Addington Highlands Council gets into Christmas giving mode early

Craig Bakay | Dec 09, 2020

With the business of the Denbigh landfill site’s future relegated to a special meeting earlier in the day, Addington Highlands Council’s regular (online) meeting Dec. 1 consisted mostly of housekeeping items such as approving the 2021 meeting schedule. (To which, Reeve Henry Hogg observed: “It’s assuming covid gets over soon.”)

Council did get in the spirit of Christmas giving early, approving its annual donation of $500 to Land O’Lakes Community Services for its Christmas Hamper Program.

Coun. David Miles commented that it was noted in LOL’s request letter that due to covid-19, they were anticipating more families than usual in need of help this holiday season.

Using that as an opening, Hogg suggested that since the Township wouldn’t be holding its annual Volunteer Christmas Appreciation Dinner this year, that perhaps the funds normally used for that could be split between the food banks in Cloyne and Denbigh. He also noted that usually there’s a collection taken up for the food banks at the dinner.

“That’s a good idea,” said Coun. Kirby Thompson. “This donation will go beyond Christmas and hopefully help them through the winter.”

Both Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch and Hogg volunteered that their wives were involved in the food banks but Hogg insisted “this wasn’t her suggestion, it’s mine.”

CAO/Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed said the annual Christmas dinner usually costs around $3,000.

• • •

Council approved requests for support from two Ontario municipalities asking the Province to repeal Section 6 of the Budget Measures Act (Bill 229) which restructures conservation authorities and requires their governing board to consist only of elected municipal officials.

• • •

CBO David Twiddy reported that building numbers for the year are “strong,” and that taking over septic inspection from the Health Unit could result in $40,000-$50,000 in additional revenue per year for his department.

He also said that an incident of a dog running at large in the community result in someone being bitten that sparked an investigation and several follow-up calls between himself and the Health Unit. He said the case has been resolved.

• • •

It was decided that the ice rinks in Flinton and Denbigh should be open this year, albeit with covid precautions and rink attendants in place.

“Does that mean rink attendants will be required to police mask wearing, social distancing and change room occupancy?” said Coun. David Miles.

“When the change rooms are open, the rink attendant will have to be there,” said Reeve Henry Hogg. “It’ll be like that even if we’re in the green zone and it will be awhile.

“The ice will be gone (before the measures end).”

• • •

Fire Chief Casey Cuddy reported that during the Nov. 15 storm, the radio repeater that services Denbigh was taken out.

“We had to have a firefighter there at the phone to dispatch firefighters because we couldn’t do it from Kingston,” he said. “But that only lasted until the following Tuesday and that was the only expense we incurred from the storm.”

• • •

“I’d like to comment on Jeff Green’s article in the newspaper,” said Coun. David Miles. “About how we should have moved to Green because our numbers went down.”

“Once you get moved up to yellow or higher, you have to stay there for 28 days or two testing cycles,” said CAO/Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed.