Waste management measures deferred

The waste management committee of the township met recently and discussed two potential changes. One would decrease the amount of waste going into the sites and the other would increase revenue.

The first measure is to stop allowing all construction waste at dumps. Instead, the committee contemplated allowing only a single truck or trailer load, and to have that material tossed into a bin and hauled away rather than filling up the waste site itself.

“That would result in people dumping in their backyards; at least that's my opinion,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

The second idea was to eliminate the practice of allowing a free bag of dumping for every box of recycling that people bring to the dump. Recycling would still be free, but it would cost $2 per bag of waste.

“I don't think there are too many places where you don't have to pay something to dump garbage,” said Councilor Bill Cox.

“We already have the free bag in place, and it's hard to change something that people like and are used to. If we do, I would like at least one of you to come with me to each cottage association meeting,” said Reeve Hogg.

“People are paying extra in taxes because of the free bag, but the cost is hidden so they don't mind,” said Cox.

Council decided just to receive the waste management report, and Councilor Fritsch indicated he would bring the issues back to the table through a notice of motion at a future meeting.

Organisational review

Craig Davidson from Hybla Consulting brought a preliminary draft of an organisational review. He recommended establishing a chief administrative officer/clerk treasurer position as a new senior staff position, who would supervise a public works manager, the fire chief, and a chief building official/bylaw officer/facilities manager, as well as a deputy clerk/office manager.

“My concern is that once we have a CAO and a bunch of managers, we will end up with names on the Sunshine List in a few years, and that is something we cannot afford,” said Reeve Hogg.

(The Sunshine List contains names and salaries of public servants in Ontario who earn over $100,000 per year)

Bill Cox pointed out that change is needed in some of the township's operations. “We have council members managing buildings, ordering repairs, such as the Denbigh Community Centre and the Family Health Team in Northbrook, and that is not what Council should be doing,” he said.

Davidson said he would consult with Council and staff and will bring back a further draft proposal.

Budget yikes

The preliminary draft budget that was presented at a special meeting before the regular council meeting by Clerk/Treasurer Christine Reed, included a 5.5% increase in operating costs, due in part to increases of $107,000 (a 17% increase) in OPP billing, and a new budget line of $80,000 to go towards loan payments for the Northbrook fire hall.

However, it was the capital budget that caused the most concern. That budget includes a rolloff truck ($250,000), a backhoe ($150,0000), a cardlock fuel monitoring system ($120,000), and other items, for a total cost of $550,000.

Those expenditures led to a total budget increase of $430,000, almost 18%. Reed said when contacted the day after the meeting that the number did not go over well with Council. She said she received instructions to change the equipment purchase portion of the budget. As she had noted in the budget document, at least one item, the rolloff truck, could be struck from the budget and the amount put in reserves for a purchase at a later date. That, in itself, would cut the increase to under 10%. Further budget meetings are set for April, with adoption scheduled for May 2.

Proposal for Deerock Lake campsites

Justin Punchard from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), and Terry Murphy from Quinte Conservation appeared before Addington Highlands Council on Monday to talk about Deerock Lake.

Quinte operates a boat launch at the southeast corner of the lake, which is located to the west of Flinton. The lake is surrounded by Crown Land and has been a popular camping and fishing spot for many years. This has raised some concerns because in recent years campers have become negligent. Many of the campsites are covered in litter, and there is glass and other garbage strewn about. Some of the islands on the lake have had all the trees removed for firewood.

This winter, Punchard and another MNRF staff member took a detailed tour of the lake. They came up with a plan to develop 26 approved campsites on the lake and to ban camping everywhere else. They also gathered electronic data in order to place the 26 sites on a map accurately.

“The model we are thinking of following is similar to what North Frontenac does with North Frontenac Parkland,” said Punchard. “If we can get out there and clean up the mess in order to start over again, and then keep camping to the 26 sites and eliminate camping on all but two of the islands, which would remove 10 sites, it should be good for the lake and the campers, and give the small islands a chance to recover.”

Terry Murphy said that it would not be the difficult to set up an online booking system for campsites, and down the road it might be an idea to charge for camping to build up some money to invest back in maintenance of the sites.

At this point the township is only being informed about the plan as part of a consultation process. Although North Frontenac runs Frontenac Parklands themselves under a land use permit from the MNRF, the most likely option for Deerock would be for Quinte Conservation to take on that role since they already manage the lake and operate a dam at one end.

Punchard said there are 30 or more volunteers from the ministry who are willing to work on a cleanup project this spring, joining volunteers from Conservationists of Frontenac Addington (COFA) and members of the Frontenac Addington Trappers Council.

