Feature article November 18, 2004
LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb HomeContact Us
Addington Highlands investigating Denbigh Helipad Council meeting, Nov. 15, 2004by Jule Koch Brison
Addington Highlands Township will be investigating the cost of building a helipad in Denbigh. Apparently there was a pad in use in Denbigh years ago. A new helipad would likely be a shared cost with the county, and the Ministry of Health would provide $3400 a year towards its maintenance.
The township will also sign an agreement with the Ontario Air Ambulance Hospital Program to receive $3400 for maintenance of the helipad in Northbrook, which is far less than Addington Highlands currently spends. Snowplowing costs $500 a year and the volunteer firemen cut the grass using their own equipment. The funding from the MoH would allow the firemen to be paid an honorarium for their work and would allow the township to construct chain link fencing around the pad, in addition to other necessary upgrades.
Everything hinges on the maps, said Reeve Hook. The digital parcel mapping that is essential to the Official Plans Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw will cost the township around $2500 a year for five years, a fee which consultant Derek Dudek says is very reasonable for the amount of work involved. Council will ask him if the County maps would suffice instead, although they expect not.
Later in the council meeting, Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath was discussing how difficult it is to pinpoint which parcels of land beaver dams, for example, are located on, and he said the digital mapping would make that much easier. The maps would also help the Roads Need Study.
Council had to decide whether to commit about $12,500 to a feasibility study for an incinerator. The study will actually cost $50,000, and a grant application has been prepared by the former Economic Development Manager of the County of Frontenac Karen Fisher, to a funding program called the Green Enabling fund for half of the money. In support of the application North Fronenac and Addingtron Highlands townships, partners in the project, are expected to commit to spending $12,500 each topwards the project. Councillor Bill Cox commented The province said they would give us money towards the study, but they never said they would allow us to build one [incinerator]. Reeve Hook acknowledged that was true, but replied, If we dont go ahead, were not going anywhere with it. Minister of the Environment Leona Dombrowsky has indicated in meetings with AH that her department is not opposed to incinerators, but they would have to meet emission standards. A motion to commit the funds was passed unanimously and the township will contact Frontenac County CAO Liz Fulton, who is handling the matter no that Karen Fisher has resigned, to further discuss the matter.
Since the bag tag system has been introduced this year at the Hartsmere and Weslemkoon dumps, recycling is way up. In the past it took three years to fill a single bin at Hartsmere. That jumped to 1 bin in 2003 and 2 bins in 2004. At Weslemkoon recycling increased from 9 bins to 15 bins in 2004.
A Hartsmere woman took the license plate numbers of hunters who were leaving garbage at the gates of the dump, and is willing to testify against them if necessary. The woman is related to a person whom the township took to court for the same offence, and she is concerned that the laws be applied equally to everybody. The matter will be referred to the bylaw control officer. A lot of garbage is also being dumped regularly on the Flinton Rd and council is trying to find ways to catch the culprits.
New provincial requirements mean that all townships have to have a Salt Management plan in place by 2005. All of AHs salt piles are already under cover, but not the sand/salt piles. Detailed records will have be kept about where the salt goes, the application rates, etc., creating more work and expense. AH can partner with the township of greater Napanee, Loyalist Township, and Stone Mills Township and the county of Lennox and Addington to share the costs of the plan.
For the last 20 years, the neighbouring Township of Carlow Mayo has maintained the Hartsmere Road at a cost to AH of about $10,000 a year. Carlow Mayo has drafted a new agreement that would cost AH more than $25,000 a year. In addition to the jump in cost, council felt the agreement was not specific enough about exactly what work Carlow Mayo would be providing for the money. All this did not sit well with council and a meeting will be arranged with Carlow Mayo.
A discussion about whether to tear down an old township garage/ shed in Denbigh took a humorous turn when Royce Rosenblath told of a prank that backfired on the perpetrators. Old tires from graders and heavy equipment are stored in the shed and a few months ago some youth rolled a couple of them down the hill. The parents of the youth made them roll the tires back up the hill.
Council decided to keep the shed.
