Taxes to remain stable, on an upward curve

Frontenac County ratepayers will not see large increases in the county portion of their tax bill in coming years. However, as long as the Consumer Price Index goes up, so will taxes, but at a little higher rate.

Frontenac County Council approved a budget policy that sets as a target the annualized Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Ontario from August of each year, and adds an extra 0.65% per year for the next 10 years to pay towards a capital sustainability reserve. That reserve fund is in place to cover for ageing infrastructure, such as the county office complex in Glenburnie.

While the budget process will require that each department demonstrate that it requires the extra money to maintain the level of service they offered in the previous year, the over-riding assumption of the process is that the increase will be necessary. If the budget deviates from the target in one department, the needs of other departments will be looked at, followed by the replenishing of various reserve funds that may have been depleted over time. Only once all of those factors are considered would the possibility of setting a lower tax rate be put forward.

Similarly, if the needs of the departments exceed the target, reserve funds will be used as much as possible to keep the county from levying an increase above the target.

“In general it is preferable to plan for stable increases in county taxation, rather than a roller coaster ride where the levy can swing up and down,” said Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Pender. “That way the lower-tier councils and, ultimately, the ratepayers, can make their own financial plans without fear of surprises coming from the county.”

The 0.65% added levy was adopted by County Council last year after completing an asset management plan, as called for by the provincial government, in an effort to avoid large costs over the long term. The county has less infrastructure than most, if not all other counties in Ontario, because with municipal amalgamation the county roads system was divested to the local municipalities. The only water treatment plant in Frontenac County is in Sydenham and it is owned and managed by South Frontenac Township.

Frontenac County ratepayers pay the county rate in addition to the rates set by their own municipality and the rate set by the Ministry of Education for school taxes. The county rate is applied equally to each property owner based on the assessed value of their property as determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).

County supports maintaining Land Information Ontario:

People who visit Frontenac County maps at frontenacmaps.ca will notice that, when zooming in to near ground level, some of features from the past tend to linger on the mapping. That is because, until recently, the digital imagery that is the base layer of Frontenacmaps.ca was from 2008. That all changed earlier this year when new imagery, produced in 2014, replaced the 2008 imagery.

That six-year cycle of new imagery is a produced by Land Information Ontario, a division of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and sold to municipalities. Because of the economy of scale offered by a service that is province-wide in scope, smaller, rural municipalities such as Frontenac County pay less for imagery than they would otherwise, according to a report to Frontenac County Council by David Millard, the county’s manager of Information Systems.

“In 2014, the County acquired 5,727 sq. km. of imagery through DRAPE (Digital Raster Acquisition Project - East), at a cost of $17,473,” Millard wrote in his report.

The report recommended that the County send a letter to the province to urge them to renew the mandate for Land Information Ontario beyond 2017.

The imagery is of use to planning and building departments on a township level, and helps with bylaw enforcement as well.

The County is going to send the letter urging the province to keep Land Information Ontario in place.

Addington Highlands accepts offer from BEARAT to run survey

Addington Highlands Council has unanimously agreed to receive information gleaned from an online survey of residents to be conducted by a group that opposes wind power production in the township, with the reeve saying the results will “be one piece of information we will consider” when deciding whether to endorse wind projects in the township.

Bon Echo Area Residents Against Wind Turbines (BEARAT) will conduct the survey through Survey Monkey, a free service widely used to gather information from the public. Participants will be required to enter their Addington Highlands tax roll number in order to participate, and only one vote per tax number will be permitted.

Addington Highlands residents can access the survey from the township’s website, addingstonhighlands.ca; or from BEARAT.org

The group’s co-chair, Bob Haynes, is the president of the Buckshot Lake Cottagers Association, whose own survey of association members was identified by North Frontenac Council as one of the reasons that they decided to declare itself an “unwilling host” for wind projects last week.

It was standing room only at the Denbigh Hall on Monday night when the proposal by BEARAT was considered by Council, and there were some protestors outside the building as well, waving signs and wearing “No Wind Turbines” buttons. The same image can be seen on some houses and businesses on Hwy. 41 near Denbigh.

In addition to the predominantly anti-wind crowd, representatives from NextEra, the company whose North Point 1 and 2 proposals in North Frontenac and Addington Highlands have sparked all the opposition, were on hand.

