Frontenac County’s online mapping website, www.FrontenacMaps.ca, has been updated with new 2014 imagery that can be viewed down to a scale of 1:250.

“This project is another great example of collaboration between the county and townships. The county acquired the imagery for its own use and on behalf of the member townships,” says Denis Doyle, warden of Frontenac County. “We are realizing just how critically important and useful GIS is in helping us making well-informed decisions across our region; not just for land-use planning, but concerning economic development, and social services as well.”

The imagery was processed into a cached web map service for improved performance. This caching process makes the imagery very user friendly and allows for quick rendering. Ultimately, this update means the end user will be better equipped to make informed decisions.

Flown by Fugro Geospatial in April, 2014, the new imagery is the product of a partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF) and other municipalities, agencies and private sector participants.

Two other new additions to the website allow users to explore cycling routes in South Frontenac Township, and historical locations throughout the county that will open their doors on June 13 in celebration of the county’s 150th anniversary: South Frontenac Rides at www.FrontenacMaps.ca/SFCycling and Doors Open at www.FrontenacMaps.ca/DoorsOpen.

Negotations to ramp up this summer for K&P Trail

Anne Marie Young, the Manager for Economic Development at Frontenac County, reported to a meeting of Frontenac County Council last week (May 20) on the next steps in the ongoing effort to complete the K&P Traill.

She said she will be setting up meetings with property owners living along road 38 between Tichborne and Sharbot Lake.

A number of property owners have pieces of the former K&P rail line running through their property, and the county will be seeking easements to allow those sections to be upgraded and turned into publicly accessible 4 season trail. With the trail now almost completed between Orser road, at the bottom end of the county, and the hamlet of Tichborne, only that final piece remains. Once it is finished the K&P will be a link between the Cataraqui Trail which passes through Harrowsmith and the Trans Canada Trail at the trailhead in Sharbot Lake

“That section is all we have left to complete, but as Council knows it is a complicated section,” said Young. Sections of trail in the 9 kilometre stretch were sold by Canadian Pacific to the abutting property owners. Young said that she will be working with some trail supporters in the local community to help her approach those property owners to seek easements so the trail can go through.

As far as financing construction on the final section, which will cost about $500,000, she suggested that the county could apply to a recently announced federal funding program for infrastructure projects related to the 150th anniversary of Canada in 2017.

“The program has a tight time line. It was announced last Friday and the deadline for applications is June 9th” said Young.

In order to jump on the grant opportunity, Council approved a motion authorizing staff to prepare the application, and committed to funding 50% of the $500,000 cost of the project if the matching grant comes through.

Thus far, the cost of the trail, which has turned into a multi-million dollar project, has been covered through a series of grants. Some county funds, which have come through a federal gas tax rebate, have also been used, although no direct property tax dollars have gone into the project.

“I think we will have a good chance at this grant,” said Young, “after all John A. MacDonald's funeral train travelled along the K&P, so the prospect of marking the 150th anniversary by bringing that rail line back to life as a trail is something we will certainly make note of in our application.”

Ombudsman unease

In his monthly report, County Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Pender focused on the factr that the provincial ombudsman will soon be turning his focus onto the actions of municipal councils. The ombudsman, Andre Marin, currently has a staff of 22 and a budget of $11 million per year, both of which may be doubled in short order.

As of September 1st of this year, the Ombudsman's office will have the authority to investigate decisions of school boards throughout the province, and on January 1st of 2016, municipalities will be open to it's scrutiny.

“The ombudsman does not have the authority to overturn decisions of elected bodies, but by publicizing flaws in how decisions were made he can change things simply through moral suasion and public pressure,” said Pender.

Pender added that municipalities have the ability to appoint their own ombudsman, but even if they do, the provincial ombudsman will be able to over-ride the authority of any municipally appointed individual.

“In the past, ombudsman's only launched investigations after receiving a complaint, but now they can act on their own volition, based simply on media reports or their own concerns,” he said.

“This is being presented by you as a threat,” said a member of Council.

“I would not characterize it as a threat, so much, but I think Council should be aware that the world around us is changing and you would better be ready to change. I would suggest in my 30 years in the municipal world there hasn't been a widespread abuse of transparency, but council members may indeed face increased oversight.”

