Accessibility in North Frontenac

Jannette Amini, the Manager of Legislative Services for the County of Frontenac, made a presentation to Council on Tuesday morning regarding the accomplishments of the Frontenac Accessibility Advisory Committee (FAAC) and suggested keeping accessibility in mind while working out their 2016 budget.

The FAAC was set up to promote accessibility and awareness of accessibility issues throughout the townships in the County. They have helped guide projects in Frontenac County like the redevelopment of the Sydenham Library, the new school in Sharbot Lake, and the accessibility upgrades to Centennial Park. They are also in talks with Elections Canada regarding the accessibility of polling stations.

Amini suggested that North Frontenac could start by having a page on their website showing all accessible locations in the municipality and hoped that moving forward Council would make sure that all new public spaces consider accessibility issues during the design phase.

The FAAC is still looking for a community representative from North Frontenac to fill a vacant seat on the committee. It's the only township in Frontenac County not currently represented. Anyone interested in this position can seek more information from Jannette Amini at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Summit of rural mayors

Mayor Ron Higgins took part in a meeting recently with 14 mayors and reeves from five local counties to discuss issues they have in their own rural townships in hopes that, collectively, they could operate more efficiently. The meeting was initiated by Higgins and Greater Madawaska mayor, Glenda McKay.

It's “focused on rural and how we can work together to help each other,” Higgins said.

Mayors and reeves from Hastings, Renfrew, Frontenac, Lennox-Addington, and Lanark Counties gathered in Madawaska Highlands on October 6 and shared the experiences they've had. Each mayor submitted their five most important issues and those were then whittled down to two priorities that the collective could focus on. Higgins explained to Council on Tuesday that they aren't alone with the issues they are facing in North Frontenac, such as economic development, cash flow, and amalgamation. It was decided that joint tendering for purchases of items such as sand and gravel was one of the most important issues they could work together on.

The second priority was policing and Mayor McKay proposed a new approach to breaking out the cost of reporting to their residents so the actual cost per resident, as opposed to the levy cost, is shown. She hopes this could alleviate some of the confusion around the new increased policing costs.

Their next meeting is November 6 in North Frontenac.

Out fer a rip

Council agreed at Tuesday's meeting that a discussion is overdue regarding the role of ATVs in the future of North Frontenac tourism, and the need to define ownership and responsibilities for different sections of trails in the township. There is concern regarding the destruction ATVs can cause on local trails and council agreed there is a need to create rules to govern usage in the township.

An in-depth discussion was postponed until Councilor Denis Bedard could be present as he helps organize an annual ATV trail run in the township and could offer some insight.

Council welcomes new public works manager

Mayor Frances Smith introduced to members of council and staff the township's new public works manager, John Badgley, who attended his first meeting after arriving from Peace River, Alberta where he had been working as an operations manager in highway maintenance. Badgley, who was born and raised in Tweed, Ontario, is now working alongside Steve Reynolds until he gets his bearings. The mayor also introduced students Luke Maloney and Amanda Herbert from the University of Guelph, who are studying rural planning and development.

Council approves road signage to deter trespassers

In a delegation to council, Central Frontenac resident Alyce Gorter addressed the issue of hunters and ATVers trespassing on her private road and property. In 2014, the owners of a hunt camp near the property received township approval to construct a road from Fifth Lake and Mountain Roads, which follows the municipal boundary for a short distance. In a letter to council, Gorter explains that this approved road “now leads directly to a long established road that was developed by a local land owner for his private use” and one, that Gorter claimed “has not now, nor has ever been open to the public.

Gorter said that drivers on the approved road are now continuing along the private road and that “despite the installation of a hinged gate and a large 'private property' sign”, the road is still being used by the public, mainly by hunters and weekend ATVers to access interior lakes and camps. Gorter claimed that not only was the hinged gate removed by trespassers but beaver dams on her property have been either damaged or removed altogether.

Her first request was for signage at both ends of the private road, which Council agreed to do. Gorter's second request was for council to enter into a “partnership” with the affected residents in an effort to prevent illegal trespassing.

In denying the second request Mayor Smith stated, “We have to be careful that we are not drawn into a 'he said she said' situation” but she agreed that staff could assist by advising the two parties and helping them come to an agreement.

Construction numbers up

Chief Building officer Jeremy Neven was pleased to report that the overall construction numbers were up significantly in September. Construction values ($610,564) tripled those of September 2014, and the year date numbers ($5,643,735) are $2 million over 2014 levels after nine months. Permit fees were just short of double the 2014 year to date total at just under $80,000.