Before the decision regarding the survey monkey proposal was made, Stephen Cookson from another company, RES Canada, presented details from his company’s proposal for a wind project. It is to be located entirely in Addington Highlands, mostly on Crown Land north of Denbigh, with a transmission corridor that runs along road 41 and then tracks south and west. It will linki with a Hydro transmission corridor to the west of Flinton at the township’s border with the Municipality of Tweed.

Cookson said that details about the RES project, including maps and other information, will be posted this week at the website Denbighwind.com. The company is sponsoring a public community meeting on July 2, from 6-9 pm, at the Denbigh Hall.

Cookson said his company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of RES-America, is dedicated to ensuring minimal impact on landowners within the vicinity of its projects. He also said that while they are planning to construct “most or all” of their turbines and transmission lines on Crown Land, they have approached a number of property owners seeking easements, mostly for “transmission or road corridors but also as potential locations for a small number of turbines.

The RES proposal includes 57 turbines, and is slated to produce up to 170 MW of power.

In their submission regarding a Community Enhancement Fund, RES has upped the ante from the proposal made by NextEra. They are offering $2,000 per MW per year as well as a scholarship fund and extra money during the construction phase. For the purposes of the fund, Cookson used an estimate of 150 MW for the project, which would yield $300,000 per year for the township.

Cookson said that if the township is able to provide “support in principle” for the project at their meeting in early July, RES would be willing to negotiate the final terms of the compensation agreement over the summer, as long as a vote on final approval could be taken before September, when the project bid must be submitted to the Independent Electircal Service Operator (IESO)

Later this fall, the IESO will be approving 300 MW of renewable power production from one or more of the projects that will be submitted to them from across Ontario.

Council decided it was best to conduct negotiations with RES regarding compensation before they meet on July 6, and will hold a special council meeting on June 29 at 9 am in Denbigh.

Concerns over potential impact of wind on Elks

Reg Genge, a seasonal resident on Ashby Lake and former Ministry of the Environment employee who studied water quality in lakes, has been involved in the fundraising arm of a group that is dedicated to the reintroduction of the Rocky Mountain Elk in Eastern Ontario. He said that he has heard that wind turbines can have an impact on the population of undulates, the general category of mammals that includes Deer, moose, and elk.

“By my calculation these projects will involve the clearing of a total of 540 acres of land, which end up being turned essentially into gravel and concrete. Would the township support clear cutting 540 acres and turning it into a parking lot? I don't think so,” he said. “At the very least the elk habitat will be diminished.”

(See note on ungulates)

Staff report on wind turbines

In response to a request made by Council at their meeting on June 1, Patricia Gray presented the results of research she has done into the impact of wind projects on property values, and into the perspective of Ontario municipalities where NextEra and RES-Canada have established or are developing wind projects.

As to the impact on property values, Gray presented a study that was conducted by MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation), which evaluates all properties in Ontario for the use of municipal tax departments.

The MPAC study concludes, “There is no significant impact on sale prices in these market areas resulting from proximity to an IWT [Industrial Wind Turbine], when analyzing sale prices.”

In the detail of the report, however, there is an indication that sales of rural properties within one kilometre of an IWT were impacted. They sold for about 2.5% lower than their assessed value, which fits within the MPAC parameters for accurate assessment, but is a lower figure than those within 2 kilometres, 5 kilometres, or more than 5 kilometres, which tended to sell for 1 or 2% above their assessed value. Of those properties within 1 km, having a full view of the IWT tended to lower the sale price as compared to those having a partial view or no view at all.

None of these impacts have affected the way MPAC does business however.

In a letter to the township, Michel Contant from MPAC said, “So far we have not seen any decrease in assessment due to wind turbines. In fact, we have defended that in court as well. That is not to say that down the road we could see an adjustment ... I can just state that currently we do not make any assessed value adjustments if you are living near a wind turbine.”

Patricia Gray reported that of the nine municipalities she approached regarding NextEra and the three she has approached regarding RES-Canada, she has received four preliminary responses from staff, three over the phone and one via email. All of the four responses have been related to NextEra projects. Of those, two were wholly favourable, one was favourable with some reservations, and one was negative.

The negative response, from Grey West Township, was delivered by a staff member who said the NextEra project in their municipality was completed when there was no municipal input into the decision to approve the project. The municipality spent $100,000 fighting the project in court, but lost. NextEra had initially offered a community vibrancy agreement, but the offer was pulled after the legal proceedings were initiated. The township has been able to obtain some more money from NextEra for security but remains reluctant to deal with the company, An attempt by NextEra to sponsor local projects has been rebuffed by Council “because they do not want NexEra's name on a rink or soccer field because there was so much controversy.”

