South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal has written to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Steve Clark, about the township’s frustration over not having a member sitting on the government benches even though the Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston riding voted for the winning party in the most recent election.

“South Frontenac has waited patiently for an opportunity to have a Member of the Provincial Parliament sitting in government and following the provincial election, we had hopes that our years of educating, communicating and lobbying on behalf of South Frontenac’s unique needs would lead to improved opportunities for South Frontenac.

“With the recent decision to remove Mr. Hillier from caucus, the township is now at a loss as to how to regain our footing and best move forward the concerns and needs we have diligently been pursuing. Vandewal wrote to Clark.

Vandewal, noting that Clark represents a neighbouring riding, Leeds Grenville – Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, then asked his advice on how the township may “best advance” its concerns and needs, before requesting a meeting at the Minister’s convenience.

South Frontenac Council has long complained that they have little success when seeking grants for infrastructure projects, due in part to the positive financial position that the township enjoys and, apparently, because it has not had a representative at Queen’s Park pushing its interests.

The most daunting project the township is facing is the reconstruction of Road 38, its busiest arterial road, which has not seen major work in over 20 years. The section of Road 38 that runs through Central Frontenac, was rebuilt in 2006, thanks in part to a $4 million federal-provincial grant that was secured earlier that year.

Co-incidentally or not, the MPP representing Frontenac at that time was Leona Dombrowsky, a cabinet minister in the McGuinty government. At a ceremony marking the $4 million grant, Dombrowsky pointed to the persistence of the township’s lobbying efforts.

“I’ve been hearing about Hwy. 38 and its reconstruction needs since before I was first elected,” said Minister Dombrowsky at the time.

Things were just a little bit different at the regular Addington Highlands Council meeting meeting in Flinton this week.

First of all, Council was missing Reeve Henry Hogg and Dep. Reeve Helen Yanch. So, at the insistence of Coun. Kirby Thompson and Bill Cox, Coun. Tony Fritsch took the chair.

“I’ve done it before, it’s good experience,” Cox to Fritsch.

Then, CAO/Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed had some news.

“We’re finding ourselves in a little bit of a new situation for us,” she said. “Normally, our building department has operated at a loss.

“But in 2017, we made some changes to policies and became more pro-active with building permits.”

The bottom line is that the building department took in $156,000 in revenues, she said.

After expenses, that left $54,748 to go into a new building department reserve.

“Of course, that can only be used by the building department,” she said.

Guido’s on the move
Stephanie Morrisett, who operated Guido’s Gourmet Grub, a chip wagon at the Shell station for several years, came to Council to ask if business licence fees could be waved or reduced.

“I had to move from the Shell and then the Kaladar Community Centre asked if I could set up there,” she said. “I have five employees and I know the Community Centre could use the rent.”

Morrisett originally asked if the $1,200 zoning change application fee could be reduced or waived. But CAO/Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed said that it was likely the zoning wouldn’t have to be changed other than having add a site-specific change to allow the chip truck.

However, Reed wanted to check with the solicitor to ensure anything they intended to do wasn’t contrary to the Municipal Act.

Morrisett said she’d already contacted the MTO to make sure she’d be well back of the 40 feet from the roadway requirement.

Morrisett said she’s looking at opening at the beginning of May or “the long weekend at the latest.”

Sand supplies
Roads/bridges supervisor Brett Reavie told Council that while winter operations are continuing, they should have enough sand on hand.

“It could be touch and go but we can get more if we need it,” he said.

Reavie also received Council’s permission to remove some toppled trees in Kaladar Park.

“There are some toppled trees there that are really leaning,” he said. “One neighbour offered to cut them down but because they’re on our property, I think the Township should be the ones to cut them down.

“Toppled trees don’t typically last long and this is a good time to take them down when the ground’s still frozen because we won’t damage the park.”

Contaminated properties
Council voted to support the City of Cornwall’s resolution calling on the Ontario government to implement reforms that would encourage the remediation of abandoned contaminated properties.

“Our municipality has been stuck with contaminated properties before,” said Coun. Tony Fritsch. “You never know.”

“When people read all this in the paper, they’ll think we actually got something done today,” said Coun. Bill Cox.