Items that council members, both at the county and the township level, need to be concerned with, according to Pender, is that the content of phone calls and emails are within the purview of the ombudsman.

Aspects of Council decision-making that sometimes raise concerns are conversations between council members that take place outside of official meetings, and whether in-camera meetings always take place for legitimate reasons.

Absenteesim at Fairmount Home continues to raise concerns

The monthly absenteeism report, which was initiated under the former Council over concerns about sick time among staff at Frontenac Paramedic Services, is now showing a large increase in sick time at Fairmount Home.

During the first four months of 2015, absenteeism is up by 44% over the same time period in 2014, which itself was 12% higher than the winter of the previous year. In 2013, between January and April, 2934 hours were lost to sick time. That number rose to 3305 in 2014, and jumped to 4783 this winter.

Steve Silver, the interim administrator of Fairmount, said that he will be looking at the situation with his staff.

Councillor John McDougall asked whether the monthly absenteeism reports could be augmented with some more contextual information.

“The numbers don't tell the whole story,” he said, referring to the fact that, for example, Fairmount was hit with a flu outbreak this winter, which may explain some of the increase in sick time.

“Colleen Hickey [Manager of Human Resources] has been working on a new version of the absenteeism report which we expect to have available for the June meeting. Hopefully, Council will find it more helpful,” said Kelly Pender.

Meanwhile, absenteeism at Frontenac Paramedic Services is down by 16% for the first 4 months of 2015 as compared to 2014.

Joe versus the ministry

Manager of Planning Services Joe Gallivan said that he expects that by the June meeting he will have received the Ministry of Municipal Affairs detailed response to the 1st ever Frontenac County Official Plan, which was submitted for ministry approval late last year

“Judging from the ministry response to the Lennox and Addington Official, I'm not optimistic. That response is long, detailed, and prescriptive, which is what we are afraid will happen in our case as well,” said Gallivan.

He added that on some of the key issues, particularly permitting new lot creation on private roads under clearly defined conditions, County Council has given him direction to make the case to the ministry and to the Ontario Municipal Board, if necessary.

The ministry is expected to insist that new lot creation be restircted to pubcli roads, except in cases where either a plan of subdivision or a plan of vacant land condominium is undertaken by the applicant.

Gallivan pointed out that 60% of properties in Frontenac County were developed on private roadways. He then said that a $60,000 study the county has recently completed demonstrates the viability of private roads in the county, and that changes in the new Provincial Policy Statement which favour the counties' position have all given him confidence in the stance the county is taking.

“If as I now expect, this does go to the OMB, we will be prepared to make a very strong case,” he concluded.

Parking Restrictions Proposed for Sydenham

Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth unveiled a map showing proposed parking restrictions for the village of Sydenham. He said that the current village parking by-law needs to be brought up to date. It presently does not address some of the current conflicts such as; parking on both sides of streets so narrow that traffic is reduced to one-lane, overnight on street parking in the winter and cars parking with two wheels on the sidewalk in front of the bank, post office and High School. Segsworth recommended the next step be a public open house for village residents to view and comment on the proposals. Councillor Schjerning asked whether parking restrictions could be suspended for specific events such as Canada Day and the Bubba Bowl. Segsworth said that although that was a possibility, the first step for events would be to maximize the village potential for off-road parking. There was general agreement that although there were parking concerns in other areas of the Township, it would be best to concentrate on one area at a time.

Waste Diversion Rates

Defining waste diversion as “the process of diverting waste from landfills”, Segsworth listed a number of ways this could be accomplished: blue box recycling, household composting, use of hazardous waste disposal site, bottle deposit returns, e-waste and bale wrap. Waste Diversion Ontario calculates a percentage diversion rate by comparing the weight of diverted matter to the total weight of waste, both garbage and recycling. Presently the Township has only estimates of landfill garbage, so our estimated diversion rates have varied widely from year to year. Segsworth hopes this can be much more accurately calculated once the new weigh scales at Portland waste site come into use. In Storrington district, where all waste weights are available, the diversion rate comes out at 23%. Segsworth added that there is certainly room for improvement in in the Township’s diversion rate.