Another municipality said the relationship with NextEra was difficult at the start because the company did not bring forward enough information, but that things have improved and they are working well together now. Two others said they would not be reluctant to enter into any future enterprises with NextEra.

Finally, Gray reported that in terms of construction permitting, turbines are valued at about $950,000 each, meaning the fees would be approximately $7,000 per turbine.

When Councilor Cox asked if the township’s permit fee holiday for commercial construction would apply, Reeve Hogg quickly responded, “This is industrial, the holiday does not apply.”

In terms of scale, a 50-turbine project would be a $47.5 million project. The average value of construction in Addington Highlands between 2011 and 2013 was $6 million.

Although the turbines may cost almost $1 million to build, the MPAC report said they are assessed at $40,000 per megawatt. If that is the case, a 150 MW project would generate $6 million in assessment, netting the township about $36,000 per year in additional tax revenue.

Ungulates and turbines

Scientific studies that have been published in recent years about the effect of wind turbines on ungulates (moose, deer and elk) have not shown any significant impact on behaviour, health or migratory patterns.

A study published in the American Midland Naturalist in 2006 concluded - “Although disturbance and loss of some grassland habitat was apparent, elk were not adversely affected by wind-power development as determined by home range and dietary quality.”

A controlled study was conducted using reindeer in an enclosed area with wind turbines in Sweden. It concluded that “The reindeer showed no systematic differences in the measured behaviour patterns ... that could indicate fright or stress as a consequence of the wind turbine or rotor movement.”

A study published in Ecology Letter analyzing the literature on the impact of wind turbines on wildlife concluded “Ungulates in these studies have shown no behavioural responses to wind energy.”

One article, however, published in 2013 in the journal Applied Energy said that not enough study has been done into the potential impacts of industrial wind turbines on terrestrial animals to draw any conclusions - “We conclude that more empirical data are currently needed to fully assess the impact of utility-scale wind energy development and operation on non-volant [flightless] wildlife.”

There are a number of large studies into the acknowledged impacts of turbines on bat and bird populations, including some that consider possible means of limiting mortality rates.

What a difference a week makes.

Ben Greenhouse, from NextEra said this week that the company is considering changes to its North Point 2 project as the result of the unequivocal statement by North Frontenac that they are an “unwilling host” for wind power projects.

While he would not say that North Point 2, which is now set for Addington Highlands and North Frontenac, will be adjusted in order to bypass North Frontenac entirely, he said it is a possibility.

As of early this week, North Point 1, which is entirely based in North Frontenac, is still a project that NextEra is planning to submit, along with North Point 2, to the Independent Energy Service Operator (IESO) under a call for proposal for renewable energy procurement in.

When Greenhouse, along with his colleague Ben Faiella, appeared at a special meeting of Addington Highlands Council a week earlier, they answered questions about the companies financial offer to the township, which included a Community Vibrancy of $1,750 per megawatt of power produced by them in the township.

Maps were available at thT meeting and are now posted at nexteraenergycanada.com under the “Proposed Projects” tab in the middle of the home.

Councilor Tony Fritsch asked why the vibrancy fund offer is is contingent on the township passing a motion expressing support for the project.

“When we calculate our bid, the value of municipal support is weighed in, and if we don't have that, our calculations change. If we win the contract without municipal support, we can come back to council and talk about a different vibrancy fund, but for now it is contingent on the motion of support,” said Greenhouse.

Fritsch also pointed out that for other projects, the value of community vibrancy funds paid out by NextEra has been as high as $3,500 per MW, double what is being offered to Addington Highlands

Greenhouse said that the larger payments took place under earlier procurements for wind power, when the amount paid to the producer of the power was much higher.

“This time it is a competitive process, the upper limit is $115.00 per MW/hr,” said Greenhouse, “and the winner will have to come in somewhere under that, so there is not as much financial room left.”

The township will be making a formal counter offer to NextEra's initial community vibrancy fund offer on June 29th.

Tony Fritsch made a motion that the counter offer include a community vibrancy fund of $3,500 per MW, double what NextEra is offering.

Council unanimously supported Fritsch's motion.

