North Frontenac Council - Mar 25/10

Jeff Green | Apr 08, 2010

The township will clear snow from Crotch Lake Access Road. It's only a short stretch of road, but it has been the subject of much debate on council, and was the spark that led the development of a roads committee that met for over a year. Finally, Karin and Terry Reynolds will have winter maintenance on their road.

The Crotch Lake Access Road has been seasonally maintained until now, but Karin Reynolds applied to council two years ago to have winter maintenance extended past their house because they have established a year-round residence.

The township has resisted, wary of setting a precedent for extending maintenance on other roads and on private lanes, and out of concern for the impact on township equipment since the turnaround at the road is tight.

According to Councilor Wayne Good, the township's lawyer has warned against the move, and Clerk Brenda Defosse said that an agreement was signed by Karin Reynolds’ parents, the previous owners of the land where the Reynolds built their house, when the lot was created and sold to them, accepting that the road would only be seasonally maintained.

In a recorded vote, Councilors Good and Fred Perry opposed extending maintenance to Crotch Lake Access Road, while the remaining four councilors and Mayor Maguire supported it.

The township will invest approximately $2,000 in creating a turnaround for their trucks past the Reynolds’ place.

ONE METRE INITIATIVE – Council confirmed its support for the proposed observatory at Mallory Hill on the Vennachar Road. A letter from the project’s proponent Frank Roy asked for a further written commitment on the part of the township to promote the development of B&Bs and other accommodation opportunities for visitors to the township, which are lacking at the moment.

Roy wrote to council that the lack of accommodation would limit the Return on Investment that is important as the project is being promoted to investors. “The key here is to show investors that the township is 100% on board and wants to move this forward in a decisive way,” he wrote.

Council agreed to draft a letter of support, and will pass it by their solicitor before releasing it.

“The township has been waiting for years and years for something to happen,” said Councilor Elaine Gunsinger, “and it's hard not to get excited about this. It's rather amazing, actually.”

SEITZ NOMINATED – The township has nominated Stan Seitz for recognition as a Senior of the Year by the province. Seitz is a senior Olympian, a volunteer in the township in various guises, and a long-serving member of the fire department.