Loughborough Lake Holiday Park (LLHP) owner Del Vezeau is ecstatic over Mr. Justice Hurley’s rejection of South Frontenac Township’s request for an injunction on music concerts and weddings at the park.

“I’m pleased, yeah,” Vezeau said after receiving written conformation of the judge’s ruling last week. “I love the way this guy (Hurley) writes.”

The Township had sought an injunction on concerts and weddings at the park, contending that they contravened its zoning bylaw.

One such concert is the annual Canadian Guitar Festival that brings world-class acts to the Township and one that Council has supported in the past.

Hurley made the following “declaration.”

“I do not believe that an injunction in the terms sought by the applicant (the Township) is appropriate at this stage. The impugned functions have been irregular and there is no allegation that (LLHP) has failed to comply with the bylaw in any other way.

“South Frontenac has supported the Canadian Guitar Festival and it appears that the neighbouring landowners do not object to it. If I was to grant the injunction requested by South Frontenac, this event could no longer take place. The municipality is free to decline an exemption under the noise bylaw for it but I do not want to, in effect, tie its hands by issuing a permanent injunction at this time.

“This does not mean that an injunction would not be granted should (LLHP) contraene the bylaw in the future or fail to abide by the declaration I have made. If that happens, South Frontenac will be at liberty to bring another application or seek a contempt order.”

“The way I read it, as long as I don’t turn this place into a mini-Woodstock, I’m good to go,” Vezeau said. “And I’m not going to do that.

“I don’t want to do anything different than I have been. This is a campground first and while music is recreation, this was never going to be a concert hall in a field somewhere. Without the campground, I have no business.”

Vezeau said the park has a rule that all music shuts down at 11 p.m. whether there’s a concert on or just around a campfire.

“This (action) has cost me money but I’m not bitter and I’m not smug about winning,” Vezeau said. “I just want to work with the municipality and I hope this doesn’t turn into some acrimonious feud.

“I’d like to sit down with Council and discuss how to do business in this township.

“I may even run for Council in the fall.

“I knew I was right but I wasn’t sure I’d win.

“Group hug.”

The Township declined to comment on the matter.

Central Frontenac Council passed a motion to declare the old Parham Fire Surplus and approved it being listed for sale at its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon in Sharbot Lake.

The motion came as a part of a proposal from Fire Chief Greg Robinson who, in his report, proposed that the “net proceeds of the sale be transferred to the fire reserve account.”

The old Parham station was replaced with a new fire station in 2016 and the old one is currently used as a warehouse for fire equipment.

However, Robinson said that the fire department has two surplus stations in Mountain Grove and the one by the rink could be used for storage as well as continue as change room for the rink. He acknowledged that there are some recreational materials in the building but the Facilities Manager assured him that they are rotting skateboard park items that will be disposed of or relocated by Facilities.

“We have received serious interest from two parties that want to purchase the old station,” Robinson said in his report.

However, there are two potential problems with a sale of the property.

The property has two neighbours, one a residential property directly west and the Township itself in conjunction with the Parham Agricultural Society on the other two sides. The property in question is directly adjacent to the fairgrounds.

In his report, Robinson said “the land severance will be about half an acre and will not impact the fairground.

Three councilors (Tom Dewey, Bill MacDonald and John Purdon) all pointed out that under the Official Plan, the minimum lot size in Central Frontenac is 1.25 acres.

Robinson said that the entrance to the fairgrounds could be moved in order to comply with the minimum lot size requirements but Coun. Phillip Smith, who is the treasurer for the Ag Society said it was the first he’d heard of the entrance being moved.

The other issue is that there is a well on the property that is used by the ball fields. Robinson said that one of the interested parties said they didn’t use much water and would be prepared to let the fairgrounds/ ball fields continue to draw water from the property. If someone else wanted to buy it, Robinson said “we’d have to drill another well” for the ball fields to use.

It is conceivable that the neighbours to the west might want to add the property to their own but in any other scenario, there is a lot of process to happen before the property could be sold including a survey, addition of property from the fairgrounds (either by moving the entrance or taking some from the children’s play area), determination of fair market value and quite likely a zoning change, depending on what the new owners might want to use it for.

