After researching on the web and reading all the articles that have been published in Belleville newspapers and in the Frontenac News (Central Frontenac cuts ties with CAO/Works Manager Zimmerman, Frontenac News, Jun 18/15) as to why Jim Zimmerman was terminated, I am baffled. Belleville articles stated that Jim Zimmerman seriously wanted to get things done, and he was "stepping on toes doing it". Articles written in the Frontenac News stated that Zimmerman was enthusiastic and ready to settle into his new position at Central Frontenac Township. I'm sure that some people would agree with me that our Public Works Department could use some much needed restructuring measures effective immediately. Unfortunately we will not see any results from Jim Zimmerman as he was sent packing after only three months on the job.

Bill Glisky is a reporter from Belleville and takes on local politics, life, the universe and everything else. Bill Glisky's report on Zimmerman's termination is pretty much identical to his termination here in Central Frontenac Township. Bill Glisky reported that Jim Zimmerman was making some very big changes in the city of Belleville and until he arrived, Public Works was leading the way on inactivity, and in Glisky's opinion "that's why the big adios to Mr. Z. Simply put, he was making council look bad". That article gives you food for thought. As a taxpayer I would love to hear an explanation from our council as to why Mr. Zimmerman was dismissed from his position with such short notice here in Central Frontenac Township. I feel I am not alone in thinking that the public has a right to know. The future of funding in Central Frontenac Township is very precarious and we need action from the new council members to get some issues resolved before our property tax skyrockets to new limits. It is with great solace to know that effective January 2016 we will be able to send our complaints to Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin.

Members of South Frontenac Council have been asked about their stance on it for years. There have been meetings between neighbours, presentations at Council meeting, whisperings about too much water on the site, drainage, loss of rural character and more.

All of this was before a parcel on a long, narrow swath of land just west of Road 38 between Petworth and Boyce Road had ever come to Council as a proposed 47-lot subdivision.

That ended on Tuesday night, July 7, when Mike Keene of Fotenn Planning brought the subdivision proposal before a public meeting at South Frontenac Council, one of the formal steps in the process that will eventually lead to Frontenac County, which approves subdivision agreements, and perhaps a date with the Ontario Municipal Board at the end of the day.

The proposal that Keene described features two rows of lots running along the property with a road running through the middle. There are 47 0.8 hectare (2 acre) lots, each with 46 metre (150 foot) road frontages. The 46 metres is significant because minimum road frontage in the township for new lots is 76 metres (250 feet)

Keene said that the 150 foot frontages are “consistent with other subdivisions in the township and are supported by the studies that have been done.”

He also talked about some extensive hydrogeological studies that have been done at the site, and said that even as the lots are developed, further studies can be done as wells are dug at each lot to ensure there is no draw down of wells in the vicinity.

When he presented his own planning report in relation to the plan of subdivision, South Frontenac Township Planner Lindsay Mills said he did not think the 150 foot frontages were appropriate, but said “something under 250 foot frontages are supportable” although he did not say what that number should be.

A string of neighbouring property owners, seven in total, made 10-minute presentations to Council in opposition to the subdivision in front of an overflow, sign-carrying crowd at the council chambers in Sydenham. Opponents said that test wells that have been dug at the site have affected their own water supply, both in terms of quality and quantity. A farmer who lives near the site said his ability to farm will be affected by the subdivision, saying “people who live in urban subdivisions are not friends of farmers”.

Others attacked the location for being located, for the most part, outside of the designated Hartington hamlet, where they said subdivisions should be confined. Still others attacked the project on the grounds that it did not live up to the principles of sustainable development.

A number of councilors joined in, calling the development ill-conceived, inconsistent with the rural nature of the area, and more. Councilor Ross Sutherland even attacked the shape of the road. “If it was serpentine instead of straight it would fit in better with the surrounding landscape,” he said.

Other concerns were raised about increases to traffic flow on Road 38. Later, members of the audience asked further questions about drainage and more.