“We are hoping we can get free dumping from the township for the materials we collect. Perhaps as well the township could bring one of the large bins from a waste site to the shoreline at the public boat launch when the clean up is taking place.”

Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Reeve Henry Hogg, said the free dumping will be easy but moving a bin might prove to be more of a problem.

Land O'Lakes Lions - Alex Chisholm, Chair of the Land O'Lakes Lions Club, came to Council to request that Fire Hall Road in Northbrook be renamed Lions Hall Road since the fire hall has been replaced and will be torn down and the Lions Hall is located on the road. He also asked that the township look at a new streetlight on Highway 41.

Council voted to approve the road name change in principle, and will begin a process of public notice with a view towards making the change this year. As far as streetlights are concerned, it is a matter for the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), which has jurisdiction over the highway. Public Works Manager Royce Rosenblath recommended that the Lions contact the MTO directly with a request for more lighting.

Flinton Jamboree

Andy Anderson appeared before council on behalf of the Flinton Jamboree. He asked if the township could have their insurer include a rider in the township's policy to cover the Jamboree, and said the Jamboree would pay the added cost.

Deputy Mayor Yanch said that the insurance company recommended against this, but “they have an insurance product that is designed for public events like the Jamboree and ask that you contact them yourself. We can provide the contact information.”

Anderson then said that he feels the township does not provide enough support for the Jamboree, or other events.

“This township doesn't support anything,” he said.

Yanch said that the council does provide support when it can, and pointed out the township donates the property for the Jamboree.”

“Some groups apply for grants,” said Councillor Tony Fritsch. “You can ask for money.”

Joint meeting

Council received a request from the Township of North Frontenac to hold a joint meeting about the budget for the joint fire department.

North Frontenac is concerned about dwindling reserves in the department's budget. Tony Fritsch, one of the Addington Highlands reps to the Joint Fire Committee, said he is aware of the issue, but Addington Highlands is facing a budget crunch.

“It is getting to the point where little townships can hardly afford to do anything,” he said.

A meeting will be scheduled for later this spring.

Ambulance service committee to be established

Councilor Tony Fritsch proposed the establishment of a council committee, which will include members of the public, to deal with persistent threats to the continued existence of a 12-hour a day ambulance service based in Denbigh and a 24-hour service in Northbrook. A recent report by the Emergency Services department of Lennox and Addington County calls for the closing of the Denbigh base and the transfer of hours to the base in Loyalist Township.

“The impact of that change would be felt throughout Addington Highlands,” said Fritsch, “because there would be no back up should the Northbrook ambulance be out on a call.”

As a member of L&A Council, Reeve Henry Hogg has seen repeated attempts to cut the Denbigh service, which was a 24-hour service until it was cut back in 2011. He said that one of the committee's main roles would be to contact neighbouring municipalities, particularly Frontenac County, for support in maintaining services in both Denbigh and Northbrook.

“Most of the calls from Denbigh go into Frontenac County, as do many from Northbrook, and pressure needs to be brought to bear on them. So far they have not responded to us when we tried to contact them about the pending loss of service,” he said.

L&A County Council has deferred debate on the future of the Denbigh base to budget deliberations, which get underway this week. The Emergency Services budget is not on the agenda at that meeting, but will be at a subsequent meeting, on February 10 or February 17.

More concerns about Flinton Library and its neighbour

Librarian June Phillips appeared before Council on Monday to express more concerns about how the Library property is being affected by the new tenants of the former United Church, which is located next door.

Last year the township agreed to transfer a small piece of land to the new owner of the church to enable a septic system to be installed.

Phillips is now concerned about materials that are located on a right of way between the two buildings and about the location of the survey lines that have been drawn to mark off the new boundaries of the former church property.

Reeve Hogg said that she could contact the bylaw office to deal with materials cluttering the right of way, and said if there are issues with the survey they can be looked at as well.

Requests

Peter Rasenberg will be able to use the Finton rink free of charge on February 6, assuming there is ice, for a fundraising tournament. All monies raised will go to the Hockey Skills program.

Land O'Lakes Community Services has made their annual request for funding support at a level of $1.25 per household in the township. The request has been deferred to budget deliberations, which will get underway in two weeks, before the regular meeting in Denbigh on February 16.

Water issues at new fire station

It seems that the cost of improving the quality of the water at the new Northbrook fire station will be absorbed by the township.