Former Coun. John Purdon was sworn in to replace the departed Jamie Riddell around the Council table. Riddell was also at the meeting in his capacity as Dep. Fire Chief and wished Purdon luck “considering the size of the shoes you have to fill.”

South Frontenac won’t be appealing an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) Ruling that struck down its Zoning Bylaw (Bylaw 2016-36) in its entirety earlier this month, Council decided at its regular meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham.

Emerging from a closed meeting with its legal representation, Council tendered a motion to appeal the OMB ruling but it was defeated 5-4 (Coun. Norm Roberts, Mark Schjerning, Ron Sleeth, Ross Sutherland and Mayor Ron Vandewal voted against in a recorded vote).

In the short term, Township staff will be scrambling to find answers for residents wanting things like demolition permits, building permits and such but the longterm implications might be anybody’s guess.

“From a staff perspective and a big picture point of view, the township will revert to the previous language of the zoning bylaw,” said CAO Wayne Orr. “But staff will not be able to apply is as it has been for the past 14+ years.

“This is not the same as saying we will revert back to the way it was.”

The main point for the OMB ruling pertains to language that effectively prevented owners of grandfathered properties close to waterbodies from rebuilding and/or renovating, even in the event of such a building being destroyed by a natural disaster. It would certainly appear that owners can now again rebuild within the same footprint.

The hearing cost the townships $46,464, which Sutherland felt was excessive.

“That cost seems high for two days as we had another two-day hearing that cost $25,000 and the Hartington subdivision hearing cost $100,000 for nine days,” Sutherland said.

“What will the process be for explaining this (what the rules are now) to the public,” said Coun. John McDougall. “It’s still confusing to me.”

Orr said that they would endeavor to inform the public but first they needed to have a meeting of the Corporate Services Committee to determine exactly what the ramifications of the ruling actually are and how the Township will apply them.

Shooting range application withdrawn
Council had no comments on an email dated Feb. 14 in which Steve Saunders withdrew his request for a private shooting range on his Scanlan Road property. Saunders said another opportunity has presented itself “to fire any class of firearm legally.”

Desert Lake noise exemption
Council formally approved four dates suspending the noise bylaw from 7:30pm to 10:30pm in which “amplified music” would be allowed at the Desert Lake Campground this summer.

Coun. Ross Sutherland said he hoped that the township would take the opportunity to convey the “context of the motion” to the new owners of the property.

“Our planning department had a list of things they were going to do to work with the campground but they didn’t do them,” Sutherland said.

Mayor Ron Vandewal agreed that township representatives should work things out with the campground owners because of past incidents.

“I want it to work for them,” Vandewal said. “But they need to know there are consequences to some actions.”

The 70 cent solution
Dep. Mayor Pat Barr noted that there have been “a couple” of incidences where $0.70 has been invoiced for the purchase of single pens, asking if that was the most efficient way to conduct business.

“I think they just put those in there to see if you’re reading the accounts payable,” joked Mayor Ron Vandewal.

Over 1,000 served
While nobody actually took attendance at Monday’s Family Day gathering in Piccadilly, Coun. Norm Roberts reported that they went through over 500 hot dogs and 500 hamburgers.

The cost of providing rides to seniors and others (for medical appointments, other appointments and shopping/entertainment) is very expensive, Frontenac Transportation Services administrator Gail Young told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

Young, along with Rural Frontenac Community Services director Louise Moody were there at Council’s request, which came at a previous Council meeting in Harlowe.

“Being raised in Henderson, I know the challenges,” Young said. “One of the big issues in this area is that the LHIN (Local Health Integration Network) will only pay for the time the client is in the car so we have to pay for getting drivers to the client.
“We’re working on keeping those costs down.”

“Our problem is geography,” said Moody. “It’s a long way to anywhere and we don’t have a hub like say Bancroft does.

“We’re trying a number of different programs (a Trillium application in 2016 was unsuccessful).”

The average ride in South Frontenac costs $30. The average ride in Central Frontenac costs $55 but the average ride in North Frontenac costs $91.