Multi Year Roads Plan

Segsworth presented a draft five-year roads plan, subdivided into arterial roads, bridges, villages, local roads and local upgrades. He said it was by necessity a ‘living document’, open to change depending on current needs and funding. However, it gives an overall plan to inform councillors faced with questions from residents about specific road issues, and a roads budget plan.

Reduced Road Speeds

A number of requests for road speed reductions have been reviewed using the Council endorsed TAC automatic Speed Limit Guidelines analysis tool. Final speed limit recommendations have been modified in some cases to conform with current speed limits, for roads within villages and to maintain uniformity of road segments. If approved by Council, this will reduce speeds on twenty road segments. Details of recommendations are in the agenda notes for this meeting, on the Township website.

Hartington Brownfields

Segsworth reported that work is progressing well at this task: only the northwest corner of the property still needs more investigation.

Delegation

Lindsay Hunter proposed Council consider a resolution to stop the sale of any part of Hydro One to private interests. Her presentation was unusually clear, focussed and succinct.  

Once again I attended a council meeting of North Frontenac Township and just like most township meetings, council made no decisions and everything was deferred to another meeting or behind closed doors.

Once again the mayor had to refer to the chief admin officer (CAO) and staff for direction and guidance. The citizens of North Frontenac voted for a change last year so we can get a new perspective on dealing with issues and finding resolutions to problems that meets the community’s needs. Understandably the mayor is not up to speed on all the issues of the community and relies on township staff for guidance. So I asked you what has changed. The ship is still being steered in the same direction using the same old tired processes for resolving community issues.

How do we change this to shock the system to look at change? Very easy.

We have many townships in this area and let’s do what any good corporation would do to move forward...Let’s rotate positions, like the CAO positions, so we can get a different viewpoint and not remain stuck in the past – which has not been working as communities grow and needs change. Change can be hard and scary but it also can be a learning experience for everyone and often leads to innovative and new solutions. Some of the benefits of changing personnel in townships:

1. Familiarity among council, staff and residents. People get familiar with one another in close knit communities including township personnel and stop looking closely at all the facts on issues. It is often difficult to go against the stream when the people live next to each other. However, township staff is hired to do a job, to give advice, make recommendations and run the administration of the township – not to make major decisions that concern communities. That’s council’s job to make those hard decisions when communities grow and change.

2. Staff morale. Staff might find change in employment brings innovation and a different perspective of their roles.

3. Residents might be happy to talk to someone with another view on how to solve problems that are taking years to resolve or to make a decision.

A very small road in the Norcan Lake area that had started construction five years ago is still not completed because of the township’s desire to not make decisions. I do believe the bridge to Prince Edward Island took less time. Everyone is tired of hearing about it but the township still spends time discussing, directing more engineering reports and studies. What a waste of taxpayers’ money!

The CAO role would benefit with expanding his or her knowledge on how things are being dealt with in other areas. Hands on learning and current knowledge is a bonus for everyone and would shift CAOs from the position of no change is good for everyone. It isn’t always about saving money. Things change, communities grow and the new requirements have to be addressed by the township.

We cannot keep referring back to what happened ten to twenty years ago. We must learn to accept situations that have changed and deal with it. I can tell you that my property tax bill grows (changes) every year and services and support remains the same. Funny how that happens.

Thank you for listening from a resident of North Frontenac.

Norcan Lake Lane comes back to haunt NF council again

After passing a motion in January that bans council members and township staff from talking to anyone - the press, the public at large, and those directly involved - about the ill-fated Canalodge subdivision on Norcan Lake, residents from two previous subdivisions that were put up by the same developer on the same lake came to council this week.

And once again the name of the developer behind all three subdivisions, David Hill, was at the centre of a dispute.

Gord Hawley, the president of the Norcan Lake Cottagers' Association, which represents the owners of 27 properties that share responsibility for the upkeep of a three-season laneway, Norcan Lake Lane, requested that the township take over the maintenance of the lane.

Hawley pointed out that 10 years ago when the property owners with frontage on the lane signed the deeds to their property, which committed them to paying their share for its upkeep, they were not informed that the lane would become an access road for properties further along the road and to a popular lake as well.