Chris Bent of Jewell Engineering, Belleville, sent a letter to Council in mid-January, in which he pointed out that the contract documents with the design-builder of the hall, TaskForce Engineering, stipulate only that a well be drilled on the property and a water supply provided to the building from the well. There is nothing about water potability in the contract.

“It was noted that residential dwellings in the vicinity of the fire hall draw potable water from wells on their properties. As a result, there was no concern regarding poor well water quality in the area of the fire hall site, and therefore, no consideration for the inclusion of an allowance for water treatment in the contract schedule of prices,” Bent concluded.

Fire Chief Casey Cuddy said that when the project was first being considered, water potability was to be included by Jewell, “but somehow it got pulled out as the process went along.”

“We need to get this dealt with,” said Councilor Bill Cox, “we have a nice new fire hall and we need to have potable water there.”

Possible remediation includes a water treatment system or a new well. The existing well is 300 feet deep, according to Cuddy.

Stylish privy in place

Volunteer carpenters in Denbigh have built and installed a new privy at the Denbigh ball-field. All that is left to do is install tin for the roofing, but the privy is ready for use now.

Concerned over the well-being of tenants as well

Two families of five were left with nowhere to live and lost all their belongings when a grease fire got out of hand and quickly swept through a 150-year-old home in Flinton on December 21.

A quick community effort ensured that the families had places to stay, clothes to wear, and presents under a Christmas tree just three days after the fire levelled the home.

Since then one of the families is living in Napanee and the other is in Northbrook. They have already received clothing and many other necessities but there may be a need for furniture in the future.

Janis Douglas, who lives across the road from the house, and whose son Brady went into the burning house to save one of the cats, is helping to collect donations for the families at her home at 3651 Flinton Road. Pastor Thomas Eng of Pineview Free Methodist in Cloyne is also taking donations for the families.

The building’s owners, George and Carolyn Powles, live on a farm just outside of Flinton.

“When I got the call from Janis saying the house was on fire, I thought she was joking,” said George this week of how he first heard about the fire. “She said no, it was no joke, and I jumped in the car but by the time I got there it was already pretty much gone.”

The Powles are not sure what they will do, as they are still waiting for the final insurance settlement on the building. They are considering the option of re-building but right now they are still getting over the loss of a building that they purchased 10 years ago and lived in for five years before turning it into a rental property. They moved to an 80 acre farm with a smaller house near town.

“I loved living in that house,” said Carolyn, “it had so much history to it. It was one of the first houses in Flinton, as far as I know. I can't believe it's gone.”

The original house was about 1,200 square feet and was built around 1874. It was owned by generations of the Casey family and was still known as the Casey house. It may have been used as a bank or even a municipal building in the early years of the 20th Century, and when the Casey family owned it they sold Avon and operated a sort of coffee shop as well. In the late 1960s an addition was built, which turned it into a 2,500 sq. ft. building.

“We have done a lot of work to the building since we bought it, and quite a bit more when we decided to turn it into rental property,” said George Powles.

It took a couple of tries to find good renters for the building, and this led to it going up for sale last year. However, the two families who moved in last fall were the kinds of tenants that George and Carolyn wanted.

“They were excellent; two young families that could take advantage of the house. It was good for them and it was good for us to have the rental property generating an income. We were about to take it off the market and looked forward to the next few years. It's hard to believe all that history is gone,” said Carolyn.

The couple are considering rebuilding on the same site but are waiting until the insurance claim on the house is settled before making any decisions.

“Right now we are still concerned with the well being of the two families. They did not have renters’ insurance and were wiped out by this. But the community has been great and we want to make sure that the Leewens [one of the families], who really want to stay in this community, are able to find a place and get it furnished,” she said.

Just days before Christmas, fire destroyed a home in Flinton, leaving the two families who were tenants of the building homeless. One family with three children was away at the time and the mother of the other family was able to get her three sons out safely. The bulding was insured, but the families did not have renters’ insurance, and the community has rallied to support them with donations of clothes, money and furniture. The families have found temporary accommodations and now the need is mainly for monetary donations, which can be dropped off at 3651 Flinton Road, or to Pastor Eng of the Pine Grove Free Methodist Church in Cloyne.

Group seeks to bring refugees to Addington Highlands

Andy Anderson appeared before Addington Highlands Council on Monday to support a request by an Ad Hoc group who have already met with MP Mike Bossio to talk about Addington Highlands hosting up to seven refugee families. The request to Council, which came from group member Carolyn McCullough, is for the use of the former Northbrook fire hall as a storage depot for donated items, such as large pieces of furniture (beds, couches, tables, etc.) over the next few months.