With 301 rides from April 1 to Dec. 31, North Frontenac accounted for 7 per cent of the ridership. However, at a cost of $41,033, it also accounted for 16 per cent of the total costs. Central Frontenac had 2,511 rides or 56 per cent and 56 per cent of the costs at $140,144. South Frontenac had 1,709 rides or 37 per cent for $68,918 or 28 per cent of the costs.

“It is expensive but I know at least two elderly ladies who are too proud to ask for a subsidy,” said Coun. Gerry Martin.

“We don’t like to call it a subsidy, we say ‘you pay half,’” said Young.

“If the LHIN’s goal is for seniors to age at home, then these programs have to be free,” said Moody.

Mayor Ron Higgins made a friendly amendment to a resolution to publicize the service and call for volunteer drivers.

He also suggested the County could become involved but “if we’re going to ask the County for money then we have to include all four Townships.”

• • •

North Frontenac formally passed its 2018 budget which is now available on the Township website. North Frontenac is asking its ratepayers for 1.42 per cent more than it did in 2017 or $5,765,957. Property assessment increased by 2.48 per cent and while the education portion of the tax bill decreased by 2.82 per cent, the County portion increased by 4.19 per cent.

• • •

This was the first meeting in the new Council Chambers. It’s certainly larger than the room over the fire garage with more room for spectators, a larger municipality style horseshoe arrangement for Council and surprisingly good acoustics.

Following up on a very good construction year in 2016 ($8.7 million in construction value and $125,000 in permit fees collected), values jumped 18% to $10.34 million in 2017. Permit fees also jumped to $147,000. Looking further back to 2015, construction values are up by almost 50% over a two year period.

Permits were taken out for 30 new homes in 2017, a high water mark for the township, and although there were only 7 permits taken out for Commercial/Industrial construction in 2017, that still represents a large increase as only 1 commercial/industrial permit was purchased in each of 2015 and 2016.

The totals for 2017 were somewhat augmented by the permit for a single project, an Ultramar Station on Highway 7, the numbers as a whole represent a “positive trend” said Chief Building Official Shawn Merriman.

In addition to his December report, which rounded out the year, Merriman reported on January of 2018, and the new year has not exactly gotten off to a hot start in terms of permits.

“Only one permit was purchased in January and it was for a wood stove,” Merriman said.

The total construction value for 2018 is therefore pretty low, only $5,000, but the year is still young.

Canada 150 revisited
Central Frontenac is on the receiving end of some Federal Canada 150 infrastructure grant money that the original recipient municipality was not able to spend. The township applied for $150,000 from the program, intending to spend it on the long awaited Olden Ball Park in Mountain Grove, but were passed over in the initial grant intake. The township is now eligible for $50,000 provided the spending is matched by $100,000 in local spending and it is all complete by the end of March. Treasurer Michael McGovern said that there should be no problem, because spending on the project that the township already undertook last year is eligible for matching funding and the township can also purchase lighting for the park, the next major expense in the project, before the end of March.

Don’t look a gift park in the mouth
Gord Brown, from Arden, made a presentation to Council on behalf of the Kennebec Lake Association, the Friends of Arden and the Kennebec Recreation Committee, about the 6 km. of trails the three groups have been developing with Mark Snider, the owner of the Kennebec Shores development. As part of the Kennebec Shores plan of subdivision process, a 150 acre park was created and transferred to the township. The property, which used to be owned by Ross Baker, was at one time as ski hill with cross country ski trails.

Brown described them as “a nice mix of forest and vegetation, hills, ridges, cliffs and valley. The hilly terrain offers an experience that is significantly different than local flat rail-bed trails.”

He said that Mark Snider “knows the property extremely well and has expressed an interest in further trails development,” and added “the parkland also hosts an open hill for tobogganing and a pond for skating.”

He then described some of the work of the three groups are doing on the property, including developing signage for the trails that are already well marked, developing public parking lots, bridges and walkways over creeks, and more.

He asked the township to invest $8625 into materials that volunteers plan to use to build some fences, put up signs, install gates to prevent ATV’s from using the trails, etc.

