North Frontenac Council Sept. 3/13

Jeff Green | Sep 04, 2013

Frank's Park order to be upheld

North Frontenac Council has decided to uphold the order that add-on rooms on 6 trailers at Frank's Park be removed and that a 15 metre setback for the trailers be enforced. Frank's Park is located on Centennial Lake at the northeast corner of the township on a piece of Crown land that is held under a land use permit.

As Council was considering whether to follow through and force the add-ons to be removed by October of this year, one of the trailer owners said there were a number of other examples of non-manufactured add-on rooms throughout the township. Manufactured add-on rooms are permitted on trailers in North Frontenac.

“The bylaw is enforced on the basis of complaints,” said clerk Jenny Duamnel “and we have no other complaints on record.”

“By randomly enforcing the bylaw, we are not acting responsibly,” said Councilor John Inglis.

“If we let these go, what does that say to the people who have already complied with the bylaw? Will they say they want to go back to the way things were before?” said Mayor Bud Clayton.

“It still seems random to me,” said Inglis.

“It's complaint driven, John,” said Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, “unless you want to go head hunting. Do you want to go head hunting?

In the end the vote to enforce the order was successful, with two dissenting votes cast.

Mayor Clayton then told the Frank's Park residents who were in attendance, “We are a benevolent council, in the past we have given people who have asked us more time to comply with orders and we will likely do the same in the future if asked.”

Sunday Lake Road

Residents who live in the Sunday Lake subdivision have appealed to the township to assume responsibility for their road, which they have been maintaining ever since it was built in 1982. In 1997 the township constructed a public boat launch at the end of the 3.5 kilometre road, which runs from Road 509 to the lake.

The subdivision agreement provides for the possibility of the township assuming the road.

“Maintenance of Sunday Lake Drive shall remain initially with the Owner and subsequently with the Owner’s successor in title. …The township will not accept responsibility for the maintenance or repair of the road until it is brought up to standards acceptable to the Ministry of Transportation and assumed by the Township.” (1982 Plan of Subdivision Approved by Township)

This was not the first time Sunday Lake residents have made this request. The most recent request was made in 2006, when it was turned down.

Mayor Clayton said the Sunday Lake property owners will hear back from the township after the next scheduled meeting, on September 23.

“You might not like the answer, but we'll get you an answer in three weeks,” Clayton said.

$1,500 in electricity savings promised.

Representatives from LAS, an electricity purchasing division of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) presented a proposal to negotiate electricity rates for North Frontenac. Their analysis of current use led them to claim they can save the township $1,500 per year. Later in the meeting the township decided to enter into a contract with LAS. All of LAS's profits go directly to AMO, of which North Frontenac is a member.

$800 for Santa

After receiving a request for an increase to $400 in support for the North Frontenac Santa Clause Parade – the township gave $200 last year – Council decided that it should give the same increase to the Kaladar-Northbrook parade as well. Each parade will receive $400 this year.

Fire crew affiliation left to fire chief's discretion

A potentially divisive proposal based on a staff report, which would force volunteer fire fighters to be affiliated with the closest station to where they live, has been left to the discretion of Fire Chief Riddell. The proposal would have affected a number of fire fighters who live near Plevna but report to the Ompah station. Riddell said that he might consider parking a wildfire vehicle, currently located at the Plevna station, on the former MNR site on Buckshot Lake Road, so the fire fighters in that vicinity can access a vehicle quickly and get to incidents without having to drive to the Ompah or Plevna station.

IT issues

“Viewed from the outside it sounds like we had a problem; we asked for a solution, we had another problem. We insisted on a solution, and we are not getting what we asked for, but we are getting a bill.” That's how Councilor Inglis reacted to three reports by IT co-ordinator Evan Sepa.

Inglis was referring to a request that Council made that a stand alone computer be purchased to be assigned to an internet service that is independent from the township's network and internet service provider, so in case of system failure emails can be sent and received.

Sepa presented three reports to Council. In one he talked about the need to fast track planned upgrades to computer stations so the entire township network can be operated on Windows 8 systems. And in another he proposed an upgrade to the township's website.

In the report that dealt directly with council's desire for a backup provider for emergency email, Sepa wrote “Our reaction time to switch service providers back and forth in the event of an outage may take longer than the expected time period in which our regular service would resume. Given that our service will continue at a 99% uptime rate, it would not be cost effective attempting to mitigate the other 1% of possible downtime by introducing another service.”

The estimated cost of such a service was pegged at $1,000 per year.

“$1,000 a year adds up over time,” said Councilor Wayne Good.

“Staff are saying we shouldn't do it; so let's not do it,” said Councilor Gerry Martin.

The alternate service will not be pursued.

Ompah fire hall upgrade delayed, again

No tenders were received for the construction at the Ompah fire hall. The job had been split into three tenders to encourage local participation, to no avail.

Councilor Inglis said that a possibility being discussed is waiting until February and then tendering the entire job, which will make the contract large enough that only bonded companies will be able to tender for it.

“Local contractors will be shut out, which is too bad, but they did have their chance,” said Inglis.

The plan will have to be discussed with Fire Chief Riddell and CAO Robson before it comes to council for approval.