In the end, a motion to forward the planning report by Lindsay Mills, which outlined the project but did not make a recommendation as to whether it should be adopted, in addition to all the comments and presentations by council and the public, was not fowarded to Frontenac County for consideration by the planning department, which has the authority to approve plans of subdivision.

Instead, it will come back to South Frontenac Council for further consideration.

It is a bit unclear how long the township has to go over the proposal before it will have been longer than is prescribed, leaving the applicant with grounds to appeal the slow progress to the Ontario Municipal Board.

Solar approval – A 500 kw micro-fit project at 300 Hinchinbrooke Road received a motion of support from council, one of many from the township that will go forward to a competitive bidding process under the Independent Energy Systems Operator (IESO) for consideration this fall.

Council also approved a framework for “facility agreement requirements” for large scale solar projects. A proposal to provide a motion of support to Sun Edison if and when a community vibrancy agreement (in the form of an annual payment to the township) is signed, was deferred until the August meeting. The main reason noted was that Council had already been in session for over four hours at that point and were too tired to make a good decision.

Solar project proposals abundant in the Frontenacs

Rob Hitchcock, a representative from Abundant Solar Energy Incorporated (ASEI), made a presentation to North Frontenac Council on June 29. Two sites were proposed for solar farms in North Frontenac that would be built under the FIT program being offered by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).

ASEI is a 100% Canadian-owned company with its headquarters in York, Ontario. They finance and engineer solar farms, and contract out the construction stage.

“Every site that we develop...we use as much local material and labour,” Hitchcock said, referring mostly to excavation, electricians, and general labour.

Hitchcock explained how previous solar farms, such as the ones near Kingston and Westport, were installed when renewable energy building regulations in Ontario were much more lax. Times have changed, and the IESO now requires that companies awarded contracts under the FIT program follow strict guidelines as far as visibility from dwellings and points of interest, as well as incorporate green space setbacks into their plans.

Unlike certain recently proposed wind turbine projects, electricity that is generated by these panels is fed back into the local grid, rather than being exported outside the province.

ASEI is bankrolled by a solar flow-through fund (SFF) which offers investors a tax break on money invested into alternative energy, using a similar model to tax breaks passed on to investors in the oil and mineral sectors.

In this North Frontenac proposal, ASEI is planning two separate panel arrays on neighbouring lots, both located along the Mississippi River, near Farm Lake, which are accessed via Gutheinz Road. Hitchcock explained that they typically overbuild their systems by 20% to make sure they are always generating the maximum electricity they are allowed to feed into the grid, within the regulations of the FIT program.

“We're very involved in the communities we do business in,” Hitchcock explained. “The term of the contract is twenty years.”

Mayor Ron Higgins confirmed with Hitchcock that the ASEI would be responsible for repairing potential damage to public roads as a result of their activities.

The procurement process for solar projects, through this IESO program, works similarly to the wind turbine application process that North Frontenac has recently faced. ASEI are awarded points for having the municipality on board with the project. Their bid will become more competitive with a letter of support from the township.

Dam leaks!

Mayor Higgins and Councilor Gerry Martin recently took members of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) on a tour of some of the lakes and rivers in North Frontenac that are connected with the Mississippi River water system.

Martin reported to council that the Kashawakamak Lake Dam is leaking and that the MVCA will be fixing the dam by pumping liquid cement “into the surrounding hillside” to hopefully stop the flow.

“It was a pretty productive day,” Martin said. “North Frontenac Township was really highlighted...” He said that he has “got a lot of comments back...congratulating us on what we're doing up here and our countryside.”

The Kashawakamak Lake Dam is at the east end of the lake and helps regulate the water flow of the Mississippi River.

Linda's Loop

Linda and Bruce Sterling recently sent a letter to North Frontenac Council asking for help organizing maintenance on Linda's Loop, a 20-km trail network built by the Sterlings many years ago, that winds along Crotch Lake.