“If we don't ask for more, we'll never get more,” said Councillor Bill Cox)

(Note – a front page photo in last week's edition incorrectly identified Ben Faiella as Ben Greenhouse)  

Council Disagrees with Planner on Rezoning

Township Planner Lindsay Mills brought a recommendation to Council that they approve a rezoning application which would enlarge an existing urban industrial lot on the southern edge of Harrowsmith. He stated that this zoning was within the intent of the Official Plan, and that a site plan could include “extensive extensive buffers and mitigating measures.”

Two adjacent landowners objected, saying that this is primarily a residential area and any expansion of the present industrial uses could make the area much less pleasant for residents, both current and future. Deputy Mayor McDougall and Councillor Sutherland both spoke strongly against the rezoning, agreeing that this is a residential area and the change of zone would permit too wide a range of options other than the current storage facility.

The motion to rezone was soundly defeated, with only Councillor Barr in favour.

Penalty ended for non-users of Sydenham Water

Speaking to his motion to remove the penalty (‘incentive’) fee for non-users of Sydenham water, Councillor Sutherland compared the additional fee to penalizing taxpayers for not driving on the roads or using the library. He said that if the Township could be held accountable for providing a supply of clean drinking water to all village residents, then perhaps they should require regular testing of the household water source of all those not using municipal water. Sutherland added that according to his calculations, even if all village residences and businesses were using the water system, the Sydenham water plant would still be operating far below capacity. He suggested that perhaps Council needed to look at ways of operating the plant more efficiently.

The motion passed, supported by Revill, Roberts, Schjerning, Sutherland and Sleeth.

Earlier community engagement possible

Councillor Sutherland brought a notice of motion that Council ask the Corporate Services Committee to look into the possibility of informing and engaging the public earlier in the process when subdivision and condominium developments first come to Committee of the Whole.

A Level Playing Field by 2016

Council authorized the Township to enter into an agreement with the Limestone Board, to cooperate in the upgrading and future use of the football field at the Point. The School Board will use their project management skills in working with Morven Construction to rehabilitate the field. Morven’s bid, lowest of five, is $296,000. The Township will lead in the ongoing management of the playing field. Both parties will share costs equally, with the Board carrying the costs until next year, to allow the Township time to budget an additional $98,000 to add to the $50,000 in this year’s budget. Once construction begins, the field will be closed until September 2016.

Rideau Lakes Cycle Rally concerns

Council agreed to send a letter to the Ottawa Bicycle Club asking that participants in any future rally down the Perth/Westport Road be reminded of their obligation to yield, stop and obey emergency responders.

Approved names for new public roads and lanes

The list can be located under section 11c (By-law 2015-310) of this week’s agenda. Council was assured that if landowners wanted a name other than one of the ones listed, they still would have the option to request it. This pre-approved list is intended to streamline the usual naming process.

FIT Solar projects

Council withheld support of only one of the 25 solar projects which are being proposed for installation in South Frontenac. They are waiting for a reply concerning the access route to one project, at 2496 Rutledge Road.

Coming soon to a road near you…

With agreement from the OPP, Council approved speed reductions on 20 segments of Township Roads: watch for the new signs!

History of Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes documented In new book

Brenda Martin presented a recently completed book on the history of Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes. What had started out as a calendar quickly blossomed into a thick book full of photos and stories about the lake's past which is now available for purchase. She brought copies of the book on DVD to donate to the Ompah and Clarendon-Miller libraries.

Martin also spoke about a need for space to store the archives that have been collected throughout the process.

The book, 'History of the Lakes: Malcolm and Ardoch' is available to purchase for $20 on a DVD or for $125 in print, which is the actual cost of printing, via the Malcolm and Ardoch Lake Association Work Team.

Support for Studio Tour

Betty Hunter, an artist from North Frontenac, made a presentation to council informing them of the work she and her peers do to promote the artwork of local artisans, and asked for their support.

With the help of local artists, Hunter is organizing this year's North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour, which will take place September 26 & 27. The North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour was created in 2014 by Jim Craig and friends. In its first year, the tour had 15 artists displaying their artwork, in their own studios, spread out across North Frontenac. Some of these studios reported over 200 visitors. 17 artists have signed up to display work on this year's tour and that number could grow. Hunter was hopeful that the audience for the tour will continue to expand.

“It brings people into the area. We want a lot more people to know about it this year,” Hunter said.

Hunter asked council for $750 to help create and publish 5000 brochures for the studio tour as well as to update their website. In addition, she hoped to secure funding at the county level to subsidize making signs for the tour. Council agreed to the grant request.

