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The future of the Oso dump is back on the table pending more information after Central Frontenac Council’s regular meeting Tuesday evening in Sharbot Lake.

Public Works Manager Tyson Myers’ report recommended the landfill simply be closed when its life runs out in about four years.

“If we opt to just close it in four years, is there an option to reconsider down the road?” asked Coun. Bill MacDonald. “There are a lot of strong feelings out there.

“We have to look at a transfer station.”

“I’m reporting on a cost basis only,” Myers said. “I need you guys’ feedback on the politics of it.”

Meyers said.

The estimated total closure cost in year 1 is $440,000. If it were to be operated as a transfer station, the cost would be $525,000 for a seasonally (summer) operated site or $540,000 to operate year round, Meyers said in his report.

Either way, he said, the consultants overseeing the shut down need to know now, as the requirements for either type of change are quite different.

“I can’t agree with that option (total closure),” said Coun. Nicki Gowdy. “People in Arden are still bitter about their site being closed down and this would cause a lot of hard feelings.”

In 2019, there were on average 51 vehicles per day at Oso, 56 vehicles per day at Olden and 28 at Hinchinbrooke. About 60 per cent of the total traffic at Oso is from May 1 to Nov. 1.

Coun. Sherry Whan asked if an incinerator was an option and Dep. Mayor Tom Dewey asked if mining the site for scrap metal had been explored.

Meyers said he’d come back to the next Council meeting with answers to those questions.

“I too have concerns with totally closing it (as opposed to making Oso a transfer station),” said Mayor Frances Smith. “With 40 per cent of the people using it, if you come from the far end of the Township, Mountain Grove can be a long drive.”

Red grant application

Council approved a plan to apply for Provincial Rural Economic Development Program funding to piggyback on the Townships roadwork plans for Elizabeth Street in Sharbot Lake. The plan would result in direct physical improvement connected to Elizabeth Street renewal such as public art, streetscaping and signage.

If successful, this would provide for a $100,000 budget with $50,000 coming from the RED program, $43,000 coming from the Township, $2,000 and staff support coming from Frontenac County and $5,000 from the Sharbot Lake Business Group Inc.

SALT thanks premature?

Representing Seniors And Law Enforcement Together(SALT) , Bill Bowick told Council “force once, I’m not here to asking for anything, I’m here to express thanks.”

Bowick was thanking the Township for its donation of $1,000, which helps pay for the meal at S.A.L.T. talks.

“Our budget is just draft,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “But it is in there.

“The pressure will be on now to approve it.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 04 December 2019 10:17

South Frontenac Council Report - December 3

Deputy Mayor for 2020

Councillor Ross Sutherland took the declaration of office as Deputy Mayor for the coming year, and was welcomed by Mayor Vandewal. 

Johnston Point Delegation

Meela Melnik-Proud spoke on behalf of a delegation of residents concerned about the Johnston Point condominium project. Specifically, she addressed the construction of a walking bridge on lot 6, built to connect the main property to an island in order to provide access to the lake. Apparently the structure in question was partially constructed before the CRCA issued a permit for it, and to date, the only available copy of the accompanying benefit permit has been blacked out (redacted) so thoroughly that what remains are mostly a few pronouns and the words “Grey rat snake” and “Blandings turtle”. A benefit permit is the document that details particular actions the applicant must undertake within a specified time, in order to provide an overall benefit to the species that is threatened by their proposed activities.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) states that: “No person shall damage or destroy the habitat of a species that is listed on the Species at Risk in Ontario list as an endangered or threatened species…(However) the Minister may issue a permit to a person under subsection 17(1) of the Act that authorizes the person to engage in an activity that would otherwise be prohibited by the Act.”)

Many questions remain: what are the requirements of this particular benefit permit, and who has the authority (the Ministry? The Conservation Authority? The County? The Township?) to ensure that they are met in a timely manner? Where does the OMB decision fit into this puzzle? How does this affect further development on Johnston Point?

Deputy Mayor Sutherland brought a notice of motion that council direct staff to contact the township solicitor for clarification on the township’s obligation to approve and enforce the site plan control and condominium agreements.