“It was not a through road when we signed the deeds, but it is now. Yesterday, which was a holiday Monday, over 300 vehicles went by my property, on a road that I personally pay to maintain. Since the township gets the benefit from the traffic, and the benefit from the taxes from the 27 property owners on the lane, the township should pay for minimal maintenance on the lane,” said Hawley.

He also pointed out that the five largest properties on the lane are still owned by the developer, David Hill, who has not paid his share to the association.

“We took him to court and we won, but we do not expect we will see any money from him,” said Hawley.

He then added that a number of members of the Norcan Lake Association are now refusing to pay, and the association will likely fold at the end of this season.

“I expect I will be the last president of this association. I don't se how we can survive if we don't have enough money to cover the grading that needs to be done and the gravel that the road needs,” said Hawley.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Norcan Lane is part of the route for the spring and fall Ompah Community Association ATV runs, and a promise by the association to grade the corners of the road after last year's spring run was never followed up on.

A number of council members said they were concerned about setting a precedent by taking on responsibility for a private laneway, but Councilor Denis Bedard said there are already precedents.

“We maintain Arcol Road; we maintain Sunday Lake Drive; we maintain the Mosque Lake Road. We have made decisions in the past to provide something for those residents; why not these? It is not winter maintenance they are asking for, just what is needed to make the road passable for three seasons.”

“We will be considering a report on maintenance on private roads later in the meeting. Let's look at this when we consider that report,” said Councilor Wayne Good.

Mayor Ron Higgins said that he would be in favour of approving a one-time $2,000 grant to the Norcan Lake Association to get them through this year. "That will give us time to consider our public works manager's report and come up with something for next year's budget cycle.”

The rest of Council did not agree and the $2,000 proposal was rejected.

Later in the meeting, the report on the unmaintained roads maintenance policy, written by Public Works Manager Jim Phillips, was presented to Council. It considered five different roads, including Norcan Lane, and went into detail about the history and state of repair of the road.

“An inspection of Norcan Lake Lane was recently conducted on April 24, 2015, at which time the condition of the road was found to be in fairly good condition, similar to the condition found two years ago and noting that the road had not yet been graded this year ... In fact this road was in better condition than many of the gravel roads maintained by the township ..." the report concluded.

The report said that the township is facing a cost of $300,000 overall in order to keep its network of gravel roads in good repair, and does not have that amount of money available. Adding additional roads would only add to that shortfall.

Although Council did not speak directly to the request for support from the Norcan Lake Association, it accepted Phillips' report as written, putting the matter on the shelf for now.

Snow Road Community Centre – Council will allow the Snow Road Community Centre Committee to do some further work at the centre, including painting the bathroom and putting in a horseshoe pit on the grounds.

Crotch Lake Cleanup – the clean-up of Ardoch Road by members of the Crotch Lake Association was approved for next month, with the township providing some gear for the use of the volunteers.

Tay Valley poaches another Frontenac County municipal professional – Angela Millar, the treasurer of North Frontenac, has left the township's employ to take up the treasurer's job in Tay Valley, where she will start working on June 1.

Millar joins former Central Frontenac Chief Administrative Officer Larry Donaldson at the Harper Road headquarters of Tay Valley.

“I am originally from that area,” said Millar, adding that she went to school at Glen Tay Public School, which is located next to the Tay Valley Township Office.

North Frontenac Council thanked Millar for her efforts on their behalf, and wished her well in the future.

Q: When Could a Tagged Bag of Garbage Cost $20 ?

A: When you bring it to the Loughborough or Portland waste sites: there you will be charged the minimum dumping rate, even if it’s just one bag.

May 5th, councillors Sleeth and Robinson brought a notice of motion that tagged bags of garbage should be accepted at all Township waste sites. “Why should we pay twice, once in our taxes, and again at the dump?” asked Sleeth.