Proposed 5-Acre Solar Farm For Clarendon

Abundant Solar Energy Inc., an Ontario company headquartered in Toronto, has asked council to sign a letter of support for Abundant's bid to build a 500kW array of solar panels on 5 acres of land on Gutheinz Road, near the Mississippi River in Clarendon. This letter of support would help make their bid more competitive to the Independent Electricity System Operator (ISEO), the governing body who awards the contract for which they are applying.

Council deferred signing the letter until they gather more information about the project and the possible damage to roads when accessing the site during construction and maintenance.

One Person's Trash...

Local resident Mavis Wade wrote to council suggesting they look to McDonalds Corners and its “re-use” centre as a solution in diverting waste from the landfills.

Council discussed the possibility of creating a volunteer-run recycling or reuse centre in North Frontenac, similar to the one in McDonalds Corners, where residents could leave items that are still functional or useful but no longer wanted. The idea is that someone else might find a use for the item and thus prevent it from going into the landfill. The successful McDonald's Corners facility was started by volunteers but now receives some financial support from their municipality.

Council is hoping to develop a more thorough proposal with Wade and the Public Works Department to discuss its viability at a future meeting.

Dock Talk

In a discussion concerning a request from the Malcolm Ardoch Lake Association (MALA), the entire category of docks sidelined Council.

“There have been so many different directions out there. The point is we need a policy we can follow. Consistency,” Corey Klatt, the Manager of Community Development, explained. “It's frustrating for us... we don't have consistent directions.”

MALA wants to to build a small platform, at their own expense, at the Malcolm Lake boat launch Council decided to approve this dock and will draft a new public boat launch by-law.  

Mountain Grove resident petitions council for permission to keep pigs

In a delegation to council, Amy-Lynn Hole brought council's attention to a complaint lodged by a resident against the smell from pigs she is raising in a barn that is located at 1026 Mountain Grove Road. The complaint has led to an investigation by by-law officer Ken Gilpin.

Hole’s presentation included a description of the barn where the pigs are fed, watered and cleaned daily and she explained how their waste is shipped outside of the hamlet. She stated that when the by-law officer arrived to investigate, he said he did not smell anything odious. Though she did not mention how many pigs are being housed in the barn, she did say that the pigs do not run free and that she believes she and her family should be able to keep them. She referred to a council decision earlier this year allowing miniature horses and goats to be kept at a residence that is also located in a hamlet. As a member of a low-income family, she cited her difficulties paying for food, medicine, and hydro for a family of five, which includes her father, who is in the throes of stage four brain, lung and spinal cord cancer. She said the meat from the pigs goes a long way in helping her to feed her family. Hole also presented a petition with 51 signatures supporting her request to be able to keep the pigs.

In a discussion following the presentation, CAO Jim Zimmerman said that he is waiting for legal advice regarding the matter and he advised council to defer making a decision until that advice has been received. Council agreed.

Gravel and road construction tenders

Council approved Jim Zimmerman's recommendation to accept bids from Crains' Construction to supply and place gravel on 12 township roads for $200,300, and to complete the rehabilitation of Frontenac and Mill Roads for $331,546. Both bids are under the amounts budgeted for the work involved; the gravel by $45,000 and the road work by $54,000. The total savings of almost $100,000 was called a "good news story" by Zimmerman. The savings will help to allviate the $225,000 in “budget pressure” identified by Treasurer Michael McGovern earlier this spring.

40km speed reduction approved in school zone on Road 38

Council passed a motion to approve the speed limit reduction on Road 38 in Sharbot Lake where the highway extends 150 meters in both directions from the limits of land used by the Granite Ridge Education Centre between the hours of 8 a.m. And 4:30 p.m. on school days.

May 2015 Construction details

Jeremy Nevens' report to council regarding construction values showed that although the May, 2015 numbers decreased to $270,000 from $935,000 at the same time period last year, 2015's year to date numbers are up by more than $750,000 – from $1.28 million last year to just over $2 million this year. Similarly, permit fees overall are up by $12,000 from last year. Permits for a total of six new residential units have been taken out so far this year as compared to just two at this same time in 2014.

Solar (FIT) Projects: Five Delegations

The first delegate, Wolfe Erlichman, represented the Wintergreen Renewable Energy Coop, a five year old program in South Frontenac with over 150 members. He spoke briefly in general support of the development and use of solar power.

