South Frontenac Council - Feb 21/13

Wilma Kenny | Feb 21, 2013

Service Delivery Review

Council and senior staff met early for a half-hour seminar presented by Kent Fitzhugh, of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. Fitzhugh described processes which can help Councilors develop the most effective, cost-efficient ways of providing services to taxpayers.

Growth Management Study

Recent changes in Provincial development policies have clearly stated that as much as possible, all future development should take place in settlement areas. The province has emphasized the importance of ‘efficient land use’, and ‘livable and healthy communities.” As a result, it has become harder for the township to justify the creation of housing severances in rural areas.

Council retained Jamie Robinson, a planning consultant, to review the situation. Robinson tallied the number of potential housing lots in the township’s thirteen settlement areas, and those in the rural areas, using the Township’s present development policies. He then matched these figures to the County’s growth projection rates until 2036, to show that the settlement areas would be able to provide only slightly more than half the needed lots. Robinson said that the population projections seemed on the high side, but that they supported the Township’s policy of permitting limited development outside the hamlets. Both Loyalist Township and Tay Valley have recently had provincial approval to permit rural severances. He did warn that the province was unlikely to look favourably on subdivision development outside settlement areas unless it occurred on a waterfront.

Fire Report

Fire Chief Chesebrough brought Council up to date on the transfers of machinery between stations as a result of replacing one pumper truck and one tanker. The Township’s nine fire stations responded to 449 calls in 2012.

Roads Report

Mark Segsworth and David Holliday outlined details of a road maintenance program for the Township, ranging from early prevention to full reconstruction, which they recommended as the most cost effective plan for protecting the township’s investment in its roads. Holliday emphasized the importance of timing: preventive work done early results in the longest extension of pavement life. Several Councilors said they had heard appreciative comments about the road department’s efficient snow removal following the recent storm.

Cemetery Boards Uncomfortable with Recent Changes

Council directed CEO Orr to hold a joint meeting with representatives of all the cemetery boards, to clarify Council’s new policies concerning amalgamation of cemetery management. “There is no need for them to meet with Council about this: we have set the policies: it is up to staff to administer the policies,” said Councilor McDougall. “They say we don’t listen to them, (whenever) we don’t agree with them,” added Vandewal.

“Shop South Frontenac” Explained

Last week, Councillor Naish had asked about the township’s involvement with a recently-distributed pamphlet featuring some of the small businesses in South Frontenac. He was particularly concerned that many businesses had not been included.

CAO Orr had not been present for that meeting, so he gave a brief verbal update on the project, which had been completely funded by the Community Futures Development Corporation, and had been produced on a short deadline. “We have no central listing of all the enterprises in the Township,” said Orr, “but they advertised the project as broadly as possible: any boost we can provide to local small business is important.”