Public Works Manager Segsworth didn’t mince words. “It’s critical that Council knows staff’s view: we feel very strongly that it’s taking a step backward, to accept tagged bags at Loughborough and Portland. We can’t afford to extend alternatives for the convenience of a few. We’re not sitting on the fence in this one.” Residents can dispose of tagged bags for no extra fee at Green Bay, Bradshaw and Salem waste disposal sites: Green Bay is open Sunday afternoons for the convenience of weekend cottagers. Segsworth said that the three Bedford area sites no longer accept any other types of waste.

Deputy Mayor McDougall agreed with Segsworth, saying that while increased efficiencies at the waste sites were originally a contentious issue, there seems to now be a lot more acceptance of the current system which provides weekly curbside pickup for all Township households on public roads and helps provide end-of-lane bins and bear-proof containers.

Councillor Sutherland said he appreciated the vast improvements in the waste disposal system, but asked whether the Township could offer a year’s trial at permitting tagged bags at all sites.

Mayor Vandewal said that many of the residents who opposed curbside pickup now seemed to appreciate it; “It could create more problems if we went back now. I don’t think we should ignore our staff.”

The motion to change the system was strongly defeated.

Trailers, Licensed and Otherwise

The (twice extended) time period to comply with the Township’s 2004 prohibition of the use of trailers on private residential lots expires Dec 2015. Following a lengthy discussion at last week’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Council still could not provide a clear resolution to this long-running saga.

Issues raised included: lack of ongoing public health enforcement, replacement of old trailers with new ones, new trailers still appearing on new lots without licences or enforcement, the cost of enforcement, the need to deal decisively with the trailer issue, and the social implications of removing trailers where people live in them as a year-round residence.

Based on Council’s discussions and the reduction of the numbers of licensed trailers over the past few years, CAO Orr drew up a compromise recommendation with the following points: extend the compliance date for the prohibition of licensed trailers on private residential property to December 31, 2019; ask the Health Unit to reinspect the current 81 licensed trailers to ensure waste disposal systems are in compliance with environmental regulations, before their licences can be renewed; direct bylaw enforcement services to proactively enforce the prohibition of unlicensed trailers, and advise in writing all current trailer license holders of this change.

A motion to accept this recommendation passed without discussion.

New Leaf Link Support

Council agreed with Corporate Services Committee’s recommendation of a one-time transitional grant of $3,980 to New Leaf Link to assist their relocation to a more accessible site. Councillors Sutherland and Schjerning said that although they agreed with the grant, they both saw this as a Provincial responsibility. Deputy Mayor McDougall agreed, but also suggested that it was possible that Frontenac County might be able to offer some transportation help for the group.

Applewood Resort

Council passed a bylaw permitting a revision to the Applewood site plan agreement that will permit the developer to build four rental units on the property (presently zoned Recreational Resort Commercial), where he is proposing a condominium development.  

We all have fire extinguishers in our home, but how many of us know whether they would work in an emergency, or if we would know how to use them under the stress of an actual fire. If you are like me, you don’t get around to having them inspected very often. Last summer I had an opportunity to try one out at an event put on by the Snow Road Fire Department. A controlled fire was set, and I was handed an extinguisher to try and put it out. You would think this was a straightforward task, but I assure you it wasn’t. I had to be helped to figure out how to get the extinguisher to deliver its foam, and then how to approach the fire to actually put it out. I’m very glad I had the experience, in case I ever do have to use any of my home fire extinguishers.

On June 6, at the Ompah Community Centre, you will have the opportunity to have all of your home fire extinguishers checked by a professional, and to have them recertified, or fixed if necessary. Inspections will be done by Glenna Shanks from Perth Fire Extinguisher Service. She will be at the Community Centre from 9am to 12 noon. Eric Korhonen, Fire Prevention Officer for the North Frontenac Fire Department, will also be there with his fire extinguisher training set-up, so that you can get some first-hand experience using fire extinguishers. There will be a small fee for having your extinguishers inspected (repairs or recharging will also have fees).

At the second public information meeting regarding the proposed $1.2 to $1.5 million revitalization of the village of Bellrock, which was held at the community hall on May 7, South Frontenac public works manager Mark Segsworth highlighted the proposed design for close to 30 residents who attended the meeting.