Councilor Bill Cox said, “I don't think that building is suitable for storage. The roof leaks and it floods in the spring and summer. That's why we built a new fire hall, and that's why we have been talking about tearing it down.”

Andy Anderson replied that if the ground were lowered at the front door of the hall, which the refugee support group is planning to do, the flooding would not take place.

“I don't think that's the only source of the flooding,” said Cox.

“We don't need the building for that long. We'll have it emptied by the spring,” said Anderson.

Councilor Tony Fritsch said, “What if we set an end date, such as May 1, when the building needs to be clear?”

A motion to that effect was proposed and passed by a vote of 4-1. Bill Cox cast the dissenting vote.

The refugee support group is meeting in Cloyne this week, and will be appealing for support from the public in short order.

Insurance costs up

Addington Highlands’ new fire hall may help lower insurance rates for some residents but the township is looking at an increase. Clerk/Treasurer Christine Reed said that the 11% increase (from $64,000 in 2015 to $72,000 in 2016) follows several years of decreases and has come about because of increases in the value of township assets. These include new vehicles in the roads department and the new fire hall. The township is insured by Jardine Lloyd Thompson.

Sports grant

The township received notice of a granting program, Ontario Sports and Recreation Community Funding, which has a deadline of January 16, 2016.

Councilor Fritsch said he will convene a meeting of seniors and community groups in the township within a week to gauge support for an application.

“If the groups have something in mind, we can get an application in; otherwise we will have to pass. It's short notice, as usual, from the province,” he said.

Rural Mayors’ Forum of Eastern Ontario

Reeve Henry Hogg reported that after meeting monthly for three months, the Rural Mayors’ Forum of Eastern Ontario is taking shape as a group of politicians from smaller municipalities faced with a set of similar concerns, such as increased policing costs and continuing challenges with internet and cell phone service in more remote areas.

One suggestion of the group is for member municipalities to include policing costs as a separate line on tax bills so residents understand where tax increases in 2016 and beyond are coming from.

When asked if all the members of the group are facing increased policing costs, Hogg said that only one, Arnprior, will see a decrease in 2016.

“Arnprior has left the group, because they do not face the same set of problems as the others,” he said.

The group will be meeting next in the Village of Lanark in January.

Holiday Hours

The township office will close on Thursday, December 24 at 12 noon and will not re-open until Monday, January 4 at 8:30 am. The extra days beyond the statutory holidays will be paid holidays, courtesy of the township.

January meeting date

Council normally meets on the first and third Monday of each month. In the case of January, 2016, that would mean meeting in Flinton at 1 pm on January 4. With a meeting already set for December 21 in Denbigh, and the extended Christmas holiday to follow, Council has decided to meet on January 11 at 1pm in Flinton.

“If we do this again next year, that first meeting of the year should take place in Denbigh,” said Reeve Hogg.

Township to deal with MNR beaver dam

Addington Highlands has the go ahead to remove a beaver dam and “harass, capture or kill beavers” on a piece of Crown land that is located on the east side of Hwy. 41 at Mazinaw Hill, north of the entrance to Bon Echo Park.

Reeve Hogg sent a letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in early September, informing them that a beaver dam has created a 'small lake' adjacent to the highway, and that when the dam inevitably gives way there is every chance of flooding on several cottage properties to the west of the highway on Mazinaw Lake. Flooding is also possible on Road 41 at the bottom of Mazinaw Hill, Public Works Manager Royce Rosenblath told Council in early November.

Subsequently, the township has received a response from Suzanne Shalla, the resource management supervisor out of the Bancroft office of the Ontario MNR.

Shalla said that the township has the authority to enter onto “Crown land to destroy a dam in protection of property, which includes travel corridors and utilities, with no prior approval required... As the municipality whose infrastructure is threatened by this dam, your staff are empowered to manipulate or destroy the dam in order to protect your property as needed.”

At their meeting in Denbigh on Monday night, November 16, Reeve Hogg asked Rosenblath if his crews can begin dismantling the dam.

Rosenblath said crews will dismantle part of it and will then engage trapper Eythel Grant to set some traps before pulling the dam down entirely.

“They are bound to be pretty aggressive now as it is near winter,” said Rosenblath.

Meeting with new MP

Mike Bossio, the newly elected federal MP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington, has requested a meeting with Council in the wake of his election in October as part of the Liberal Party victory nationally.

The township is interested in talking about what role they can play as far as welcoming refugees is concerned and will bring that up at the meeting, which is set for 9am on November 30.