Amnesty Load numbers

This year's amnesty load program was used by 609 residents, resulting in 16% of residents taking advantage of the program, which according to the report amounted to lost tipping fee revenues for the township of $20,464.

Loan approved for Fifth Lake Road construction project

Council approved Treasurer Michael McGovern's recommendations to approve a five-year loan agreement with RBC in the amount of just over $1 million at an interest rate of 2.15%. These loan payments were approved in council's 2015 budget and Mayor Smith reminded council that a $2 million grant through the SRNMIF (Small Rural and Northern Municipal Infrastructure Funding) program will cover two thirds of the total costs of the project, which came to $3 million.

Olden Ball Field construction plan revisited

At the request of Councilor Jamie Riddell, Treasurer McGovern presented the original 2010 plan to revamp the Olden Ball Field. The total estimated cost of the plan at that time was $340,000 and included costs for lighting, parking lot and roadway, fence, benches, dugouts, canteens, washrooms as well as a playground facility. Riddell said that he would bring the report to the recreation committee and return to council with their input in time for the 2016 budget deliberations.

In the absence of Mayor Vandewal, Deputy Mayor McDougall chaired the meeting.

Desert Lake Causeway’s Culvert

Bill Pedersen, retired owner of Desert Lake Campground and Larry Showler of Frontenac Outfitters, came as a delegation about the culvert between Desert and Holleford Lakes. Speaking of the area’s enormous potential for tourism and small-boat recreation, they asked whether the culvert could be replaced by a bridge similar to the one that had been removed in 1989, to again allow boat passage under the road. The current culvert is due for repair by relining. They hoped that a bridge might also improve the water flow through Holleford Lake, which has become silted and clogged with weeds over the past 15 years.

Councillor Sutherland questioned the value of a bridge, saying he lived near the Mitchell Creek bridge, and since the higher bridge had been installed, the traffic of sea-doos has become an annoyance. He recommended looking at ways of making the short portage across the roadway more convenient.

Budget Time Begins

Council has been asked to comment and provide direction on the proposed 2016 capital budget. The capital budget reflects expenditures that are greater $5,000 and either have a lifespan of over one year, add value to an asset, or are a one-time expenditure.

As a first step, CAO Orr submitted a proposal for a Non Public Works capital budget of $192,500 with $112,500 coming from 2016 taxation, $80,000 from reserves which have been set aside for this purpose. This will address items relating to technologies for corporate services and protective services: both building and fire departments. The public works section, which includes facilities, roads and solid waste services will come forward October 27, and these, along with the operating budget, will be discussed at a special Council session on Saturday Nov 14.

Council has set a target increase in the township’s levy at 2%.

Procedural By-law – absent mayor forced into chain

Council finally moved into the home stretch of what has been a grueling year-long process of bringing their procedural by-laws up to date. Originally proposed by Councillor Schjerning, the process has drawn varying degrees of interest from Council members, but all seemed pleased to have the final issues narrow to a very few.

All agreed on using Roberts’ Rules of Order for situations where the rules of the Canadian Parliament are silent.

Schjerning pressed to reduce the number of meetings from four to two per month, saying that “some staff members have said they find the preparation of reports for weekly meetings is onerous.” When asked about this, CAO Orr said that the number of required reports would not change, though there might be a bit more time to gather information.

“Human nature being human nature, there will still be a scramble for deadlines.” The vote was 4-3 in favour of the status quo, with the possibility of trying out a twice-a-month schedule in the third year of their mandate.

The final issue was a dress code for Council: would all but Pat Barr be required to wear a shirt and tie to meetings? There was quick agreement that individual councillors could be depended upon to dress neatly and appropriately, without resorting to a formal dress code.

The real discussion centered around the township’s new chain of office: now they have one, when should it come out of the drawer? In the mayor’s absence, the final vote was 4-3 in favour of his wearing the chain of office at each meeting.

Johnson Point Development

Councillor Sleeth will arrange a boat so councillors can view the shoreline from the water at Johnson Point on Loughborough Lake, an area proposed for subdivision development. This will be done before freeze-up, while the water’s low.

The County of Frontenac invites you to attend the 2015 Sustainability Workshop, free of charge. Space is limited, so please register early.