The proposed plan, which was designed by the Greer Galloway Group of Kingston, has numerous aims. It addresses drainage issues in the village and includes the resurfacing of a number of roads with asphalt and the construction of sidewalks on Mill Street, First Lake and Levesque Roads.

To address residents' concerns about speed and safety issues on First Lake Road, the road will be reshaped and de-hilled and a four-way stop will also be put in at the intersection of First Lake Road and Mill Street. According to Segsworth the plan is “consistent with the village revitalization that we have done in Battersea and Perth Road Village and it meets our goals of trying to build for the future.”

Prior to the meeting Segsworth said that suggestions and concerns raised by residents at the first public meeting, which took place in February this year, were considered and addressed. Property owners at that time were mainly concerned about the proximity of the new resurfaced roads to the houses and the costs and necessity of new sidewalks.

The design includes an urban cross section (new curbs and gutters) on First Lake Road and Mill Street. The drainage and standing water issues will be addressed by constructing a number of ditches and swales, and will require that the township acquire some private property and easements on three separate pieces of property located in the village.

Segsworth said that he is hoping to finalize the plan and put it up for tender in the next few weeks. This year's budget has socked away $600,000 towards the costs of the project and another $600,000 will be put into next year's budget. Construction is expected to get underway after Labour Day this year and the expected completion date is in the summer of 2016.

Some of the concerns raised by residents at the meeting included the cost of maintaining the sidewalks in the winter and whether the micro blasting needed at a few locations in the village would affect local wells. Segsworth took note of a number of other concerns, including replacing trees that need to be removed. A total of 11 private properties in the village would be directly affected by the project, some by as little as one metre.

Long Swamp Bridge

A second public meeting held at the hall immediately following the first focused on a number of proposed alternatives as to how to deal with the dilapidated bridge on Long Swamp Road just south of the village. The bridge is one of 52 bridge structures in the township. It has been deemed unsafe because its decking is insecure and it sits under water for at least one month each spring. It is part of a class 6 road that sees just 50 vehicles daily. It was established at the meeting that the road is primarily used by residents in the summer and winter months. Residents voiced their opposition to removing the bridge and thereby closing the road since they said that the road offers quicker access to their homes while providing a direct link to commerce and services in Verona for residents from outlying areas. It is also an important detour route when Highway 38 is closed. The road is used by emergency service vehicles and the bridge is used recreationally by residents for fishing and as a put in.

Troy Steele and David Bonsall, engineers from Wills Engineering in Kingston who were hired by township staff to propose the alternatives for dealing with the bridge, outlined four options, none of which Segsworth said would be undertaken for four or five years. These options included doing nothing; removing the bridge and closing the road; rehabilitating the bridge; or replacing it.

The “do nothing” option, while it has no immediate costs, poses future liability issues since the bridge would eventually become unsafe. The second option, to remove the bridge, would cost approximately $50,000, but was the option least popular with residents as it would close the road.

Replacing the bridge at an estimated capital cost of $400,000 would resolve all issues best, but it is by far the most expensive of the four options.

The residents at the meeting seemed most supportive of rehabilitation. At an estimated capital cost of $150,000, the rehabilitation option also address safety issues and would increase the bridge's load bearing capacity likely to 10 tons, though it would require ongoing maintenance.

Segsworth seemed pleased with the input he received, but added, “This not going to happen anytime soon but we are wanting to know which way area residents are leaning as far as the alternatives go.”

by Jonathan Davies

It was by all accounts a record turnout at Frontenac County's Sustainability Breakfast on May 8 at the Grace Centre in Sydenham. Interested citizens, representatives from each of the county's municipal councils, as well as people engaged in issues ranging from watershed management, social housing, services for the disabled, and agriculture, to name a few, took the opportunity to learn from presenters and network with potential partner organizations.

The event, hosted annually to celebrate the diverse contributions across Frontenac's communities towards sustainability, is part of the implementation of the county's Sustainability Plan, Directions for Our Future.

Desert Lake Gardens supplied a delicious meal, which included a range of locally-sourced products.

Local food – an issue prioritized in the plan - would be discussed over the course of the morning, along with sustainable agriculture and watershed stewardship, but sustainability, in the context of the plan, goes beyond what usually comes to mind – matters of land, water, and air – and includes social and cultural dimensions.