AH to second stage of provincial funding

The township has received notification that after considering their expression for interest for funding under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) for a $900,000 construction project on Matawatchan Road in the northeast corner of the township, the project has been selected to move forward to the application stage. The application is due on December 16.

If the project is approved, which is not guaranteed at this point, it will receive 90% funding from the province and will need to be completed by the end of 2017.

Long memory hurts Greer Galloway

The engineering firm Greer Galloway, which has done work for 22 municipalities in south and north-eastern Ontario, sent a letter to AH asking that they be put on the township's list of approved vendors in order to bid on contracts in the township starting in 2016.

“Greer Galloway built a bridge for us in the 1980s and they were a metre off-line with it, leading to all sorts of costs that we had to pay. When we asked them to help pay, they said the MTO had approved the project so they were off the hook,” said Hogg.

“That was a long time ago,” said Councilor Tony Fritsch.

“Yes, but I remember, and I'm still here,” said Hogg.

Approval in principle for recreational program at Flinton hall.

Sara Clayton approached the township for free use of the upper floor of the Flinton Recreation Centre on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through the winter for a sports and arts recreation program she is setting up for children between 3 and 17 years of age.

Council approved the request in principle, saying that Clayton will need to see what uptake the program gets and return with a final request.

Road work on Old Addington Road

Wayne Snider approached Council for permission to do some work on the un-maintained Old Addington Road for logging purposes. The request was approved.

As always, a large gathering of all ages from the local and surrounding communities attended the Remembrance Day service at the Flinton cenotaph on Sunday, Nov. 8. Led by Mike Powley, president of the Northbrook Legion Branch 328, the service was attended by numerous members of the Northbrook Legion, many local dignitaries, and a number of young members of the 640 Cadets from Cloyne. The service took place under sunny skies and included prayers by Legion Padre Harry Andringa, remarks by Addington Highlands Reeve Henry Hogg, and the laying of 35 wreaths whose dedications were read aloud by Pastor Rob of the Kaladar Pentecostal Church.

Powley opened the service with the words, “Let us pause to think reverently of those of our comrades who by sea, by land and in the air laid down their lives for their sovereign and country. Their sacrifice will ever inspire us to labour on, to the end that those who survive and need our aid may be assured of assistance, and that the country in which we live, and for which they died may ever be worthy of the sacrifice they made.”

Following the laying of 35 wreaths, members of the community who attended the service were invited to place their poppies at the cenotaph. The service concluded with a lunch that was served at Through the Roof Ministries located just down the road. Legion President Powley, who led this and other Remembrance Day services for his first time as the new president of the Northbrook Legion, said he was honored to be asked to fulfill that role. “My father, Corp. Reg Powley Sr., who was from Odessa and was a veteran who served in the Canadian army in Europe in WW2 from 1942-1945, helped to liberate Holland. He met my mother Dixie following the liberation there. Leading these services has allowed me to pay my respects not only to my own parents but to all of the veterans who served as well.”

Commercial fee holiday nixed by province

For 11 years, building permit fees have been waived for commercial construction in Addington Highlands. The idea was to encourage commercial enterprises to locate in the township, and the permit holiday was advertised on the township website. It no longer is.

On several occasions members of North Frontenac Council brought the idea of matching the permit holiday in North Frontenac, mainly because the commercial hubs of the two townships are located on either side of Hwy. 41 in the vicinity of Cloyne, and businesses on the west side of the road had an advantage over those on the east side.

But every time the idea was raised, staff in North Frontenac hastened to point out that a commercial building permit holiday was not allowed under the Ontario Municipal Act.

It turns out that North Frontenac staff were right, and in the last couple of weeks Addington Highlands received a letter from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs informing them that they must re-instate the fees.

While the permit holiday was no secret, it had never been formally brought to the ministry's attention until they received a letter.

“They would not say who informed them about it,” Addington Highlands clerk, Christine Reed, told Council at their meeting on Monday.

Reed added that the township could bring back the holiday if they institute a Community Improvement Plan, which would allow them to collect the fees and then grant back all or part of them as part of an economic development strategy.

“It involves a process, however, including an Official Plan amendment and other measures,” said Reed.

“I don't think it has brought a whole lot of new businesses to Addington Highlands over the years,” said Reeve Henry Hogg, “it just meant savings for existing businesses who did upgrades they were probably going to do anyway.”

While the fees are, apparently, now required for commercial building in Addington Highlands, they may be going away in North Frontenac. North Frontenac is instituting a Community Improvement Plan in the entire township, and will be in a position to offer grants to businesses to offset those fees.