However, CAO Carbone and Director of Development Claire Dodds both advised patience, saying “there are processes underway addressing some of these issues”, and “every day we are getting more information and action on this file.” They are looking at updating the condo agreement, and both recommended it would be premature to seek further legal advice. Carbone said a reasonable timeline would be for Council to revisit the issue “in the first Q” ie, in late February or early March, by which time the issue might be sorted out. Council agreed to defer Sutherland’s motion until they receive their staff’s report.

Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve (FABR)

Julie Savant director of the FABR presented a summary of the reserve’s activities, reporting that its UNESCO designation had been renewed for the next 10 years. As of 2017, South Frontenac Township and Frontenac Provincial Park are included within its boundaries. The designation does not come with any federal or provincial funding, although the reserve, through grants and donations, contributes substantially to education, tourism, trails and networking in the area. In order to ensure their financial stability, they are seeking to secure support from the municipalities within their boundaries. Mayor Vandewal advised Savant that although the township was positive to the reserve’s work, and had provided a degree of support in the past, the 2020 budget process was in its final stages.

Council would consider her request, but he could make no promises, and said it would be much better if next year’s request came in October.

2020 Revised Budget

Later in the meeting, when Treasurer Fragnito presented a summary of revisions to the November 7 draft budget, which by taking into account the finalized MPAC assessment and a reduction to the Quinte Conservation levy estimate, has maintained Council’s direction of a 2.0% impact on the average phased-in property.

Through Council discussions, the following have been added: $30,000 for a Lake Study Grant program, $7,040 to reinstate maintenance of non-township facilities as a council grant and the addition of a Winter Festival in the amount of $5,000. Davidson Beach access road was changed from $200,000 to $50,000 and the following projects have been put on hold, pending council approval: branding strategy and implementation, electronic sign, charging station for electric vehicles, ice stock dedicated lanes - pending consideration of  multi-use pad and confirmation of fund-raising contribution. Fragnito confirmed there is a modest discretionary amount council could draw on, if they choose to contribute to the biosphere reserve.

Garbage and Recycle Collection RFP

This RFP will be issued in early 2020, for closure in the fall of 2020. Public works Director Segsworth recommended the following points be included:  the RFP will allow contractors to bid on the entire township and/or separate collection areas; collection areas will be revised to 4 day/week pickup; garbage and recycling on the same day for all residents; the basis of payment shall be an amount of dollars per household; the length of contract shall be 5 years plus 2 optional years, to allow for the rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) within the blue box program on or around 2025; appropriate termination clauses shall be included; the RFP will specify the age of trucks be no more than 10 years; grandfathered lanes will continue service. Mayor Vandewal suggested trucks be assessed by a combination of age and quality/condition. Segsworth said he will be working together with the Public Service Committee to pull together the final RFP document.

In another report, Segsworth recommended and received approval of Waste Management’s bid to continue to receive domestic waste and bulky goods from the township (Storrington has no waste site). Currently, the township exports about one third of its waste annually.

Private Lane Assistance

Council approved $129,264.27 for the private lane upgrading Assistance Program, which has proven increasingly popular every year since its introduction. The 2019 budget for the program was $100,000: the remainder was made up by accessing unused PLA funds from 2018 and leftover money from the 2019 budget for Council grants.

Meeting Cancellation

The Dec 10 Committee of the Whole meeting has been cancelled.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Addington Highlands’s accumulated surplus was up about a half a million dollars in 2018 over 2017, auditor Adam Young of Secker, Ross & Perry LLP told Council at its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon in Flinton.

The actual accumulated surplus at the end of the year was $13,311,584 (budget was $13,601,636) as opposed to $12,786,095 in 2017.

He said part of the reason for that was that revenues were up 9 per cent while expenses were up only 6 per cent and a substantial increase in the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grant from the Province.

He also noted that reserves have grown to $3,965,858 at the end of the year from $3,486,166 at the beginning of the year.

Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch asked how the reserves numbers compared to what they should be.

“It’s hard to benchmark these,” said Young. “I’ve never been able to find a quality benchmark tool.”

Similarly, Young said the Township’s landfill closure/post closure responsibility of $4.187 million was “as close as we can get it because of measurement uncertainty. There are a lot of variables.”

Young said staff was very cooperative in providing information and there were no irregularities.

“We certainly didn’t become aware of any unusual acts,” he said. “If there were, you’ have heard from me long before this.”

Roads remain dust free so far

Roads and Waste Management Supervisor Brett Reavie said that grading continues in the Township and so far, he hasn’t had to use any calcium to keep dust down because due to the rain.