Mayor Frances Smith said that the park could be an “asset to the township for recreation and economic development. She proposed a motion to receive Brown’s report and enlist township staff to look at the trails and the park in terms of safety and accessibility.”

Members of council spoke out as well, all expressing support for the project but expressing concerns over liability since the township owns the property.

The matter will likely come back to Council in the late spring.

Purdon named to Council
In response to the resignation of Olden Councillor Jamie Riddell, who has taken on the role of Deputy Fire Chief, Council appointed John Purdon, a former Olden Councillor who finished fourth in the 2014 election contest in Olden District. Riddell, and Victor Heese, were both first time candidates who were elected that year in Olden.

“John has been approached and has agreed to join council,” said Mayor Smith. “He is experienced and is not intending to run for council this year.”

Council voted unanimously in favour of inviting Purdon to join them at the council table. He will be sworn in at the next meeting, on February 27th.

Public Works briefs
Council accepted a bid from Morris Chemicals for the dust suppressant, Calcium Chloride after a joint tender process with Frontenac Islands. Central Frontenac will also join with the other Frontenac Townships to commission of a study of signage in the township with a view to assess the retro-reflexivity of township signage.

Budget approved
Without comment, Council approved the 2018 budget and spending estimates. The budget will increase the levy to Central Frontenac residents by 5.9% over 2017, with much of that increase going to replenish.

It took three special meetings but Central Frontenac Council and staff have their 2018 budget in order following a meeting Friday morning in Sharbot Lake.

The bottom line is that the Township will be asking its ratepayers for $434,525 more than it did in 2017, an increase of 5.94 per cent. That translates into $34 per each $100,000 of assessment or about $75 more on the average home in Central Frontenac (about $212,000).

Council had instructed staff to be under 2 per cent increase based on figures that include estimated growth, which they did (1.9 per cent increase based on those figures).

Some projects, such as new boards for the Tichborne Rink were put off for a year but other projects, such as Coun. Tom Dewey’s desire for portable microphones ($20,000), funding for the voluntary septic inspection program ($5,000) or the wind-up for the Canada 150 committee ($4,000) were simply moved over to bolster depleted reserve funds.

Other budget lines, such as a donation for the swim program, could be added to by public donations, suggested Mayor Frances Smith, but that may require some communications/advertising.

“If people don’t know there’s a need, they won’t contribute,” she said. “But you can come to the office and tell the clerk ‘this donation is for the swim program (or whatever) and they’ll see that it goes to the right place.”

Council didn’t seem to think Public Works Manager Brad Thake’s (tongue-in-cheek) suggestion of $10 per pothole had much of a chance however.

There was some good news in the budget.

For example, policing costs went down by $10,000 ($1,256,474 vs. $1,267,908) and recent revelations that the solar projects “have never paid for itself” because of some equipment problems could lead to future revenue once those issues are addressed.

Treasurer Michael McGovern reported that having the County look after IT was more expensive than originally proposed (“we were told it would be cheaper, it hasn’t been”) Coun. Phillip Smith suggested “maybe we should look at an outside provider.”

However, McGovern said that despite not being as cheap as promised, the service has been good and he wasn’t recommending a change.

South Frontenac Council had no objections to the concept of four amplified music events at Desert Lake Campground this year at its regular Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham but have suggested a 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. timeframe rather than the 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. that the campground owners had requested.

The dates in question are July 1, July 14, Aug. 4 and Aug. 28.

Last year, Council granted exemptions from the Noise Bylaw for four events with the stipulation that the dates be forwarded three weeks in advance, be subject to assessment by Bylaw Services and be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

While there were no complaints registered, there was a suggestion that one of the events lasted beyond 10 p.m.

Coun. John McDougall told the 7:30 to 10:30 time was a compromise solution suggested by the Lake Association.

“This is a business that has been there for 50 years, log before many people on the lake got their little piece of heaven,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “I don’t know why we would want to penalize them without any concerns.

“(But) it has to be made clear to them that if there are complaints and they come back to us next year, we will be stricter.”

A resident’s request to buy a road allowance on the edge of his property will have to wait until Frontenac Provincial Park has a chance to decide how the road allowance relates to its new management plan.