This year’s workshop will be a little different - the county’s definition of sustainability includes four pillars: environmental, economic, social, and cultural. Rather than trying to tackle all four areas, this year’s workshop on October 22 will focus on economic development through a sustainability lens.

Participants will help build an inventory of existing assets, identify gaps within the county, and create a focused vision for "Made in Frontenac" economic development in the years to come. Anyone who wants to help make the Frontenacs a better place to live, visit, and do business is welcome to attend. Those who are very familiar with the county and anyone with a particular interest in economic development is especially encouraged to be there.

New faces are always welcome. Background information can be provided ahead of time, and an introduction at the workshop will bring all participants up to speed.

The workshop takes place on Thursday, October 22, 11:30am – 4pm at Kingston Frontenac Rotary Auditorium in Fairmount Home, 2069 Battersea Rd.

RSVP to Angelique: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 613-548-9400 ext 301.

Sydenham beer store's disappearing act concerns Council

The Sydenham beer store has been closed for almost a month, replaced by a temporary beer store located in a trailer next to the store. No one on Council seems to know why the bricks and mortar store is closed but they were concerned enough to put the matter on this week's council agenda.

“Every good town needs a beer store.” That statement by Councillor Ross Sutherland might have been enough to get him removed from Council a couple of generations ago, certainly if he was in Portland township. Now, concern about the possibility of losing the Sydenham Beer Store has become a serious economic issue, for if people buy their beer elsewhere they will do the rest of their shopping elsewhere, also. Sutherland added that two locally operated village restaurants have recently closed, leaving villagers without anywhere to meet for meals and socialization. Mayor Vandewal said the Beer Store has not returned his calls.

“Never say Never”

Councillor Sleeth brought a notice of motion that Council refuse to entertain or support any future solar project proposals from either Suncor or Canadian Solar, because these companies had proceeded with a submission for the Collins Lake project in the face of “a clear and overwhelming lack of support from Council and the Community.” (Staff indicated that the companies did substantially reduce the size of the project, before submitting it.)

After discussion, Council decided that such an extreme step might lead to future litigation, and defeated the motion. However, all agreed that the companies in question had behaved in a reprehensible manner, showing disrespect for both residents and municipality. Council directed staff to write to both companies with a copy to the IESO, expressing their dismay over the totally unacceptable behaviour of the developers.

Passchendaele Lane

A brief public meeting was followed by a by-law naming a private lane (part lot 16, concession 3, Bedford). The public meeting was a required formality because the proposed name, Passchendaele, had not been on a recently created list of pre-approved names for lanes. Passchendaele, also known as the third battle of Ypres, took place in 1917.

Accessibility Review

Jannette Amini, Manager of Legislative Services Clerk, County of Frontenac, noted that this June was the 10th anniversary of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). She reviewed the County and Townships’ considerable progress toward making their services and resources fully accessible. Much of this has been facilitated by the Frontenac Accessibility Advisory Committee, which is available throughout the County for consultation, planning and public education.

Fall Road Tour

Public Works Manager Segsworth agreed with Council’s recommendation that they hold a fall road tour before beginning budget planning, to review the upgrades that have been completed this summer, and plans for next year.

Congratulations

Deputy Mayor McDougall noted the Frontenac Heritage Foundation has awarded a Certificate of Commendation to the Township for South Frontenac Museum.

The Township of Addington Highlands Council and AHEAD Committee (Addington Highlands Economic Advisors for Development) is pleased to announce that nominations are open for the annual Outstanding Volunteer award. As in 2014, an Outstanding Business will also be recognised. Both awards will be presented at the annual township Christmas party- held this year in Flinton.

The Outstanding Volunteer Award is ‘to acknowledge any individual(s) who made a significant voluntary contribution to benefit our community in the areas of social or economic growth’.

The Outstanding Business Award is ‘to acknowledge an Addington Highlands business for continued business excellence while meeting the needs of residents and visitors.

Anyone can nominate a deserving volunteer and/or business. Deadline for receipt of nominations is November 1st, 2015 at midnight.

Nomination forms must be completed in writing.

Previous recipients for Outstanding Business include: Northbrook Foodland, Yourway Home Centre and Curtis Trailers.

Previous recipients for Outstanding Volunteer include: Andy Anderson, Werner Lips, Carolyn Hasler, Margaret Axford, Roy Berndt, Gordon & Carolyn McCulloch, Gary & Ruby Malcolm, and John Bolton.

Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.addingtonhighlands.ca or obtained from the Township of Addington Highlands, 613-336-2286 email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ashby/White Lake Road access debate continues to fester

Darcy Alkerton, a resident in the Ashby Lake region, appeared as a delegate and presented documentation that, he said, contradicted claims made by Mark Mieske at the previous meeting, which was held in Denbigh on September 21.

At that time Mieske said that he was within his rights to block an illegal road that passed through his property. A public right of way is located at the edge of the property, and passes over a bridge and a creek.

On Monday, Alkerton presented a map and an agreement from 1975, which indicated, he said, that the public access right of way on the property had been moved to where the road that Mieske has blocked is located.

“I see here that the agreement was completed and signed, but was never executed by the township,” said Reeve Hogg.

“I guess so, but the road has been in use since then. It's not something an ambulance can use, but an ATV or even an SUV can get through. The other way around adds 27 kilometres and takes 20 minutes or more,” said Alkerton.

“I think we need to consult our lawyer on this,” said Councilor Bill Cox. “This is new information to us. And I will like to go see it. I've never been there.”

Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch, the only other member of council present, as both ward 1 councilors, Fritsch and Thompson, were absent from the meeting, said she would also like to see the property.

The matter is likely to return to Council on October 19 in Denbigh, when Alkerton said a number of neighbours who use the road are likely to attend.

“I would also like to say that no one has ever made threats about this, as has been claimed,” said Alkerton.

A half-dozen supporters of Mr. Alkerton were at the meeting on Monday, as was Mark Mieske.

Quinte Conservation reports on Solar Power

Council received a document prepared by Terry Murphy, General Manager of Quinte Conservation, on the impact of solar panel projects on the Quinte Watershed, which has its headwaters in Addington Highlands.

The concern that Murphy's report pointed to is the impact of large solar farms on the forest cover in the Quinte Watershed region. Over the entire watershed, the forest cover is well above provincial targets in all aspects. However Prince Edward County, at the south end of the Quinte Watershed, has a much lower level of forest cover, and it is in Prince Edward County that solar projects for over 405 hectares (1,000 acres) have been approved by provincial bodies.

“Large solar farms may cause land degradation and habitat loss ... the creation of solar farms demands clearing and grading of land. This can cause soil compaction, potential alteration of drainage channels and increased runoff and erosion ... Solar farms could have negative impacts on groundwater recharge. Longer term studies need to be done in this area,” says the report, which also says that wind facilities “offer opportunities to share land use with agricultural facilities that solar farms do not.”

The report recommends, among other things, that municipalities should have more input on the location of solar farms and that the conservation authority do a full site evaluation on each proposal before it is approved. It also says that the province should be lobbied to promote hydro where dams already exist, of which there are a number in the Quinte watershed.

“Dams that are already in place for other reasons can be used to produce green energy and have no negative impact on the environment.”

Although there are currently no solar projects in the works in Addington Highlands, Reeve Hogg said it was good to have this report in hand for future reference.

North Frontenac Township met this week and approved a contract that will result in Frontenac County managing Information Technology (IT) services for member municipalities going forward.

The contract was approved by Frontenac County Council at their monthly meeting last week, and approval from the three other Frontenac townships has been secured or is pending.

The Frontenac County IT department, which is currently a four-person team, will be increased to seven people, two of whom will be located primarily in Sydenham and one to be located in Sharbot Lake.

For townships such as South Frontenac, which has contracted out its IT services for years, and North Frontenac, which has been using IT support from Frontenac County on an ad-hoc basis ever since their IT person left a year ago, the changeover to a contracted service from Frontenac County will have minimal effect and will likely result in cost savings.

“Central Frontenac, on the other hand, is not a winner in this changeover, at least in the short term,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith.

Central Frontenac has its own IT person, Charlene Godfrey, who takes care of 911 addressing, GIS, and the townships servers, computers and other equipment. Smith said Godfrey might be transitioning to a job at the County next year when the changeover takes place. Under the new contract, there will likely be a person assigned to the Central Frontenac office, but that person will have the title “Help Desk Assistant” and will serve both Central and North Frontenac.

“We will have access to the expertise of the entire team, however,” said Smith, “and over time we expect to see a benefit.”

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins said that under a payment formula in the contract, which looks at the number of devices each township uses, as well as the number of properties and other factors, “North Frontenac will be paying about $60,000 in 2016 for IT services.”