“I haven’t heard one complaint,” he said.

Council agreed that none of them had heard any dust complaints either.

“It’s all a matter of timing,” said Reeve Henry Hogg. “As long as on Saturday afternoon, it rains.”

Longer LCBO hours?

Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch received Council’s permission to write to the LCBO requesting longer hours for the Denbigh store.

“That store has ended up with reduced hours at peak times,” Fritsch said. “Like long weekends, holidays and Friday evenings. One local business observed 40 people driving in after the store had closed and that’s dollars going out of the community.”

Flooding relief

During the Spring of 2019, the Township experienced significant flooding, primarily in the north end of the municipality, which caused a number of township roads to wash out. The cost incurred to repair this damage was not included in the 2019 Budget. Since these costs are expected to exceed 3% of the township portion of its levy to ratepayers, AH is eligible to submit a claim to the Ontario Municipal Disaster Recovery Program, which CAO Christine Reed is planning to do. The township could receive 75% of the cost they incurred up to the 3% threshold, and 95% of the costs beyond that. Council passed a bylaw requesting relief authorizing Reed be delegated the authority to attest to the costs and verify the accuracy of the claim.

Council on the fence over level 2 Energy Analysis of AH Community Centre – Denbigh.

The township’s revised Conservation and Demand Management Plan, which was approved in June, identified high energy costs at the former Denbigh School, which has been converted into a community centre.

J.L. Richards has provided a quote to complete such a study, but council had a bit of sticker shock at the price, up to $16,000. Council members will take some time to review the proposal and will then decide whether to proceed.

The next Council meeting takes place on August 6 in Denbigh at 7pm.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Wednesday, 12 June 2019 13:23

No break for local farmer at the waste site

Addington Highlands is prepared to work with a local beef farmer but wants a little more information before deciding how to proceed, Council decided at its regular meeting Tuesday in Flinton.

Area farmer Glenn Davison wrote a letter to the Township asking for “consideration regarding the cost of disposing of farm-generated waste once the transfer station is established.”

A beef farmer in the area since 1985, Davison went on to say: “As the costs for farm materials has tripled or quadrupled, the income made from cattle sales has remained fairly stable for the past 35 years. Additional costs to dispose of farm-related waste such as netwrap and twine off bales of hay, hay tarps and feed bags will have an additional negative impact on the already fragile bottom line in the farming industry.

“For this reason, I am asking Council to consider an exemption on farm-generated waste for farms that belong to OFA, Agricorp or have a farm business number as some other townships have done.”

“If I were him, I’d burn it,” said Roads and Waste Management Supervisor Brett Reavie. “But that wouldn’t be environmentally friendly.”

“I’d burn it too,” said Coun. Helen Yanch. “I wonder what waste it is.

“Is some of it recycling?

“I don’t know what he’s asking.”

“We’re not changing any of our tipping fees at the transfer station,” said CAO/Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed.

“They (farmers) already get a 75 per cent reduction on their taxes,” said Reeve Henry Hogg. “What are other Townships doing with farm waste?”

Council instructed Reavie to contact Davison to see if some of his waste could be recycled and to conduct further research as to what neighbouring municipalities are doing with similar situations.

 

Burn Bylaw

Council passed a new open-air burning bylaw, the same one as neighbouring North Frontenac with which Addington Highlands shares a joint fire department for Barrie Ward.

Fire Chief Casey Cuddy said the new bylaw isn’t much different than the old one, “basically re-worded to make it easier for residents to understand.”

It does however, ban the use of fire lanterns in the Township.

 

Mandatory septic inspection? No

Addington Highlands won’t be instituting a mandatory septic reinspection program for lakefront properties, following a report from Chief Building Official Mike Twiddy.

Twiddy made the recommendation following a request from a resident.

“We thought this was coming from the Mazinaw Property Owners Association but the resident didn’t represent the association,” Twiddy said. “But I looked into it and while the Ontario Building Code was recently amended to establish and govern mandatory on-site sewage system maintenance inspection programs established by local enforcement bodies, we have the authority to establish an inspection program or not.

“I talked with some other municipalities and most agreed that if you have a program like we have with KFL&A Health Unit, you’re best just to leave it with them.

“If you take it over, you’re just potentially putting yourself into an antagonistic situation.”