Historically, the trail has been maintained by the Sterlings and other local volunteers but they've found it difficult keeping the trail in good shape these last few years. They are requesting help in clearing brush, marking trails, and some chainsaw work and are hoping that the Township can help co-ordinate the maintenance. In October 2014 they built a 40 foot bridge on the trail with help from the Rideau Trails Association.

“The township has much to gain by maintaining these trails and expanding them,” the Sterlings said, and suggested that North Frontenac could gain revenue as well as boost local business.

“A lot of people use it...it's an advantage to the whole area,” a lady in the audience said. “She [Linda] has maps. They've done a lot of work on it and it would be a shame to let it go back. I hope they'll get some support from Council.”

Mayor Higgins responded by saying that the idea will be given to the economic development task force to look into.

A sizable crowd gathered to celebrate at the official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on June 27 at the newly renovated fire hall and community centre in Ompah.

North Frontenac councilor, Denis Bedard, emceed the event, which was attended by members of North Frontenac council and staff along with numerous volunteers and staff from the Ompah Fire Department, North Frontenac paramedics and emergency first responders, volunteers from the Ompah Community Volunteer Association and members of the community at large.

Mayor Ron Higgins congratulated all involved in bringing the project to completion and he stressed that it would not have been possible without the commitment of the community volunteers, who together raised $50,000 to see the $290,000 project through to completion. “Our volunteers have assisted with the planning, presenting of options and justifications to council and have done a lot of the work here. What you see here today would not have been possible without them.”

Higgins made a special presentation to Steve Sunderland, a long-time resident in the area who managed the project and whom some called the project's visionary and driver. He started off as a member of the initial task force, then later chaired the design task force and finally became project manager heading up the various smaller contracts.

This plan came about after a series of painful attempts at replacing or repairing the fire hall, which included a plan to put in a new fire hall/ambulance base in partnership with Frontenac County (way too expensive for the township) and a plan to expand the size of the fire hall (too expensive for the township)

Sunderland summed up the project that did get built as “renovating the two joined-at-the-hip, existing facilities as two separate entities unto themselves”.

The renovations to the fire hall included two new overhead remote-controlled vehicle doors, a new covered and separate entrance way, a new heated concrete floor, new drywall, a brand new mechanical system and washroom facility, and new wash bays.

The renovations to the community hall include a new 120 square foot foyer and wheelchair accessible entrance way to its west side, with a shelter for the outdoor mailboxes, newly renovated wheelchair accessible washroom facilities plus new lights and windows. The parking lot also was upgraded as well, with improvements to accessibility and drainage. Marily Seitz, president of the Ompah Community Centre, was thrilled with the new hall. “It's been a long and hard road getting here but it's been worth it. So many people from the community have put in their time, talents and energy and just look around you. It's just beautiful.”

Following the speeches, the official ribbon and cake cutting ceremony took place and guests were treated to demonstrations courtesy of the volunteers from the fire department and a free lunch courtesy of the Clar-Mill Community volunteers from Plevna.

Companies sweeten offers as Addington Highlands set to vote on wind farm support motion

Addington Highlands Council met in special session on Tuesday morning (June 30) to respond to information that had been provided to them by RES-Canada regarding a wind farm proposal in the township. Included in the information package is a proposal for a Community Vibrancy Fund. The fund includes payments to the township if the township supports their project and the project ends up winning in a province-wide procurement process to supply wind power to the electrical grid.

RES has made it public that they have offered $2,000 per Megawatt of generating capacity each year for 20 years. According to the web information about the project, it will generate between 100 and 170 MW, depending on its final configuration. Before discussing the details of their offer and hearing a counter offer from the township, Stephen Cookson from RES addressed some concerns of residents who were at the meeting as observers. He said that RES will adhere to a 750 metre setback between their turbines and any “noise receptors” such as homes or campgrounds, which is 200 metres greater than the provincial standard. He also said that in cases where turbines are installed on private land under lease from private land owners, they would make payments to the neighbouring property owners as well.