The priorities identified for 2015, for example, include a focus on low-impact tourism, the restoration of ecologically-minded farming, and supporting lake water quality, but the Official Plan also includes issues such as transportation and access to affordable housing, particularly for seniors.

“Sustainability Plans are often thought of as being about green energy and energy conservation, and the social and cultural pillars can quickly be forgotten,” notes Alison Vandervelde, communications officer with the County and organizer of the breakfast. She also points out that the content discussed over the course of the morning is evidence that the community has taken to this broader view of sustainability, as cultural and environmental issues seemed to receive equal focus.

While the county leads the discussions around Directions for Our Future, the process is not one of top-down directives but of community-coordinated initiatives. As Vandervelde points out, many projects are led by townships, community groups, or a combination of these, along with direction from the county itself. Within the past five years, projects have included a para-medicine pilot project in Marysville; a seniors' housing pilot project, and the subsequent establishment of council's Seniors Housing Task Force; and funding for a variety of “Small-Scale Community Funding Initiatives,” which have focused in part on infrastructure such as trails, bridges and hydrants.

Susan Hall, vice-president and partner at LURA, a collaborative planning consultancy, spoke to the full hall about her experience working with counties and municipalities across Ontario and in other parts of Canada. Her presentation, entitled “Sustainability 2.0,” focused on the need for local governments and their partners in sustainability to step away from “silo-style decision making” and find ways of collaborating effectively. She also stressed the importance of having key people involved in projects who are connected to those with the power to make decisions.

She noted that while shared resources and financial benefits are key to effective collaborations, of equal importance is having opportunities to network with and learn from potential and existing partner organizations and citizens. Furthermore, in order to be effective, those charged with addressing sustainability need not only to identify issues that are most relevant to the community's needs, but also to engage the public with the right message and the right media.

Engagement efforts appear to have been well-received in Frontenac County if attendance at Friday's event are any indication. Two opportunities the county provides for public consultation, beyond the Sustainability Breakfast, are a fall workshop, where the community's input is gathered to help inform the following year's priorities, and monthly Sustainability Advisory Committee meetings, where members of the public may present on issues they would like the committee to consider.

Volunteer Septic Re-inspection Program

The volunteer septic program will be available to property owners on Big Clear Lake and Silver Lake this year, at a cost of $6000 to the township. Of those lake associations wanting to offer the program to their members, Silver Lake was chosen because it is defined as an at-capacity trout lake, highly sensitive to pollutants and Big Clear Lake because it has a high density of structures. Crow Lake is the last at-capacity lake in the township that has yet to be offered the program.

Council approves tandem snow plow truck purchase: Council approved CAO Jim Zimmerman’s recommendation for the purchase of a tandem snow plow trick from Oakes Truck sales at a cost of $222,650. The truck will replace the township's truck # 4, a 2000 Ford Sterling Tri-axle.

No decreased speed limit on Road 38 near Evergreen Road: Council agreed with CAO Zimmerman's recommendation to leave the 80 km speed limit in place on Road 38 from Evergreen Road to 100 metres north of the Hydro One transmission facility at Hinchinbrooke. Zimmerman was instructed by council to look into the matter and found after referencing Book 6 of the Ontario traffic manual that reducing the speed to 60km/hour would “be problematic”.

“This highway has been designed for speeds of 80km/hour and the request does not comply with the Ontario traffic manual recommendations,” he said. He added, “If we reduced the speed limit there we would have to look at all areas where school buses pick up kids along 38 and in our township that would be somewhat problematic." In lieu of reducing the speed limit, the CAO recommended additional brushing in that area to improve sight lines. This was approved by council.

Councilor Dewey asks to see the numbers

Councilor Tom Dewey requested that council be able to see financial reports from recreation committees in order to see what monies are going in and out. He cited the model that the Heritage Festival uses in their annual reports. Council passed a motion requesting staff to look into the matter.