He said that Belleville initiated a mandatory inspection program but phased it out as it became unworkable.

 

Fisheries Act

Addington Highlands passed a resolution adding its support to the Township of Bonnechere Valley to have changes to Section 2(2) of the Fisheries Act contained in Bill C-68 removed.

The amendment will deem any body of water capable of supporting fish as being a fish habitat.

“Whereas consequential of this amendment, puddles in farm fields, municipal lands, drainage ditches or water reservoirs can possibly be declared fish habitats,” said the Bonnechere motion, which also said the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has said the amendment “will place a crippling regulatory burden on family-owned operations.”

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS

The recent public works managers meetings to discuss Frontenac County’s Waste Management Review were something of an eye-opener for North Frontenac’s Darwyn Sproule.

“Being relatively new, it was a good education for me,” Sproule told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting Monday morning in Plevna. “I was surprised at the varying operations.”

In his written report to Council, he said: “I found the report provided an effective review of the current operations, differences between the four Townships, potential efficiencies and practical ‘go forward’ initiatives.

“No doubt the study was challenging since our waste operations range from entirely rural with waste sites/transfer stations to rural without any landfills to urban communities with curbside pickup.”

He said there were some “good ideas” to come out of the meetings, such as sharing transport of recyclables and equipment like shredders.

But he also warned there could be big changes coming, especially in post-landfill scenarios.

“Our capacity is something we have to be aware of,” he said. “We may not have any control over it.”

He said the Townships need to work together closely on joint initiatives.

He also said he’s looking for volunteers to staff the re-use centre two half-days a week.

Coun. John Inglis was somewhat critical of the Waste Management Review.

“I see as incremental, rather than visionary,” he said. “There was a County report on energy from waste (and) this does ignore one part of the strategic plan.”

“Some systems require a lot of waste to operate,” Sproule said. “But there are systems that require 24 tons a day, which is what Kingston produces.”

“When I look at this report, it seems to be a short-term solution,” said Coun. Vern Hermer.

“Some things are short-term,” Sproule said. “We used to get paid for much of our recycling but now we’re paying $80/ton to get glass recycled.

“The other thing we’re struggling with is Styrofoam, there’s no market for it.

“But by the same token, we don’t want to change what the public has been used to doing by bringing things in.”

Cost of dying going up

Council amended its Fees and Charges Bylaw to with respect to cemeteries. A lot costs $480.25 for a resident which includes interment rights, care and maintenance and HST. For non-residents the cost is $553.70. For Cremation lots, the cost is $264.42 (residents) and $335.61 (non-residents). Casket internment costs $734.50 and cremation interment $339.

“It’s going to cost us more to die,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer.

“It’s really not that expensive,” said Coun. Fred Fowler.

Will Elvis will be in the building?

When CAO Cheryl Robson brought up a request to use Council Chambers for wedding ceremonies, it caused Coun. John Inglis to quip: “We’re going to be just like Las Vegas.”

Which in turn brought this from Coun. Vern Hermer: “Are you going to dress up like Elvis?”

Higgins seeking efficiency; declares one Small Township deceased

Mayor Ron Higgins gave notice of motion that he intended to ask for a consultant to come in to recommend “efficiencies” in the way the Township goes about things.

When asked is the One Small Township project was “officially dead,” Mayor Ron Higgins replied “yes,” adding that he was returning a substantial “donation” check to the B.C. First Nations group who had intended to invest in it.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC

Brenda Crawford and Pam Redden came to Council on behalf of the Harrowsmith Beautification Committee with a proposal for improving the landscape of the new village traffic light section, along with other community upgrades. Crawford assured Council that none of the additions, and the list is impressive, would cost the Township money. The Public Works and Building departments will, however, have to review and approve the projects, which include a (fully accessible) gazebo with a cement base, placement of stones and possibly a fence, several benches, installation of recently-commissioned metal poppies and removal of dead tree and brush. She also listed a bench for the children's play area at Centennial park, and a flagpole on Road 38 near Alton Road, in memory of Roy Leonard. All the work and materials for the items and improvements have been donated by individuals and businesses in the community. All donations will be recognized by (locally designed and also donated) plaques.