Then Bob McKean and Christina MacDonald, residents of Railton Road, close to two of the proposed solar sites near Mervale and Stagecoach Roads, said they were opposed to such an industrial development in what they described as a residential and farming area. They pointed out that the Township would get no income from a solar project, whereas the same land, turned into residential development, could be a continuing source of income. They feared a solar project would lower existing property values and stagnate growth. They asked a number of questions about ongoing maintenance and possible adverse effects of a solar project.

The next three presentations were from representatives of projects being proposed in the Township by SunEdison, Sol Force and Compass Renewable Energy Consulting Inc. The latter speaker, Dave Fowler, represented the Limestone District School Board which hopes to install rooftop panels on Perth Road Public School, Harrowsmith Public School and Sydenham High. All three spoke in general terms of their projects and showed location maps.

Part of the project development process as outlined by the Province requires the developer to hold a public meeting to provide information and answer questions. SunEdison’s meeting will be at Harrowsmith Public School Wed June 17, from 7-9 pm. Although CAO Orr will attend, none of the members of Council are required to go. The other two developers have not scheduled their meetings yet.

New Design Criteria and Standards for Development

Planner Lindsay Mills presented a 33-page document establishing minimum technical standards and the process to help guide large developments in The Township. It addresses technical requirements for infrastructure such as roads, storm sewer systems, etc for plans of subdivision or condominiums, and lists the technical studies or reports that may be necessary to support proposed development. A one-page flowchart illustrates the general process for approval of such applications.

Councillors McDougall and Sutherland both said the public should be informed as early in the process as possible: Mills said one problem was that developers wanted to have all necessary hydrogeological etc studies completed before a public meeting, so they would be better able to answer individuals’ concerns. McDougall said that when residents see surveying being done, test wells being drilled, etc, they become anxious long before an application even comes to Council. He added that poor communication between County and Township sometimes meant residents were better informed than Council about pending development projects. He also said people needed to know approximate timelines and costs for various stages of the development process.

Councillors Schjerning and Sutherland both asked that any new initiatives or additions to existing policies should be highlighted before the document comes to Council for final approval.

Revill said that from his experience as a township building official, this document should contribute to greater openness and transparency between public and council. He acknowledged the amount of work the planning department has put into developing the document.

Sydenham Water

Treasurer Fragnito presented an information report which showed, as Mayor Vandewal pointed out, that the penalty/incentive charges recently levied against non-users have succeeded in bringing 34 more water users online.

The report refers to the new water rates put into effect this month, the first increase since the plant opened. This increase is intended to help fund the upkeep and eventual replacement of the water plant, thus meeting the Provincial requirements for townships to demonstrate the long-term sustainability of their water plants. Further details are available in the agenda notes on the Township website.

Cycling

Deputy Mayor McDougall congratulated Councillor Sutherland on the success of Saturday’s bike rodeo and tours. Sutherland in turn thanked the Public Works staff and OPP for their help in making the event go smoothly and safely.

On another note, Sutherland said there was a lot of local concern about the recent Ottawa - Kingston cycle event, which had made the Perth Road dangerous for both bikes and cars as a result of cyclists riding several abreast. He and several others have talked to the Ottawa organizers about ways of ensuring future rides are better managed.

Much ado about wind

Weary members of Addington Highlands Council spent most of their council meeting on Monday (June 1) listening, and talking, about a potential wind power project in Denbigh.

Presentations in opposition to the project by Rosemary O'Connor, Alice Madigan, Dianne Isaacs, and Paul Isaac were received, and there was one in support of the project by Ed Yanch. Rosemary Oconnor presented the results of an informal referendum on the project. Of 104 ballots cast in Addington Highlands, 101 said they disapprove of the project, 2 approve of it, and 1 was undecided. From North Frontenac residents, 10 ballots were cast, of which 9 were opposed and only 1 was in favour of the project,

Alice Madigan then presented a 540 name petition opposing the project. She said that most of those who signed live in or around the hamlet of Denbigh.

Dianne Isaacs then suggested that council seek legal council concerning whether the fact that Nextera has offered to pay up to $350,000 per year for 20 years to the township only if council supports the bid and the bid is ultimately successful, constitutes acceptance of a bribe, which would make the township open to legal scrutiny. Paul Isaacs presented an excerpt from a contract that he said revealed some of the potential pitfalls of the NextEra lessee agreements. Although owners of properties where turbines are located will receive at least $7,000 per year through the 20 year life of the project, those that contain roads will receive a minimum of $2,000 per year and those with transmissions lines a minimum of $1,000 per year. Because Ontario Power Generation will be in a position to appropriate lands of those property owners who refuse to have power lines run across them, Isaacs said the township should insist that the landowners who are forced into accepting the line should receive “at least 2 or 3 times what those who are willing to have their lands used are paid.”