As well Cookson said the company has made some changes to their proposal in response to concerns from local residents. One of them is to move the turbines that were to be located on the north side of Ashby Lake further back, and away from the north side.

“There are a cluster of cottages on the south shore of the lake and this will remove the turbines from their sight lines,” he said. He added that the company is prepared to make changes right through the approval and fine tuning process if they end up winning the bid.

The township has consulted their lawyer after receiving the preliminary offers from both RES and NextEra, the other company that has a project proposal in the township. Cookson said RES is prepared to adapt their offer to respond favourably to the “15 or 20 items raised” by the lawyer.

Reeve Henry Hogg asked if the payments could be made as a lump sum when the project is competed and begins generating power instead of over 20 years.

“Look at Greece today. You never know what the value of Canadian money will be in 20 years,” said Hogg.

Cookson responded that RES is willing to go some distance towards front-loading the payments, and the details will be included in their up-dated offer, which will be in the township's hands by Thursday. The offer will also include an offer of payment during the two-year construction period, earlier than the norm, when payments are not made until the turbines are up and running.

Councilor Tony Fritsch proposed that the township make a counter offer to the RES $2,000 per MW. His proposal was for $3,500 per MW and an additional $3,500 for every linear kilometre of township land that is used for transmission lines, the same counter offer that the township made to NextEra at the beginning of June. He made a motion to that effect, which was supported by a vote of 3-1, with Deputy Mayor Cox voting against it.

NextEra was also on hand at the meeting, in the person of Ben Greenhouse, the project manager. He came to confirm that NextEra has submitted a new offer to the township in response to the counter-offer that the township had made. He said that, like RES, his company has incorporated the concerns of the township's lawyer into their offer.

The NorthPoint 2 project, which NextEra had been proposing to build in both North Frontenac and Addington Highlands, has been altered, however. It is now located entirely in Addington Highlands, and will include up to 100 turbines, with transmission lines running along Hwy. 41 in much the same manner as the RES proposal. The change seems to be a direct result of the North Frontenac Council's decision to declare the township an “unwilling host” for wind projects. Greenhouse said that the increased size of the project reflects, in part, the fact that when the final bid is submitted in September, projects can be smaller than presented at public meetings, but not larger.

“It gives us the greatest number of options,” he said.

He also said, after the meeting, that the offer includes a $3,500 per MW Community Vibrancy Fund. He also said that North Point1, which is located entirely in North Frontenac, will also be proceeding to the bid stage.

RES Canada held their formal public meeting on Thursday, July 2 in Denbigh. NextEra will be holding public meetings on August 6 (North Frontenac) and August 8 (Addington Highlands)

Addington Highlands will make a decision whether to support one, both, or neither proposal at their July meeting in Flinton, which starts at 1:00 on Monday, July 6.

Residents who live on the Raymo Road were happy to hear that even though the Township of Central Frontenac was unable to provide a vehicle passage over Fish Creek where two culverts collapsed two weeks ago for liability reasons, at least a walkway was going to be put in.

Kyle Labbett, public works supervisor, said at a meeting of Council last Tuesday (June 23) that, “A walkway that will be suitable for someone pushing a stroller will be put in.”

However, instead of making it easier to walk over the road, the township ended up blocking the way completely with cement forms, even putting up a berm to discourage any kind of traffic.

“This is the opposite of what they said they were going to do at the meeting,” said Steve McCullough, who lives on the Raymo Road. “They made it harder to walk over the road, not easier.”

When contacted, Kyle Labbett said that the planned walkway hit a snag when crews went to put it in late last week.

“We had planned to smooth out a path on the west side of the roadway, but when the backhoe went to do the work, a sinkhole developed between the two pipes. At that point we realized there was no safe way to put in a walkway, so we had to block off the road. Again it is a matter of liability,” he said.

With the road now fully blocked off, Labbett said the township is scrambling to put in a final fix as soon as possible.

