population, as well as a diminishing number of recruits and increased training expectations have increased the stress on the department.

Korhonen made some suggestions aimed at improving the current operations of the department and these included being more flexible in hiring and possibly attracting seasonal residents during the department’s peak busy months. The area has an increase in 7000 people during the peak season, Korhonen said, between April and October, which also coincides with a decrease in volunteers.

Korhonen also proposed that the department switch from their current point system to paying volunteers an hourly rate, which would vary from $16/hour for a junior volunteer up to $22/hour for an officer.

The fire chief also recommended replacing three volunteer deputy chiefs with a paid, part-time assistant fire chief, which ruffled some feathers.

“Will that not have an effect on the morale of the fire department?” Councilor Hermer asked.

Councilor Bedard was quick to go on the attack about Korhonen's report, suggesting that the survey of other fire departments that was used as the basis for a lot of Korhonen's study was incomplete and should not have been used.

“A question that should have been asked [in the survey] is 'Do you have a full-time fire chief?',” Bedard said. “How many similar sized townships have a full-time chief, let alone a part-time chief? This report, has it been reviewed? Have you asked for input from the deputy fire chiefs? Did they provide input on this?”

“Yes,” Korhonen responded.

The report showed that the department, made up of 42 volunteer firefighters, is currently meeting emergency response standards. He said that the department is well-equipped and well-maintained.

Councilor Inglis made a motion to defer the decision until the next meeting.

“What is the big panic on this?” Bedard asked.

The motion to defer was carried.