Councillor Bill Cox intervened as far as the contracts between Nextera and residents are concerned,
“It is not our role to intervene in private contracts entered into by residents. Where would we stop if we started meddling there?” he said,.

Finally Ed Yanch pointed out that the township stands to receive $7 million over 20 years if the project goes through, and the economic activity would bring needed work for local residents.

“In my years living here there were two other occasions this kind of Nimbyism took place. One was when the provincial government was thinking of selling off cottage lots, and the other was when Bon Echo was proposed. Both times there was opposition, but where would Addington Highlands be now without cottages on our lakes and Bon Echo Park,” he said.

Later, in the body of the Council meeting, Councillor Tony Fritsch made 5 separate motions relating to wind power proposals.

The first two were endorsed. They were that staff contact municipalities where NextEra and RES Canada (the two companies who are seeking council support for wind power project) have completed projects to find out how the process worked.

The others, that township staff contact 10% of the 60 municipalities in Ontario that are already hosting wind projects to see what their experience has been, that council prepare a 'bargaining position' prior to meeting with Res or NextEra to finalize the Community Vibrancy agreements, and that no decision on the matter be made prior to August 4th, were rejected by Council.

Council will be meeting on July 6, and that is the final meeting before NextEra needs to submit their bid, and unless a special meeting is called for later in July, the decision on NextEra will be made at that meeting. As far as RES Canada is concerned, the township has not been approached with a deadline, but the company has set up public meetings on July 2nd from 6 to 9 pm at the Denbigh Hall.

A list of questions submitted to NextEra and answers from the company are being posted on the Addington Highlands website this week. We will link to it from Frontenacnews.ca

Other matters

A picnic table is to be installed, at a maximum cost of $200, outside the Denigh library to encourage use of the free wifi at the library.

Question about dispatch in Denbigh – Councillor Kirby Thompson said that he has been approached by Denbigh Firefighters concerned that since the dispatch service has been moved to Kingston they are not receiving some calls within their territory, which are then being handled either by Plevna or Northbrook based fire departments, which are located further away. The query will be forwarded to Fire Chief Casey Cuddy.

Tenders

A tender was awarded to Danford Construction for the rehabilitation of Hughes Landing Road in the amount of $672,860. Danford was easily the lowest of four bidders. In second place was Crain's Construction at just under $1 million, followed by Greenwood ($1.17 million) and Cruikshank ($1.22 million)

The paving contract for both single and double surface treatment on various roads was awarded to Greenwood Paving at a price of $18,440 per kilometre (single surface) and $35,670 per kilometre (double surface). There were only two bids for the contract, and Greenwood’s was the lowest.

Proposed Septic Re-inspection program

In a delegation to council, members of the Septic Re-inspection Committee, Terry Kennedy and John Duschene, outlined a proposed septic re-inspection plan for the township.

The plan involve asking the existing septic haulers (the honey men) in the township to keep records and inform the township of properties owners who have and have not serviced their systems in the proposed regular 3-5 year time frame.

The estimated cost to township to maintain records and to provide the necessary licensing is approximately $6,000 per year. Property owners will be expected to pay to keep their systems properly functioning. Councilors Tom Dewey and Bill MacDonald were the first council members to congratulate the committee representatives on their work and their proposed plan, saying it is a definite step in the right direction.

Councilor Brent Cameron he praised the committee for their hard work but he said felt that the report also fell drastically short on one key point.

“It is the 2-4% of property owners you cited in your report who have systems in need of either significant repairs or total replacement that bothers me. In some cases that could cost anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000 and we live in a community where many home owners are barely hanging on. Some people will simply not be able to afford this and will be forced to leave their homes. This on the whole is a good report but it's incomplete. There is a huge hole here and I have a problem going forward with this until this fact is properly dealt with” Cameron said. The report was accepted for information and council instructed their staff to prepare a detailed report regarding the adoption of the recommendations the committee proposed.

Council approves waste management agreement with Product Care

Council approved the contract with Product Care regarding waste diversion for household hazardous waste. The agreement reimburses municipalities for schedule materials that include paints, stains, coatings, and aerosols.