He said that they were able to get a geo-technical study done in two days, when it usually takes up to a month, and the engineering work is proceeding. He expects to have a proposal ready for Council approval within a week or so. Mayor Frances Smith said that Council will hold a special meeting as soon as staff is ready to provide options, including costs and time lines, for the repair.

In the meantime, the only way to cross Fish Creek from Raymo Road is to go south, take Echo Lake to Oak Flats Road and come out to Road 38 at Piccadilly.

The Raymo Road culverts were inspected in 2013, as part of a bi-annual inspection of all bridges and major culverts in the township. It was determined that it had one to four years of life left in it and was slated for reconstruction in 2018.

On the day that the road caved in, trucks from Crains' Construction were carrying rocks to repair a CP rail crossing on the Raymo Road.

“Crains' is not responsible for what happened,” said Labbett. “There are no load restrictions on Central Frontenac roads.”

As the first of 11 listed delegations relating to solar projects, Utilia Amaral of SunEdison said her company was not planning to proceed with the Groenewegen and Freeman Road projects at this time. She attributed this decision to the high degree of concern at last week’s community meeting about the connection lines from these projects running through heavily populated areas. She said her company would look at alternate routes, in the hope of submitting these projects at a later date.

Amaral went on to address other concerns, including impacts on property values, visual buffering and noise during installation. In regard to stray voltage, she said SunEdison was prepared to fund an independent engineer appointed by the community, who would establish baseline levels and investigate any concerns about stray voltage that might be identified, “providing resolution if related to the project.” She also described how the company planned to address issues related to environment, endangered species, groundwater/wells monitoring and future decommissioning of the facility.

Councilors Revill and Sutherland asked about buffer plantings, and were told that the Ministry of Environment required that all buffer plantings should reach 90% of capacity growth in five years. Amaral said a landscaping firm would be contracted to provide maintenance of buffer plantings and all on site growth, including grass cutting. Sutherland asked if there was any likelihood of shared use, such as grazing sheep or goats, or bee-friendly plants. Amaral said that plantings to attract honey bees and other pollinators would be a possibility. However although grazing animals are used in some countries, provisions for this are not in place in Ontario.

Of the remaining delegations, seven were speaking in particular reference to the Groenewegen proposal and two to the Freeman one. They questioned the management of other SunEdison projects in the Kingston area, said that all the profits would be going to the US, raised the issues of stray voltage, threats to wildlife, and damage to property values. They asked what benefit the South Frontenac would gain from solar farms. Mayor Vandewal said that Council was still in negotiations with SunEdison as to amounts, but there would be an up-front payment to the township, and “annual contributions.”

One delegate, former Bedford Councillor David Hahn, spoke in support of solar power. He said he had a small solar project on his own property, and was a member of a 150-member green energy cooperative which invests in solar projects. He said the world was shifting to renewable power: that in the past year, more solar and wind projects had been developed than any other power sources, such as nuclear or coal. He also pointed out that solar power had the advantage of being most available at times of peak use, especially in the summer when air conditioners are in use.

CAO Orr said that six or seven letters addressing solar issues had arrived too late to be included in this agenda, so would be brought forward next meeting.

New Solar Proposal for Storrington Area

Jeff Allan and Greg Rossetti came on behalf of Bondfield Construction with a new project proposal, this one south of Battersea, covering a 300-acre site. They emphasized that theirs is a wholly Ontario company, and they already have elicited very positive responses from abutting landowners. They are planning a community meeting soon.

(In order to accommodate the unusually large number of delegations, Council met at 6:00 to deal first with the following items of business.)

Parking Restrictions and a One-way Street for Sydenham?

Public Works Manager Segsworth is scheduling an open house at the municipal hall, Sydenham, on July 28, 7:00-9:00. Residents can view maps of proposed parking changes, and get information about making Cross Street a one-way street.