The road allowance in question leads from shore to shore (of Big Clear Lake and Milk Lake) and is only accessed by a private lane and private land. Township policy related to the sale would result in a total price of about $42,730.

Coun. Mark Schjerning advocated for the sale to be approved, arguing that there was a chance Park policies could change and the Township would receive no money for the land.

Planner Lindsay Mills said that there was also a possibility the land could be split down the middle with one side each getting half.

“But if we do decide to sell, we’d have to ask the neighbours as we would with any such sale and the Park abuts the land,” Mills said.

Coun. Brad Barbeau said the Park has had six months to voice any objections and there was a limit to how long a landowner should have to wait for a decision.

Mayor Ron Vandewal said he and CAO Wayne Orr had met with the Park superintendent who told them he had to wait for a decision from his superiors.

Council decided to wait until that happened but also put a 90-day deadline to hear back from Park officials.

• • •

Mayor Ron Vandewal told Council that the new drug store in Inverary is scheduled to open Feb. 20.

“If we adhere (to these training requirements), I don’t see how we can continue to operate a fire department,” Addington Highlands Fire Chief Casey Cuddy told Council at its regular meeting Tuesday in Flinton.

Cuddy was responding to an Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) memo on proposed mandatory training requirements for volunteer firefighters being proposed by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

“I understand the value of training,” Cuddy said. “But to continue the level of service we provide, you’re looking at 25 to 37 days of training at the fire college without exams.

“We can’t possibly make the deadline (later this year).”

Cuddy said that while some firefighters can be grandfathered in the requirements, (about 75 per cent of the Kaladar members), very few of the younger recruits can. And, he said, a force needs younger recruits for their physical abilities and to continue on as older members retire.

“Many of the younger members also have young families and jobs that require their time,” he said. “They can’t just tell their employers that they need to take 30 days off to go to the fire college.

“And even if they could, the fire college is booked solid for most of the courses they’d required.

“There are about 40,000 volunteer firefighters in Ontario and the courses can only take 40 at a time.”

“This would jeopardize our ability to provide fire protection to our sparsely populated area that has lots of Crown Land in it,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

Cuddy said they try to do as much training as they can, and they use facilities in Napanee and Kingston when they can but that’s not always an option.

“It’s not like we have facilities where we can light a house on fire for training,” he said.

For example, he said, a fire department has to have pumper operators but just in order to take that course, other courses are required.

“The pumper course is five days but you can’t take that until you have firefighter 1 and firefighter 2,” he said. “Then you have to have the hazmat (hazardous materials) course and that’s another seven days.

“The fire college just can’t accommodate all that.”

“So, it’s not just timing, it’s content,” said Coun. Tony Fritsch.

AMO is asking rural municipalities to draft responses to the proposed changes. Those changes were developed by the Ministry, the Ontario Fire Marshall executive and staff, the Ontario Professional Firefighters Association, the Ontario Fire Chiefs Association, fire chiefs from full-time, composite and volunteer services, Toronto Fire Services with only an AMO staff member and one lower-tier CAO for the municipal perspective.

“This is just another urban vs. rural thing,” said Dep. Mayor Helen Yanch. “They keep throwing up these rules that have nothing to do with us.”

“I think it requires a change to lesser qualifications for smaller volunteer departments in rural municipalities,” said Fritsch.

Council passed a resolution, based on Cuddy’s recommendation, that he and North Frontenac Fire Chief Eric Korhonen draft a joint response.

Denbigh waste site

The application to re-open the Denbigh landfill is still very much on Coun. Bill Cox’s mind.

“Can we ask the Ministry when we can get an answer on this?” Cox asked Council. “It’s been 10 years, we’ve spent a lot of money and we’ve done everything they’ve asked.”

Dump cards?

The Township is still looking at a few more changes to its landfills, including new hours and possibly “dump cards.”

But the information won’t be on the newly-approved newsletter that’s set to go out with tax bills shortly.

“We’re researching dump cards and it will be provided in correspondence at the time any decision is made,” said CAO/Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed.

Current landfill hours are on the newsletter but changes such as requiring cards require Ministry permission and will be posted if approved.