Delegations: Catherine Tysick of Northern Frontenac Community Services and David Townsend of Southern Frontenac Community Services spoke to council about new shared initiatives between the two organizations. The first addresses the homeless population in North, South and Central Frontenac townships through a Homelessness Prevention program, and the Housing First and Rapid Re-housing programs. With extra funding there are now two staff members instead of one who are providing support to the homeless populations in all three townships. Townsend cited that in 2014 SFCS dealt with 216 households in imminent threat of losing their homes, and NFCS has identified a further 30 from Central Frontenac and 12 from North Frontenac.

“In rural areas the homeless population tends to be 'invisible' and this initiative will help,” he said.

The second initiative is the expansion of the Hospice Palliative Care program. Funding has expanded this service from one to five days a week to benefit clients in South, Central and North Frontenac. The program offers a volunteer hospice service coordination, bereavement support, outreach volunteer training and administrative support and better connects the local health care professionals with clients in need in their communities.

Crow Lake sign trials

Council was hesitant initially to approve Karen Lahey's requests for a series of community signs to be placed on existing township signs located at the entrance and exit points of Crow Lake Village. The new signs, which were a project of Villages Beautiful, include the following wording: “Welcome to our beautiful community: please slow down and enjoy the view”.

Lahey is hoping that the signs will slow traffic on Crow Lake Road, which she said is an issue that she has been concerned about for years.

The concern raised by a number of councilors as well by CAO Zimmerman was primarily that an approval would allow anyone to make a similar request. Currently the township has no set criteria for signage and a policy would require some definite guidelines.

Zimmerman said, “I would caution council that once you allow private signs to be placed within a right of way, that opens the issue up to everyone who might want to follow suit and it would very difficult to determine what signs are appropriate and what signs are not.” He added that the signs would also need to be maintained.

Lahey said that she would be happy to put up and take down the signs herself and that as a last resort, she would place them on private property. After much discussion considering a future official signage policy, Councilor Brent Cameron said Lahey's request should be approved because the signs seem to be in keeping with township ideals. Council approved the Crow Lake signage conditionally for 2015.

Delegation re approval of Small Fit application

Rob Hitchcock of Abundant Solar Energy Inc. requested on behalf of a client that council support an IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator) application for a 500KW solar ground mount project offered through the Small Fit Solar program on a property located in Hinchinbrooke on Wilkinson Road. Council hesitated and CAO Zimmerman said he has been getting lots of similar requests for support since the IESO deadline for applications is July 13. Zimmerman pointed out that council has two options regarding this and other IESO requests. They could either approve the applications by a blanket resolution or else look at each project individually. He advised council “to be cautious”, citing his concern about ensuring there is a public consultation process for renewable energy projects.

”Property owners might not want to look at solar panels so I would be cautious of approving these projects without public consultation,” he said.

Zimmerman then asked Hitchcock if it was possible to approve the application with conditions. Hitrchcock replied that the IESO “sees things in black and white” and that an approval has to be either yes or no. Councilor Bill MacDonald said he would consider approving the application “only if a public meeting were held first”. Council in the end passed a motion receiving the information and requested that staff look into the matter further.

Council gets tough on back taxes owed

CAO Zimmerman said that council needs to maintain consistency in its approaches to the payment of back taxes. Mayor Frances Smith said, “There is a process already in place and Treasurer McGovern deals with it. He is given the authority to negotiate with the property owner where he can and I don’t think people need to come to us to see if we are going to change the rules.”

Parham library branch update

CAO Zimmerman informed council that the Kingston Frontenac Public Library CEO received a call from the Limestone District School Board (LDSB) indicating that there is a possibility of extending the branch's stay in the existing portable. The LDSB expects the township to pick up any ongoing incidental costs of running the facility after June 1. Zimmerman then handed out proposed draft floor plans for a new Parham Fire Station/ Community Centre, which included a 1000 square foot section that could house a self-contained library facility if the costs fall within the budget or if council approves additional funding for it.

Other news and business

Mayor Frances Smith congratulated Treasurer Michael McGovern on graduating with an AMCTO diploma in municipal administration

Councilor Jamie Riddell spoke of upcoming meetings with Utilities Kingston and Xplornet Internet in the hopes of bringing improved internet services to the Mountain Grove area.

Additional property has been purchased for the Hinchinbrooke fire hall.