Hartington Brownfield Cleanup

Segsworth said the cleanup of the corner site in Hartington has been completed for $137,000: this leaves enough remaining in the budget to cover installation of monitoring wells. No mention was made of the (reported by a resident) dispersion of rats into the neighbourhood, when the building was torn down.

New Scales at Portland Waste Site

The scales are on site, and will go into operation July 15: from then on, all waste brought to the Portland waste site will be charged by weight.

Banners will be used to notify residents of the change. “We will have some hiccups: everything associated with solid waste seems to be complicated,” said Segsworth.

Reconfiguration of Intersections

“Historically, one can drive from Hartington to Holleford without stopping,” said Segsworth, “For experienced locals this is no problem, but newcomers don’t always realize one should yield at Vanluven and Trousdale Roads.” He showed maps of these intersections and another in Storrington that he is recommending for reconfiguration as soon as possible.

Appreciation of First Responders

Mayor Vandewal expressed deep thanks on behalf of Council to the fire department’s first responders who were on hand during the recent highway tragedy near Spaffordton.

The Ompah Fire Department and Community Center are celebrating the Grand Opening of their newly renovated buildings on Saturday, June 27. It is a triple celebration as the Ompah Fire Department also celebrates its 40th anniversary and the Emergency First Response Team (EFR) celebrates their 20th anniversary of service to the community.

The whole thing started as a response to community emergencies. In 1974 Harnden’s General Store in Ompah had a fire. The nearest fire department was in McDonalds Corners, and they responded, but by the time they arrived the store was a total loss. It was then that the community decided that Ompah needed its own fire department.

In 1975 Harnden’s donated the land. No funding was available so folks got together and built the community center section of the hall to support fundraising activities. Soon, enough money was raised to build the front two bays of the existing fire hall. Both structures were built by volunteers and most of the materials were donated, a true community response.

The first fire truck was a gas truck donated to the fire department. It was modified to spread water on the roads and, with a pump mounted on the back, to use as a tank truck to take to fires. On its return from a mechanical fitness test in Sharbot Lake, the road construction crew on Highway 509 hired the truck to keep the dust down. If it was needed for a fire, it was free to go. This helped raise funds for the fire department and community hall.

The first pumper was purchased in 1980 and a replacement tanker was purchased in 1981.

In 1994 there was a fire at Sinclair’s Snowmobile Service Station. Our fire department was ready and able to fight the fire and saved the building. However, in the process of fighting the fire, the fire chief suffered a heart attack. It took a long time for the ambulance to arrive and it was apparent that emergency medical treatment was needed here in Ompah. As a result, the Emergency First Response Team was formed. They practice twice monthly to be able to capably respond to medical emergencies in the community.

Over the years additions were made to the building to make them more efficient and more useful to the community. The back bay, office and washroom were added to the fire hall. The kitchen, bathrooms, and storage joined the community center along with the adjoining library. However by 2015, the whole building no longer fit the needs of a modern fire department or community center. This last year has been spent upgrading the interior and exterior and creating a much more useful and attractive building, parking area and green space.

The spirit of community is apparent in all aspects of the history of the fire department. Members of the community have eagerly come forward to help raise money, to volunteer their time and skills to build and renovate, and many have volunteered to serve the community as dedicated members of the fire department and community center. The fire fighters and EFR Team train twice monthly and are on call 24/7 – to serve our community when the need arises.

Everyone is welcome to join in the celebrations. At 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 27 a cottage/house safety workshop will take place in the community center followed by the official ribbon cutting and mayor’s remarks at noon. Lunch, cake and ice cream will be available in the community center, compliments of the township and provided by the Clar-Mill Community Volunteers. Fire department equipment and the renovated fire hall and community center will be available for viewing in the afternoon.

Council addresses Raymo Road collapse

At an emergency meeting on June 18, members of Central Frontenac Council addressed the issue of the collapse of the Raymo Road, which is off Wagarville Road. It had come to the works department's attention that there had been a partial collapse of one of two structural plate culverts on the road, which resulted in a section being washed out and closed to traffic from 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday June 16 (the time of the collapse), until 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 18.

