South Frontenac Council expects to have a bylaw concerning outdoor furnaces coming before it at a September meeting following a report from Manager of Development Services Forbes Symon and the testimony of two residents opposed to their neighbor’s furnace. Symon told the regular meeting of Council in Sydenham that the key elements of the bylaw governing Outdoor Solid Fuel Burning Appliances (OSFBA) included:

• Distinction between different types of OSFBA certification — those which are certified as being low particulate matter emitters and those which are certified based on conventional emissions

• Restrictions on where OSFBAs may be located on a lot — side and rear yard only, distances from neighbouring dwellings

• Prohibiting OSFBAs in settlement areas (hamlets, villages, registered plans of subdivision and condominiums)

• Prohibiting OSFBAs from being used for the incineration of waste

• Generally limiting operation of OSFBAs to Oct. 1 to May 1 • Grandfathering existing OSFBAs but requiring replacement units to comply with the bylaw

• Requiring building permits for new OSFBAs

• A statement which gives Council authority to take action against any OSFBA which is deemed by Council to be a public nuisance.

Resident Mary Royer said that she hadn’t been able to open her windows for six months before her neighbour’s furnace was shut down July 17. “It’s in the lawyer’s hands now,” she said. “I couldn’t use my backyard because of the fog,” said resident Jim Varrette. “We’re not going to put up with another winter of delays. “I can’t retire there so I might as well use my retirement money going to court.” Councilors were generally in favour of the bylaw but many felt there was still some tweaking needed. Mayor Ron Vandewal perhaps summed up Council’s concerns best. “I’m looking at condominiums now where we have seven-acre lots,” Vandewal said. “And Battersea to Sunbury is essentially a hamlet but most of it is rural. “I do have some concerns about language and measurement but generally I’m in favour of the bylaw.” Some battle lines may be being drawn. Manager of Development Services Forbes Symon presented two reports that could be opening salvos in a festering jurisdictional squabble between South Frontenac Township and Frontenac County when it comes to the approval of subdivisions and condominiums. The first report was on the subdivision and condominium approval process and the second on monitoring conditions during the approval process for plans of subdivisions and condominium approval. The discussion began as an examination of the flowcharts Symon presented for the process but it wasn’t long before several councilors reiterated dissatisfaction with the County having the final say instead of the Township. The term ‘delegated approval authority’ started to surface shortly after approval authority was transferred to the County from the Province last year. It was back at Tuesday night’s meeting. “We are the closest government level to the constituents and we should be responsible for the approval authority,” said Coun. Mark Schjerning. Coun. Ross Sutherland expressed similar thoughts. However, Mayor Ron Vandewal said he thought the County process has changed somewhat recently and urged a wait-andsee attitude.

Arguably the biggest block of North Frontenac Council’s debate time at last Friday’s regular meeting in Ompah centred on the Frontenac News story two weeks ago in which Mayor Ron Higgins discussed his thoughts and plans for community development.

The Mayor laid out a futuristic vision that he’s been working on involving aquaculture, hydroponics and electricity generation that certainly would be unique in rural Ontario municipalities if nothing else.
But, as sometimes happens, it would appear his Council isn’t entirely on-board with the concept as of yet.
“The mayor can do independent research but this was not approved by Council,” said Coun. John Inglis, starting things off.
“I’m going through research to see if it is feasible,” Higgins said.
“I find that arrogant and disrespectful of everyone on this Council,” said Coun, Vernon Hermer. “You sanctioned me for discussing (Council business) with one resident.
“Here you are presenting inaccurate information with the world.”
“We told you very carefully we did not approve,” said Coun. Denis Bedard. “I’ve had callers ask me if we’re remaking The Nutty Professor or if we’re on drugs.”
“When I see a picture of the Mayor with the chain of office (on a story) it makes it look like we endorse it,” said Coun. Gerry Martin.
After some more back and forth discussion, Higgins offered to write a letter to the editor of the paper clarifying his, and Council’s, position.
“I will clarify that this was my initiative, not Council’s,” he said.

Fire Rosters
In a report to Council, Fire Chief Eric Korhonen acknowledged that there are some concerns with the current roster of firefighters in terms of training and attendance but said “the fire roster continues to remain stable” and he has plans to address any deficiencies.
“I appreciate the roster has been deficient for five years,” he said. “I have been chief for a year and a half.
“We are attempting to make training and recruitment priorities but I’m not going to go all heavy handed on volunteers.
“I hope to have it all addressed by Dec. 31, 2017.”
He said they should be reviewing the makeup of the department.
“Currently, medical response is not a problem and that makes up about 85 per cent of our calls,” he said. “Some members don’t want to carry hose and they’re content to be first responders at accidents and that’s much of our business.”
“The Chief and the Personnel & Audit Committee are dealing with it and I’m happy to shut up about it,” said Coun. John Inglis.
“If you want to support the fire department then get on board and don’t go on a witch hunt,” said Dep. Mayor Fred Perry.

Bylaws
Council passed bylaws restricting the use of flying lanterns and changing fees and charges and changes to its municipal waste and recyclables bylaw.

Central Frontenac Council authorized the go-ahead for a septic system and canteen/washrooms/warming/storage area at Oliver Scott Memorial Park in Sharbot Lake with the intent to complete construction in the fall of 2017 at its regular meeting on Tuesday July 11 in Arden.

Specifically, the resolution authorized Chief Building Official Shawn Merriman to apply for the appropriate septic permit, issue a purchase order and proceed with the construction of the canteen building.

“I hope the canteen can be built this fall but September might be too optimistic,” Merriman said. “November is more realistic.

“If I’m lucky I’ll be able to present a plan at the August Council meeting but it will more likely be September’s meeting.”

In 2016, Council set aside $30,000 for facilities at the park, which is adjacent to Granite Ridge Education Centre. Merriman said that a well will cost $7,500 and the septic about $12,500 including the cost of permits and such. That won’t leave much for the actual construction as well as the necessary drainage and other costs to be taken into consideration.

“It’s not like the old days when you could put up whatever you wanted and nobody cared,” he said. “Today you have to factor in accessibility, emergency parking and I’m especially concerned about drainage there.”

Coun. Tom Dewey asked about the $10,000 the District 3 Rec Committee has raised for a rink on the site.

Clerk/CAO Cathy MacMunn said that money is for the rink itself. “The volunteers are not responsible for anything else,” she said. “The canteen will be a Township building and therefore it’s our responsibility.”

Several councilors were concerned about parking. Much of the the available parking area on-site will be taken up once the rink is built and much of the plan involves a partnership with the school to use their parking lot.

“I’m sure the Limestone Board will want to enter into some type of agreement,” said MacMunn. “They use the ball field now for some activities and we have had a similar agreement in the past for the tennis courts (beside the former Sharbot Lake Public School.)

Merriman said he too was concerned about parking long term because it is conceivably possible the school might not want its parking lot used sometime in the future but “I’m more concerned about drainage.”

Coun. Phillip Smith said he was concerned that “we’re not treating all the rec committees the same.

“District 4 has raised a lot of money for facilities and I’d like to see more money from District 3.”

Merriman said that he was impressed with all the work and plans District 3 has already done and “this is a worthwhile project and the District 3 committee should be applauded for their amazing endeavor and commitment to raise what will probably be between $250,000 and $500,000 (depending on the inclusion of an in-pad cooling system.

“In addition, the Township may have an obligation to make sure that which was removed is returned and so that even if the rink/pad never occurs thus this building should be constructed regardless.”

South Frontenac Council held a brief meeting this week to resolve the question of exceeding the amount ($1,000,000) budgeted for the construction of a new fire station at Perth Road.

The current station is in disrepair and considered unfit to be used for training meetings, and Council has already purchased a larger lot on the main road for the new fire station.

Public Works Manager Segsworth confirmed that only the supplemental water tank has been removed from the specifications presented at last week’s Council. There was brief discussion confirming the intent that the same building design could serve as a prototype for future firehalls in the Township. The training room has potential to be used by the Township for public meetings to gather community input on issues, training space for public works, and Federal and Provincial Polling stations.

Mayor Vandewal said that while in an ideal world all the Township fire halls would be replaced in the not-too-distant future, in reality some of the halls are functioning adequately, and with proper maintenance and upkeep could have their lives extended. “We need to keep our halls maintained to a higher standard; there has been no upkeep on these buildings for years.”

Council unanimously agreed: to award the contract to Anglin Construction in the amount of $1,465,569 (the low bid); to fund the extra $491,363 from the Facilities/ Property Reserve; and to budget the costs for site works, paving and landscaping in 2018 for the estimated amount of $200,000. Councillor Schjerning noted that the final cost of the building was close to the original architect’s estimate. No one commented on whether or not the 2017 budget might have been trimmed unrealistically.

An anticipated report by Paul Blais of MDG Insight and Libby Smith of Terra Consulting that reviewed the existing inventory of accommodations for visitors to Frontenac County and proposed a strategy for growth in the sector, is being presented to Frontenac County this week.

Members of Council have been appraised of the reports development throughout the last few months so they will not be surprised by the recommendations.

One of the key elements to the report is what it does not see in Frontenac Counties’ future, a large scale hotel, spa, or resort complex.

Instead, it focusses on maintaining and upgrading the existing mix of lodges and Inn’s, rental cottages, campgrounds, and Bed and Breakfast operations in the County.

One of the insights in the report is that North and Central Frontenac attract a somewhat different mix of travellers than South Frontenac attracts. While travelers categorized as “nature lovers” and “connected explorers” are attracted to all of mainland Frontenac, “outgoing mature couples” are also coming to North and Central Frontenac, while “up and coming explorers” and “sports lovers” are more likely to visit South Frontenac.

In terms of developing the kind of accommodation mix that will be well received by the Ontario tourism market and deliver a return on investment for entrepreneurs getting or hoping to stay in the accommodation industry, the report identifies 5 “best bet” opportunities. These include: redevelopment of existing cottage accommodations, bed and breakfast establishments, pod - based accommodations,  upscale camping and campground accommodations, and niche resort accommodations.

The report then goes on to discuss how some of these potential new and rejuvenated businesses can come about, and provides guidelines for what the county can do to attract investment in the sector.

For the county, this involves establishing relationships with people in the industry both within the county for existing businesses and outside of the county for potential new investors. As well, marketing and selling Frontenac as a place to invest is indicated, as is ensuring that land use policies and regulations within Frontenac are investor friendly.

At the Central Frontenac Council meeting in Arden last week, District 1 Rec Committee Chair Wanda Harrison and Glen Matson addressed Council on two issues — one being safety issues concerning the large white pine at the entrance to Kennebec Community Hall and the other being the sign on the hall.

“It’s grown to the point where maybe there is a problem,” Matson, who operates a tree business and offered to cut it down, said. “There wouldn’t be any charge to the municipality and perhaps we could make a plaque from it.”

“We’ve had issues with the needles on the ramp and stairs,” Harrison said. “When it rains and in the winter, they can get quite slippery.”

The tree was planted in a ceremony before amalgamation and the committee suggested replacing it with a smaller variety, perhaps in a ceremony in conjunction with the opening of the Heritage Garden across from the Mill Pond in late August or early September.

Council did approve the removal of the tree.

Concerning the sign, the District 1 committee is still hashing over several options, Harrison said.

While there is little doubt it needs some work, the question is just how historically significant it might be. It’s painted plywood that has sustained some rot and it could be quite fragile to remove intact.

Estimates vary as to when it actually went in (circa mid-’80s) and the actual name of the hall for that matter. But where the sign is now was the window of the principal’s office when the building was a school. There are no plans to change the diamond below the hall sign.

“Things are pretty much up in the air (regarding the sign),” Harrison said after a Rec committee meeting this week. “The presentation to Council was pretty much a stick-your-toe-in-the-water-to-take-the-temperature.

“We’ve had some offers to restore it but many people would like to see something new that incorporates the Township Logo.

“And at the end of the day, the Township owns the hall and all we can do is make recommendations.”

CAO Orr brought a recommendation that a special meeting of Council be called next Tuesday to award the tender for the Perth Road Fire Hall, because although six bids have been received, the evaluation of these bids by the Architect (based on 80 points for price and 20 for references) has not yet been received.

Since 2009, Fire Hall Studies have recommended the replacement of most of the current fire halls. A 2014 RFP for a firehall concept brought estimates ranging from $2.1-$2.5 million. The same year Council approved a capital budget of $225,000 for land acquisition, site servicing and architect fees for a new Perth Road Fire Hall, and in 2015 set a budget of $1 million for construction of the fire hall. The land was acquired in 2016, and in December of that year, Council approved the design criteria after having gone on two bus tours of various fire halls.  

The architect’s contract was also awarded in 2016, for $112,350. The resulting design has been described by Public Works Manager Segsworth as “not an opulent building, or out of the ordinary.”

During 2017 budget discussion Council rejected a $750,000 increase in the construction budget “for fear of creating unrealistic expectations.”

So site works, paving, water tanks and landscaping were pulled out prior to issuing tender for construction because final estimates still exceeded budget. (unofficial estimates put the costs of the excluded items at $200,000.)