Report on Organizational Review deferred

Council received a report from Craig Davidson, a consultant based in North Hastings. Davidson was also the former Chief Administrative Officer of Hastings Highlands until his contract ran out in 2014. The report was based on a session held with all members of Addington Highlands Council and Clerk Reed on October 22.

Based on the session, Davidson wrote, “It was noted that there is a general lack of accountability in the present municipal structure and at times council does not know items like how they are performing financially compared to the approved budget and that, especially in the office, there was the inference that all employees report to council; in other words, no one is responsible to anyone other than to council.”

While he said that some members of council thought that “perhaps what is needed is an office manager”, he added that from his own perspective “What is needed is more of a manager of the municipality rather than one who is managing the office activity only.”

Other municipalities in the region employ a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). All staff operate under the authority of the CAO, whose job it is to interpret the policy goals of Council within the confines of the Municipal Act, and direct staff to carry those policy goals out.

However, as was pointed out in the report, Addington Highlands Council has been wary of adopting such a system. “There was a fear noted by some that the CAO model was tried in a neighbouring municipality with little success ...”

The two-page report was received by Council for information, and while the report talked about next steps, no further meeting was scheduled at this time.

Grudgingly, interest waived for late payment of taxes.

Township resident Sharon Turrin requested that interest in the amount of $31.36 be waived in her case. She wrote to Council, saying that two post-dated cheques for $627 each were sent in time for the 2015 taxes on her property but were either lost in the mail or within the township office and were never cashed. She received a notice and came in to pay the taxes, including the interest. Saying that she has never been late with taxes before and as she did send the cheques, she asked for the fee to be waived.

“It is her responsibility to monitor her bank account to ensure the cheques were cashed,” said Councilor Tony Fritsch.

“That's what I would do,” said Councilor Bill Cox.

Nontheless a motion to waive the fees was proposed by Cox, and was passed, with only Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch voting against.

“That sets a precedent,” said Clerk-Treasurer Reed.

Christmas in Flinton

“Is Christmas coming already?” said Helen Yanch as Council considered a request from the Flinton Recreation Club to put up a tree in front of the Flinton Recreation Centre/township office.

The rec. club will pay all the costs and, in the words of club director, Joel Hasler, “We assure you that every precaution will be taken to keep the tree up safely for the duration of the Christmas season.”

Council approved the request.

Ashby Lake Road saga headed to Superior Court?

Shortly after the start of their regular meeting in Denbigh, Addington Highlands Council sent the audience out into a cool, windy night in order to consider legal advice about a matter that has been before them for the last three meetings, a disputed road/trail on the Mieske property near Ashby Lake that is now blocked by boulders at both ends.

The question before Council was whether the historic public access to Ashby Lake was indeed closed off in the 1970s and re-located as a public right of way in the blocked off location, which runs right through the Mieske property. A number of neighbouing property owners have used the rough road to access hunting and fishing opportunities in the past. Although there is an alternative way into those properties from another direction, it is a longer way around for many.

When they came out from the in camera session, Reeve Hogg said that the township lawyer has looked at the documentations from the 1970s and concluded that the arrangement to change the public access was “never enacted, so it is not township property.”

Darcy Alkerton, who addressed Council on behalf of the neighboring property owners, said, “My family has used it since 1957. I hate to take the township to court over this, but I think we are headed that way.

For his part, Mark Mieske, who was at the meeting but not scheduled to speak to Council, piped in nonetheless.

“I spent $10,000 on surveys when I bought my property in 2012, and they show that there is nothing on my deed about public access,” he said.

Mieske blocked off access early this summer, and the matter has been contested ever since.

“There is nothing for us to do about this,” said Councilor Bill Cox. “It is a civil matter.”

The matter seems to be headed to court, where a lawyer representing the neighbours will take it up. Mark Mieske will need to engage his own lawyer. The township lawyer will also be required, if only to clarify the township's position.

Cemeteries – Councilor Fritsch reported that volunteers have been repairing fences and other deficiencies at the Denbigh and Slate Falls cemeteries, saving a portion of the money set aside in the 2015 budget for the work.

Medical Center – Council passed a motion requesting that a fire inspection be done at the Northbrook Family Health Team building to identify deficiencies and ensure the building complies or is brought into compliance with the fire code.

New privy – Council has requested that the Public Works Department work with community volunteers to ensure a new privy is installed at the Denbigh park in time for the winter ice skating season.