Mayor Vandewal asked that the flagpole be located where a local resident could take responsibility for raising and lowering it as appropriate, and complimented Crawford for her energy and considerable skill at fundraising. Council unanimously agreed. Crawford noted that the Beautification Committee and Harrowsmith S&A were looking toward working in cooperation to continue making Harrowsmith an attractive and comfortable community in which to live.

Staff Changes and Additions
Council formalized Christopher Beeg’s appointment as Building Inspector: Beeg is an experienced carpenter, has worked in the building supply area, and as a site supervisor for Guildcrest Homes overseeing construction of new factory built homes.

Interviews for the position of Township CAO are slated to take place within a week.

Strategic Planning
Faced with competing demands to: enhance services, reduce costs and protect the environment, Council plans to seek public input to help with choosing priorities. CAO Orr brought the chosen timeline and a proposal for an online survey to be used as a framework for discussion at open houses in each of the districts later this summer. Councillor Ruttan expressed concern that there needed to be more focus on values, rather than a list of concrete actions. Mayor Vandewal noted that this was not meant to replace the updating of the Official Plan, which would be a major part of Council’s task in the coming year, and would include an in-depth review of the Township’s goals and values, again with public input. This StratPlan is to more to guide the Township’s current day-to-day work, within the budget that has been set out for 2019.

Dates for the district Open Houses (at which the new CAO will be introduced to the public) are: Thursday August 01 Bedford; Wednesday Aug 7 - Storrington; Tuesday Aug 13 - Portland, and Tuesday Aug 20 - Loughborough.

Women’s Institute Week Proclaimed
Council proclaimed the week of June 17 to June 22 to be Women’s Institute Week in South Frontenac. This year is the Sydenham Women’s Institute’s centennial: there will be a special celebration on Saturday June 22, at Grace Hall. Over the past hundred years, this group has made important and lasting contributions to Sydenham and its surrounding community. More info on this later!

Regional Roads
Council reviewed proposals by the County for finding a way to access funding through the County for regional Roads, particularly the former Provincial Highway 38, which was downloaded to the individual Townships at the time of amalgamation. At that time, the County had dissolved into a management committee, so there was no way, once the County re-formed, for it to access any funding support for the shared highway, now known as Road 38. Currently, South Frontenac’s road system is in good condition, but the other three Townships have smaller populations, and need more money than they have been able to raise for road maintenance and repair.

Of the five proposed options, South Frontenac Council cautiously preferred the third: to take a regional approach, with contracted engineering, and limited County involvement. They voted to endorse it, on the condition that any business plan for this option would require unanimous consent from all four Townships.

Waste Management in Frontenac County: Options
In response to a county report of waste management, Councilor Sutherland noted that while recycling depends heavily on provincial policy, diversion of organic waste from our landfill sites lies well within South Frontenac’s reach. Because half of the current Township waste stream is composed of organics, diversion could considerably extend the life of our landfill sites. As well as composting, either locally or centrally, Sutherland listed other creative approaches: the upcoming Repair Cafes (May 26 in Bellrock, June in Perth Road); roadside or landfill swaps, etc.)

The report was referred to the Public Services Committee for recommendations.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

While the Ottawa area and the Muskokas have been battling floods all spring, mainland Frontenac County has pretty much escaped the worst of things.

All three townships have posted warnings on their websites but only North Frontenac has had to do much flood fighting of any note, and that hasn’t been bad, said Director of Emergency Services/Fire Chief Eric Korhonen.

“When they opened the dam on the Mazinaw, it created some flooding on Head Road,” he said. “We’ve had water over the road in Plevna, a little bit of flooding on Kash and in the Snow Road area, there have been five or six homes flooded along the Mississippi.

“We’ve given out about 3,000 sand bags and I’d really like to commend the citizen volunteers and firefighters who have risen to the occasion,” he said. “We’ve had seven culverts go and seven road washouts but the Public Works Department has really been on the ball.

“There’s no need to call an emergency.

“If residents have problems, they can call us and we’ll have firefighters run out there with pumps.”

In Central and South Frontenac Townships, flooding has been virtually non-existent.

“We’ve fared very well compared with others,” said Central Frontenac Emergency Management Coordinator/Fire Chief Greg Robinson. “We have had some road washouts and flooding but no houses have been flooded.”

Robinson said when Central has flooding issues, it’s commonly in the Depot Lakes area but this year they’ve been more concerned about the northern areas.

“The Salmon River is high,” he said. “We’ve been preparing for flooding and we do have a sandbag program but we haven’t had to implement it.”

