Letters_Feb_10

Jeff Green | Feb 10, 2005

Letters February 10, 2005

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Roads for the Future

First I'd like to thank the roads crew of Central Frontenac for the great job they've been doing for the last month. With all the sand put down on the roads I drive, travelling has been much safer. This was an excellent response to the concerns expressed by the many people who attended the CF Council meeting on January 10, 2005. However, we need to think more about the long-term future of our roads, not just about how we deal with the immediate problems presented by one ice storm.

I hope CF taxpayers will also get involved in making sure that Council gives roads the attention they deserve. They are the network that makes life possible. They are the largest single financial commitment for the Township. As Mayor MacDonald said, quoted in the January 27th edition of the Frontenac News, "I say you can have the best hospitals and the best schools in the world, but if you don't have decent roads to drive on you'll never get to either of them."

I understand that Councillor Logan Murray has a motion prepared for the February 14th Council meeting, proposing the establishment of a Roads Committee. Some Councillors, I'm sure, will think "oh no, not again" since they have rejected similar motions in the past. Other rural councils, in our area and beyond, recognize that roads are so important that they require concentrated attention by a committee of council. Please come to the February 14th meeting of Council to show that you support this motion, and want to see Council start a process that aims to improve the operation and development of our road system so that it meets our needs for the present and the future.

Gail Burgess

Marriage is the union between a man and a woman, excluding all others. Lets listen to what God says in His Holy Word:

Genesis 1: 27 God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he them, male and female created he them.

Genesis 2: 21 - and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man, made he a woman and brought her unto the man.

I Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband.

Romans 1:18; and 1:24, 25, 26, 27 tell us that unions of same sex are wrong and Gods judgement will be upon them.

Marriage is mentioned in the Bible 589 times. Marriage between man and woman was God ordained.

If this paper is passed, God help us all.

Oh, Canada. Beware!

- Muriel Phillips

Sydenham wants answers, NOT excuses

At the last council meeting, Richard Munroe of the Sydenham Safe Water Association (SSWA) presented council with a petition, signed by 85% of the properties impacted by the proposed water project. This petition demanded that council give us the total estimated cost for each property before signing any contracts for construction of the waterworks. The people want to know 1) the capital cost, 2) the hook-up costs, and 3) the annual maintenance cost and water rate. Clearly, the people are entitled to know how much they will be required to pay for this water. But our Mayor could only find excuses why council can't help us.

Regarding hook-up costs, which are a significant portion of the total cost for the property owner, the Mayor used the excuse that he doesn't want to put resources into exploring these costs until they establish the cost of construction. His reason being that the tenders may come in too high to proceed. This begs the same question we have wanted an answer to for over two years, "What is too expensive?" Why won't council DEFINE this number? Is there a limit to what they are willing to make us pay? If so, then why avoid disclosing it? And further, if council doesn't act now on the hook-up costs, scheduled constraints will not allow them enough time to do the estimates after the tenders come in. That would be a convenient excuse to avoid determining the hook-up costs and revealing the real total cost?

The Mayor also discounted the extent of our concerns by commenting that they are really busy and have to attend to all the other issues concerning the residents of the township. We agree council should be responsible to all residents. But council forced this expensive project on us and is now trying to wash their hands of their responsibility to us. We have repeatedly tried to get answers to fundamental questions that even people outside the water area want answered. These people are concerned they could be next in line for water and sewage and they don't want the same neglectful treatment and excuses that the people of Sydenham have endured.

Finally, the Mayor blamed the people for the delays in the project. Mr. Mayor, get your facts straight. The engineering firm that council hired started this whole delay when they grossly underestimated the cost of the project. All the delays since then have been around getting more money. And to make matters worse, Mr. Mayor, the engineering firm now wants MORE money for themselves because of the delay that THEY caused. Isn't that a little bit ironic, Mr. Mayor? Your energy would be much better spent finding answers instead of excuses for the tremendous number of problems the mismanagement of this project has created.

To work WITH the people, like you claim to have tried to do, you first need to LISTEN to them - at least 85% of them, in this case.

- Cathie Waugh, Sydenham