K&P Trail gets councils endorsement to go ahead to Sharbot Lake

Anne Marie Young, manager of sustainability at Frontenac County got the approval of council in her request that they support the County of Frontenac's application for Canada's 150th Community Infrastructure Program for the K&P Trials extension to Tichborne and Sharbot Lake. In the motion passed by council, the township will approve the use of municipal lands required to endorse the application.

NFLT storage request denied

CAO Jim Zimmerman suggested that council not approve a request from Brian Robertson that the North Frontenac Community Theatre be allowed to store a trailer at the township yard on Wagarville Road. Zimmerman cited lack of space at the site for his recommendation, which was endorsed by council.

Proposed 150th anniversary funding options move from Parham Library to Mountain Grove

Due to specific funding deadlines in Canada's 150th anniversary infrastructure funding grants, Mayor Frances Smith proposed that council consider those particular funding options for the Mountain Grove fire hall and library stating that they “would qualify very nicely for this program more so than the proposed the Parham library. “Although this is not in the budget, given the grant deadlines, Mountain Grove fits the criteria far better than Parham,” she said.  

Zoning By-law Updated

In a brief public meeting, Planner Lindsay Mills presented four proposed ‘housekeeping’ updates to the Township’s Zoning By-law: 1) requirement for a three-metre minimum separation between all buildings on a property, primarily for fire separation: 2) inclusion of shipping containers as accessory buildings, so they cannot be placed in the front yard and could not constitute a principal building on a vacant lot: 3) Add “shipping containers’ and their other common names to the definition section, and 4) eliminate the Special Limited Service Residential-Waterfront zoning on Big Clear Lake in Bedford district, as this is more appropriately Official Plan wording and the lake is neither narrow nor highly sensitive. (Deputy Mayor McDougall pointed out that it is moderately sensitive.) There were no comments from the public, and the by-law was passed later in the meeting.

Fee for FIT (Feed-in Tariff) Program

Councillor Sutherland brought a notice of motion that the Township charge a $300. fee for each FIT (solar power farm) application they process. Council agreed.

Stop the Sale of Hydro One

Following Linda Hunter’s proposal to last week’s Committee of the Whole, Council agreed to send a letter recommending Hydro One be kept as a wholly owned public asset. McDougall noted that this may be too late, for he has heard the provincial government’s voting on the matter tomorrow.

Harrowsmith Zoning Amendment

Planner Mills recommended that Council proceed with rezoning a narrow-frontage residential lot on the Larcon property in Harrowsmith. The second part of the application which involves a lot addition to an already industrially zoned property is still unresolved, due to concerns expressed by neighbouring property owners.

If the road allowance isn’t there, can it be closed?

A proposal to close and sell (for $50,000) a portion of Township road allowance in Storrington district between lots 6&7, concession XII, was postponed until the planner can get more information. The prospective buyer’s lawyer, Peter Radley, gave a brief history of property surveys which have not shown a road allowance: “Mr Mills’ map is the only one that does show the existence of a road allowance,” said Radley. Also, before proceeding, members of Council want to view the property.

Draft Official Plan Update

Lindsay Mills presented Council the current updated version of the draft Official Plan for consideration and review. Although the Province’s stand on forbidding development in rural areas has softened, he noted three remaining areas of concern in the Province’s comments: that all private lanes must become condominium common elements; development on waterfronts must have a 120 metre setback, and any development near a waterbody would require a marine archeological study. Also, until now all land use designations have fitted on one township map, or schedule. Now, so much information is required that five schedules have been created: Land use, Environmental protection, Roads, Aggregates and Natural heritage systems.

Next steps in the official plan’s progress will be: July 13, open house presentation to the public; Aug 18, statutory public meeting; Sept 1, revised version presented to Council for adoption; September 11, submission to the Ministry for final approval.

Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program

CAO Orr asked Council for an immediate decision on a project to submit for a federal grant program which was announced May 15, with the closing deadline of June 9th. “The funding is to renovate, expand or rehabilitate community and cultural infrastructure, should be shovel-ready, but not currently in our budget. The application needs to be detailed in regard to the proposed project and its budget, and tell how it is linked to Canada’s 150th anniversary. If granted, government funding will likely cover 33.3% of the cost.” Orr managed an air of objectivity throughout this statement.

After discussion, Council agreed to propose the renovation of Storrington Centre, for an estimated total cost of $200,000.