“(South Frontenac) is in excellent shape, comparatively speaking,” said Fire Chief Darcy Knott. “We haven’t had any significant issues.”

Knott wanted to remind people that the Township is holding a Touch-the-Truck event May 9 from 5-8 p.m. at the Keeley Road Garages in conjunction with United Way, where people can see and touch the equipment emergency personnel use including police and paramedics.

Over in neighbouring Addington Highlands Township, things haven’t been quite as quiet, said Road and Waste Management Supervisor Brett Reavie.

“We’ve had a couple of washouts (including Hughes Landing Road where crews worked through the night to correct the situation) we’ve worked on,” Reavie said. “We’re busy for sure.

“Rose Hill Road is still down because we’re waiting on getting a culvert.”

He said area waters are still high, especially in the north.

“It’s been a little extreme because of the amount of snowfall we had all winter,” he said. “And in the north, it’s tending to stick around because it didn’t get the thaws that the south end of the Township got.

“The north didn’t get the melts the south got and so it’s tending to come all at once.”

Published in FRONTENAC COUNTY

The Annual “Dump Report”
Stephanie Reeder, of Cambium Consulting and Engineering presented the annual update on the township’s waste disposal sites. Currently, South Frontenac has five active sites: Portland, Loughborough, Bradshaw, Salem and Green Bay. All were found to be operating in compliance with the Province’s environmental requirements. Due to operational improvements over the past five years, the overall estimated life (capacity) of the municipality’s active landfill sites has increased by six years over the estimate last year. It now sits at 26 years.. Four of the five closed sites are still being monitored for groundwater and surface water quality, erosion, seeps, litter and vermin, but none have shown problems.

Reeder indicated that although diversion of organics would certainly reduce waste volume, it would not make much difference to the problem of contaminants, for organics produce virtually no contaminants.

Mayor Vandewal asked whether a pollinator-friendly seed mix was being used when reseeding capped-over sections of the landfills.

Verona Cenotaph Improvements Proposed
Wayne Conway, Chair of the Verona Community Association, outlined community plans to make the Cenotaph more accessible and attractive by adding concrete walkways, more benches, a flowerbed and a 30’ flagpole - possibly a small roofed shelter or gazebo in the future. The cenotaph is located in McMullen Park beside road 38. McMullen Park belongs to the Township. The Verona community is supporting the project by fundraising; Council relaxed visibly when Conway said they were not asking for money - only permission to proceed with the work on Township property. Led by Councillors Morey and Leonard, full approval was granted for the project; “Keep up the good work,” said Vandewal.

Development Charges Presentation
The Township’s current Development Charges by-law expires this September, and as part of the by-law updating process, Claire Dodds, Director of Development Services, presented an overview of the issues and timeline. Development charges are levied to recover the capital costs associated with both residential and non-residential growth within a municipality, and are in addition to the costs that would normally be incurred by the developer as part of a subdivision/condominium, etc.

(However, some services cannot be included under this act, including arts, culture, museums and entertainment facilities, tourism facilities, hospitals, and parkland acquisition.) A consulting firm, Wilson and Associates, has been engaged to draft an updated by-law: their background study will be released by the end of May, an Information Open House is planned for June 19, and the public meeting for the revised Development Charges By-law will be held July 2.

“You’ve asked for detailed information reports,” Vandewal said to Council, “and now you’re getting them.”

Six-unit Rental Building Planned for Sydenham
Council agreed to pass a by-law to enter into a site plan agreement with RKR Landholdings Corp. (Rob Morgan) for his proposed six-unit residential building in the Valleyview Subdivision, which lies south of Rutledge Road in Sydenham. The property’s zoning permits a residential multiple dwelling unit, but requires a site plan control agreement which specifies the location of all buildings and structures, septic system, lighting, garbage areas, landscaped buffers, parking and entrances. Council’s only concern was the location of the garbage enclosure; it was agreed that if at all possible the garbage bin should be moved to the back of the building, not installed at the front. Vandewal questioned the need for a separate garbage bin for six units. Sutherland and Ruttan asked for the motion to be deferred to give the current residents time to comment on the site plan, but their amendment to defer was rejected.