He added, “this is a savings from what we paid when we had a full time person. With maintenance on all of our equipment, including printers, servers, desktops and laptops now coming under the contract, we should see a savings and a secure level of service for our ratepayers. With the importance of IT in the delivery of municipal services, it is a good deal for us.”

The agreement, which was drawn up by County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kelly Pender in consultation with the CAOs from the member townships, outlines how the service will focus on “project management, help desk support, network administration, and coordinated procurement.”

All data will be segregated to each township except where sharing agreements are in place, and the individual township “identities will be maintained except as agreed to by the parties” in the words of the agreement, so it is unclear whether there will be a change in the appearance or capacity of the individual township websites.

South Frontenac launched a new site in 2014, and they already use the same e-agenda software that Frontenac County uses. Central Frontenac has not updated their site in a number of years, and they also use the same e-agenda service.

The North Frontenac site was built from scratch by their former IT person Evan Sepa, and it uses its own .pdf-based e-agenda system currently.

When the agreement came forward at Frontenac County Council, South Frontenac Councilor John McDougall said, “IT has been an ongoing challenge for us in South Frontenac. This is an excellent solution.”

At their monthly meeting, members of Frontenac County Council received the Economic Development implementation plan, which came about after workshops that were attended by members of Council as well as business people from across the County.

The five-point plan calls for a branding exercise and improved signage; attraction and retention of accommodation facilities; food and beverage retention and expansion; the development of a recreation infrastructure plan; and the contracting of a community development coordinator.

It was point 5, the community development coordinator position, that most concerned Council.

According to Councilor John McDougall, approving the plan was merely “approval to take the next step. It does not approve any spending but it gives our new sustainability and economic development committee something goals to work towards.”

Still, councilors had questions.

“Isn't this your job?” Councilor John Inglis asked of Anne Marie Young, the County Manager for Economic Development.

“You cannot do economic development sitting behind a desk. Someone has to facilitate the efforts, answer the phone, apply for grants; but someone also has to take these good projects and move them forward. You need boots on the ground sometimes,” she said.

That just sounds like a duplication of the Frontenac Community Futures Corporation to me. It sounds like we are trying to do the same thing,” said South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal.

“This person will make sure the economic development is not just a fluke, that it is planned and promoted. This is a person that will work with new and potential businesses to make sure they know they are welcome in Frontenac County,” said Planning Co-ordinator Joe Gallivan. Gallivan added that a new Official Plan and the Economic Development Implementation Plan are all going to help draw more funding for economic development projects from provincial sources.

“If we pass this motion, is it a green light to hire someone?” asked North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins.

“It is a framework for community development,” said Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Pender.

“As long as we are not talking about hiring a person for a three-year appointment,” said Warden Dennis Doyle.

In a recorded vote, seven members of Council supported the implementation plan, and Ron Vandewal voted against it, technically making it a 7-2 vote since as the mayor of South Frontenac, Vandewal has two votes.

Due to concerns over the potential risks for volunteers encountering the noxious wild parsnip weed, Lanark County Public Works has decided to cancel the Adopt-a-Road pick-up this autumn.

“This was a difficult decision,” said Terry McCann, public works director, “but this noxious weed poses several potential risks and we decided to ensure everyone’s safety by cancelling the fall program due for this year.”

The Adopt-a-Road initiative began in 1999 and is designed to encourage volunteers to complete a spring and fall litter pick-up on a section of road of their choosing. Each section is about two kilometres in length. Dozens of groups have participated over the years with tonnes of litter collected each year and hundreds of hours of volunteer labour contributed.

Wild parsnip is an invasive plant that is becoming more common in Lanark County and is found along road shoulders, in ditches, rail corridors, trails and on uncultivated land. Sap from the plant can cause skin and eye irritation and make skin prone to severe burning and blistering when exposed to sun, which can cause long-term scarring. It is important to know what the plant looks like and use proper handling techniques when dealing with it.

“We are currently reviewing changes to the process for the spring pick-up to ensure the actions taken by participating groups will create minimal to no exposure to this noxious weed,” Mr. McCann added.

“We appreciate the hard work and dedication each member and volunteer has shown to our program and we hope to continue working together to keep our county roads clean while ensuring the safety of all involved,” said County Warden Keith Kerr (Tay Valley Reeve).

For more information about the program or weed control in Lanark County, check http://www.lanarkcounty.ca/Page1872.aspx or call public works at 613-267-1353.