At that time the road was reopened to a single lane of traffic, with signs advising drivers of a load limit of five tons per axle.

Unbeknownst to council, as they were meeting that afternoon, the second culvert also collapsed, making the road totally impassable to traffic. Currently that section of road can now only safely handle foot traffic and is off limits for vehicles. This has forced residents on Raymo Road who travel north and west on a regular basis to drive directly south, to Piccadilly, and then double back on Road 38 north to Parham and points north and east. A 10-minute drive to Parham now takes about 40 minutes, for example, and to Sharbot Lake upwards of an hour.

While Kyle Labbett and Steve Reynolds of the Public Works department were not aware that the second culvert had collapsed, the premise of their presentation at the emergency meeting was already based on replacing both culverts.

According to an OSIM (Ontario Structure Inspection Manual) bridge inspection report that was completed in 2013, it was recommended that two existing culverts be replaced in 2018 due to section loss at the culvert ends and corrosion within the pipe itself, at an estimated cost of $338,000.

Labbett outlined four options for addressing the problem,

The first option is to replace the culverts “like for like” through an invitation to bid process, with the township purchasing the pipe directly from the manufacturer to speed up the process. This option, which would take 8 weeks to complete, was identified in the report as requiring the least amount of engineering work, but it would lead to costly problems over the medium turn.

The second option was to proceed with an invitation to bid, with the successful contractor purchasing the pipe.

The third option is to proceed with the traditional tendering process with full advertising, which would open up the process to more bidders but time-wise would be lengthiest.

The fourth and final option would be for the township to hire a geo-technical firm to bore holes in the road and vicinity and provide a report that would be sent to an engineering firm to review in order to determine the bearing capacity of the soil and suggest different options for replacement.

Following the report a design/build RFP would be released to contractors who would submit their own ideas for replacement. These could include replacing the existing culverts with similar ones, replacing them with an arch culvert, a Bailey Bridge or a pre-cast box culvert, with other ideas also possible.

Labbett reminded council that all the options would require geo-technical and engineering work, at an estimated cost of $22,000.

The report also outlined the possible ways to pay for these road and bridge repairs. They included delaying other planned work for a year and re-directing the funds to this. This would impact planned road and bridge projects on Burke Settlement and Elm Tree Roads

A second option for payment would be to to take money from reserves to repair Raymo Road.

When Council met again this Tuesday (June 23) Kyle Labbett brought forward a new proposal, to proceed with geo-techncial work but to hire the engineering firm, Greer and Galloway Group, to come up with a design and to prepare an invitation to tender.

Treasurer Michael McGovern was asked what he would recommend in terms of financing the project. He said that until public works knows how to proceed, it would be difficult to say, but he did say that Council could consider pulling some or all of the funds from reserves or possibly taking out a loan.

After hearing from McGovern and Labbett, council passed a motion instructing staff to move ahead with geo-technical work. Mayor Frances Smith added that council will move ahead on this issue as soon as any information becomes available, and that she estimates the costs to be anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000.

Labbett estimated that the reconstruction could take a minimum of three to four months. In the meantime the affected section of Raymo Road will remain closed. All talk of road fixes are cold comfort for Raymo Road residents, who are likely to be facing long detours at least until the end of the summer.

$610,000 grant to EOTA

Mayor Frances Smith announced that the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance received a grant of $610,000, some of which will benefit trails in Central Frontenac.

Lions liquor bottle shed approved at Hinchinbrooke site

Council approved staff's recommendation to allow for a liquor bottle donation and storage shed at the Hinchinbrooke waste site. It will be the third shed set up by the Sharbot Lake and District Lions, who are happy to take empty liquor bottles as donations.

Cardinal Cafe to open July 4

Mayor Frances Smith announced that the owners of the new Cardinal Cafe, located in the old Catholic church on Road 38 in Sharbot Lake, will be holding their official grand opening on Saturday, July 4.