Quarterly Report: Fire and Rescue
As requested by Council, Chief Darcy Knott presented a seven-page first-quarter 2019 Operational Review. In the first three months of 2019, the medical response level has remained high, and there has been a rise in the number of fires: nine in total, five of which have resulted in major property damage. Knott outlined a number of organizational accomplishments, chief of which has been a very successful media drive to recruit volunteer firefighters. From the initial 100 attendees at the information sessions, there were 78 applicants: the final 25 will be selected and begin their in-depth training on May 8, which will continue until the end of October.

Council complimented Knott on the breadth and quality of his report, and on his management of the department.

“Touch a Truck”
Watch for more information on this Public Education Event which will be held at Keeley Road on May 9, in the evening, from 5:00-8:00.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

“We’d like to expand into North Frontenac,” Dave Smith of North Frontenac Telephone Company told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

To be clear, Smith was talking about broadband internet connections, not cell phone coverage. Cell phone expansion in the area will have to wait until EORN (Eastern Ontario Regional Network) works out a deal with the federal government.

“There could be an announcement from EORN in the next couple of months,” said Mayor Ron Higgins. “A project is shovel ready.”

“We’ve had some discussions with EORN,” said NFTC representative, Rod Stroud. “We’ve acquired a tower at 509 and 7 and can now cover about 25 per cent of North Frontenac.”

“From the west end of Kash (Lake Kashawakamak) to the 41 corridor, there’s no service and that’s our most populated area,” said Coun. Gerry Martin.

“And the Snow Road abyss,” said Coun. Fred Fowler.

“Once the tech is built, it’s relatively simple to expand,” said Stroud. “There’s an art involved.”

“We’re not going to jam up towers in areas that already have service,” said NFTC representative Bill Young.

Stroud said they plan to offer packages to seasonal residents that include things like security options for people to observe and monitor their properties while they’re away.

“We’ll offer packages that may make them want to stay connected all year,” Stroud said. “We’ll start testing live on Monday and every person that wants service will get it.

“We’ll have a look at the towers you do have and look at municipal land where we may want to put up a tower.

“I think we’re in agreement,” said Higgins. “We want it and need it.

“We’ll get the word out to the cottage associations.”

 

• • •

North Frontenac has 100,000 cubic metres of landfill capacity, or about 50 years (including the now inoperative Ardoch site), David Bucholtz of Cambion Inc, the company that monitors North’s landfills, told Council.

He said there’s a bit of a cloud over the province vis a vis unexpected changes to government policy, but “the government has indicated it intends to continue the extended producer responsible waste system.”

North Frontenac is part of the waste assessment session scheduled for April 17 in Glenburnie.

Coun. Fred Perry asked about the possibility of incineration.

“Of course, it’s an option — if you have the money,” Bucholtz said.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC

Central Frontenac will be starting its mandatory septic re-inspection program in May. This program is replacing the voluntary inspection program in place since 2014.

The goal of this program is to help educate property owners while protecting the quality of surface and groundwater within the township.

Central Frontenac has contracted with Mississippi Rideau Septic System Office (MRSSO) to provide inspection services on behalf of the township.

The inspection roll-out will focus on systems greater than 10 years old, starting with all properties with a Class One-Five sewage system within 30m of a sensitive lake. These lakes are Eagle, Crow, Hungry, Sharbot West Basin and Silver Lakes. Eventually all waterfront properties will be inspected, then non-waterfront properties in the Township.

The township hopes to complete 300 inspections a year. If your property is chosen for inspection, you will receive a package and instruction in the mail from the MRSSO. Inspections will be scheduled between May-September (longer, if weather permits) and property owners should be present for the inspection. You will be given a copy of the report.

Those property owners who undertook a voluntary inspection will not be required to have a re-inspection until ten years after the inspection. The cost for the re-inspection will be $100 and will be billed at the time of the re-inspection. Unpaid fees will be added to the property owner’s tax account.

The township is working on a financial assistance plan for low income families who may require financial assistance as a result of a failed system.

The authority to conduct these inspections is set out in the Ontario Building Code Act and its regulations. Inspections may be completed by an independent inspector if the inspector is qualified and submits the prescribed form to MRSSO. More information is available on our website www.centralfrontenac.com.

For general information about the inspection process, please contact:

Mississippi Rideau Septic System Office, 10970 Highway 7, Carleton Place ON K7C 3P1

613-253-0006 ext. 256 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
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With the participation of the Government of Canada