| Aug 17, 2016


Softened Official Plan amendment on large-scale renewable energy projects approved by Council

The approval of an amendment to North Frontenac Township's official plan has enhanced the township's continuing efforts to ensure that plans to expand Ontario's wind turbine sector do not result in wind projects within its boundaries.

Reid Shepherd, a planner with Frontenac County, the contract planner for North Frontenac, presented the amendment, which is designed to discourage the development of industrial wind turbines and other large-scale industrial development.

The amendment includes the following final sentence: “In order to maintain this place, it is a policy of Council to not support any large-scale renewable energy project, along with mining and large-scale manufacturing plants that will have a negative impact on the overall landscape of the township.”

Deputy Mayor Fred Perry asked how the words “large scale” are defined, and Councilor John Inglis said, “That is the big question isn't it?

Mayor Ron Higgins said the OP amendment gives the township the ability to evaluate projects, be they wind turbines, solar installations, “or any other kind of proposal for industry of mining, and evaluate them in terms of environmental and landscape factors that are relevant to our long-term plans.”

There were no comments from the public on the amendment, and a bylaw approving it was later passed by Council. It will now go to Frontenac County for approval.

Everyone's a critic – council nixes plans for new sign at Snow Road Community Centre

A proposal from the South Palmerston Community Centre (SPCC) to put up a new sign at the Snow Road Community Centre prompted Mayor Higgins to say that he thinks all signage projects should be put on hold until representatives from the Economic Development Department of Frontenac County present their plans for the roll-out of the new Frontenac County branding project.

In their proposal, the community centre committee is offering to raise half of the estimated $2,500 cost of the sign, and is asking the township to come up with the rest of the money.

“I don't know what the county is planning on the township level, but we should wait on this sign. The county may have ideas about how all signage is integrated with the brand,” said Higgins.

“I agree,” said Councilor John Inglis, “and besides, I don't really like the sign they are proposing and I think it is too expensive. But then I don't want to discourage a community group.”

Councilor Denis Bedard said that the township need not worry about the South Palmerston Community Centre's feelings on the matter.

“It's our building. We should decide what the signage should look like. And if they don't want to do what we want, they can go jump in a river.”

“We do own the halls, but the local committees do a lot of work to run them, and the township benefits,” said Inglis.

“I think it's enough to say we want to wait until we hear about the branding,” said Higgins.

The proposed sign features a bell, and one of the councilors asked why there was a bell in the sign.

“The hall used to be a schoolhouse,” said Councilor Gerry Martin. “Maybe that's the reason.”

Recycling rates steady

A report on the rate of recycling at township dumps over the three spring months (April to June) in 2016 shows that all the township sites received about the same amount of waste as they did during the same period last year.

The recycling rates vary from site to site, from a low of 54% at the Road 506 site, to a high of 64% at the Kashwakamak Lake site. Overall, the rate of recycling, measured on a bag-to-bag ratio, was 59.99% for the quarter, down slightly from 60.61% for the same period last year.

The provincial target for recycling is 60%, but measured on a weight-to-weight basis, not bag to bag, as North Frontenac calculates. Since bags of garbage tend to be heavier than those of recyclables, it would take an increase in rates of recycling in North Frontenac to reach the target.

New boots for Clar-Mill firefighters

The eight members of the Clar-Mill fire crew will each be receiving new $485 Globe Supreme Structural Foot Gear 14 inch Leather Pull On boots, thanks to a $4,000 donation by the Clarendon Miller Volunteer Firefighter Association. The boots will go to existing firefighters and not to new recruits. The regular fire boots that are supplied by the department cost just less than $200.

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