Parham Playground Equipment tender awarded

Council approved staff's recommendations to award the tender of the Parham playground equipment to Playground Planners at a cost of $39,267.

Permanent hockey rink in Sharbot Lake?

In his delegation to council, Dave Willis of the Oso Recreation Committee requested that council support and share the costs of building a permanent ice hockey rink at the Oliver Scott Memorial Park in Sharbot Lake, which is located near the ballfied at the Granite Ridge Education Centre. Willis explained that the committee has acquired the rink boards and glass and he hopes that the township would help to contribute to the pouring of a concrete pad. Willis said that the committee plans to raise most of the costs through fundraising and that the park would be the perfect location for a rink since it offers parking, lights and washroom facilities. “A permanent rink, Willis said, “would offer members of the community, young and old, opportunities to stay fit and have fun throughout the winter season.” Council received the information and approved the request.

Outdoor fitness equipment in Sharbot Lake?

On behalf of the Oso Recreation Committee, Joan and Rudy Holywood made a presentation to council requesting their approval of the installation of outdoor fitness equipment on township property located on the east side of the K&P trail between the beach and the government dock. Presently the committee has earmarked $1500 to initially purchase three pieces of equipment and are hoping to purchase six more pieces at a total cost of $30,000. They hope to have the equipment installed as part of the Multi-Use Cutural Centre Commitee's Enhanced Trail Project. Council accepted the presentation for information and approved the request. They advised the presenters to attend the next meeting of the MUCC.   

There are people who know why former CAO/Public Works Manager Jim Zimmerman is no longer working for Central Frontenac Township, but they aren't in a mood to share the information, certainly not with the press.

There was little warning before he was let go. In fact there was no public notice before what appears to have been a hastily called meeting of Central Frontenac Council on Tuesday, June 16 at 5 pm.

In the minutes to that meeting, which were released this week, it only says that as soon as the meeting started, Council moved into an in-camera session to discuss “personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.”

In addition to all nine members of Council, Township Clerk Cathy MacMunn, and Jim Zimmerman attended the meeting.

When the in-camera session ended, the following motion was passed in open session: “that the employment contract between Jim Zimmerman and Central Frontenac Township be terminated immediately; effective June 16, 2015, all agreed conditions of the contract will be fulfilled.”

It is not known if Zimmerman was still at the meeting when the motion was approved, or if he left earlier.

A further motion was approved directing staff to prepare an ad for a public works manager “immediately”. The meeting ended after two hours, at 7 pm.

On Thursday, June 18, the township put out a press release that said essentially the same thing as the motion, but added, “Mayor and Council wish him all the best in his future business endeavours".

In the short term at least, the township is not seeking a new chief administrative officer (CAO) and Mayor Smith indicated that it is not necessary for the township to have a CAO in place.

The clerk, Cathy MacMunn will handle corporate matters and all of the managers, including Public Works, Treasury, Chief Building Officer, and IT can take their marching orders directly from Council. This is the structure that Addington Highlands Council, for example, has used ever since the township was founded in 1998.

Aside from these skeletal facts, no one is talking about the reason for what appears to have been an unceremonious dumping of Jim Zimmerman just three months after he was hired to fill two critical vacancies, at the CAO and public works manager's positions.

No one on council or staff has commented on the dismissal, with the mayor saying only, “Read the press release; that's all I have to say about it.”

Attempts to contact Jim Zimmerman by phone have been unsuccessful.

Jim Zimmerman was Central Frontenac's ninth appointee as chief administrative officer, on a permanent or temporary basis, over a nine-year time span. One of those, John Duchene, served on three separate occasions. Prior to Zimmerman, Mike Richardson had served as public works manager for five years until he retired in the summer of 2014. Kyle Labbett (waste management supervisor) and Steve Reynolds (public works supervisor) filled in between August of 2014 and late March of 2015, and they are doing so again now until a new person is hired.