Four of the six bids received are within $45,000 of each other, all coming in at or near $500,000 more than the amount budgeted by Council.

Much discussion ensued: Barbeau and Schjerning said that first priority should be given to the sort of building Council wants, rather than setting the price first. CAO Orr said “ The over-budget tenders should not come as a surprise: $1 million would produce a reduced-standard building. Clearly, there is no appetite for extending the budget up. We could push it all back, change from a metal to a shingle roof, etc, but this would reduce the quality and life of the building. Is this what we want?”

Mayor Vandewal referred several times to Amherstview’s much less expensive firehall, and the future needs for new firehalls in Sydenham, Verona, etc. He asked for assurance from staff that this is indeed the minimum size of hall needed for Perth Road. Fire Chief Chesebrough was shaking his head in what appeared to be frustration, and Segsworth said staff had been discussing, but were prepared to come back to Council for direction next week.
There seemed to be agreement among Council that there was no wish to postpone the project one more year. (It should be noted that there does not appear to be any external source of funding assistance for firehalls.)
A special meeting has been called for Tuesday July 18, by which time the six bids will be evaluated and ranked by the architect, to decide the fate of the Perth Road Fire Hall.

Sydenham Lake Association’s State of the Lake Report
Gord Rodgers of French Planning Services and Bill Peairs of the SLA presented Council with the State of the Lake Report, which is to be followed this fall with a Lake Stewardship Plan, currently in draft form. Thanking the Township for help and cooperation received from Township staff members Lindsay Mills and Jenny Kapusta, Rogers called it “one of the best processes I’ve ever been involved in.” He listed many other agencies and individuals that had worked with them to compile this summary of the most current and relevant environmental information on Sydenham lake and its watershed. The Lake Plan will “guide actions towards protection and management of of the environmental characteristics important to the health of the lake.” The entire project has cost $65,000, all of which has been funded by a variety of grants, some related to the fact that Sydenham lake is a source water lake for the village.

The report, which is readable and interesting, can be found on the SLA’s website: www.sydenhamlake.ca.

Annual Report: Sydenham Water Treatment
Kevin Riley, of Utilities Kingston, gave a brief and positive report on the water treatment plant: there were no reported problems, and no questions. There has been some concern about the functioning of the water meters, which is under investigation.

Minimum Distance Separation Zoning Changes
Forbes Symon spoke to a public meeting about proposed revision of the Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) requirements between barns and neighbouring houses and cemeteries which would reflect new provincial guidelines and should make the zoning easier to understand and more flexible. There were a few comments and questions for clarification, but no major disagreement.

Hartington Community Association
Two notices of motion were brought by Councillor Schjerning, a) to reimburse the HCA $23,730 for expenses incurred by their hiring of an expert witness and b) to cover the est. $8700 costs of testing all 29 residences within 300 m of the former gas station. They were deferred until legal proceedings with the OMB are concluded.

Fermoy Hall Repairs Hit a Snag
Plans to repair the plaster at Fermoy hall have been put on hold, following the revelation that there is asbestos in the skim coat of the plaster, which will necessitate removal of all the plaster as well as the wainscotting and electrical service panel and conduits.This is estimated to double the price of $30,000 which was the amount budgeted for all upgrades including well, septic system, paint and insulation.

The future of this “historic pre-confederation building with good footings, strong construction and full accessibility” has been referred back to the Fermoy committee for a strategy and plan for fundraising.

Caution - trail crossing on Road 38
Some Central Frontenac Council members expressed concern at their meeting this week about the number of crossings over Road 38 for the completion of the K & P Trail.

“It started out with a couple of crossing and now it seems there are more,” said Coun. Phillip Smith. “I’m a little concerned about our liability.”

“They (the County) told us we shouldn’t have any liability and that their insurance would cover us,” said Public Works Manager Brad Thake. “I was quite happy to hear that.

“I’ll be a lot happier when I see it in writing.”

“It would have cost at least $200,000 to go across the swamp in the Eagle Lake area,” said Mayor Frances Smith. “We’ll have to look at reduced speed signs on Road 38.”

Grader Troubles
Public Works Manager Brad Thake brought some “bad news” to Council in that one of the Township’s four graders needs expensive repairs and recommended it be replaced to the tune of about $250,000 plus taxes.

The model in question is a 1998 and Thake said there is enough in reserves to pay for it while reserves are replaced over this year and next.

Currently, the five-year capital budget has $180,000 slated to replace the 1991 model grader in 2018.

Elm tree Culvert
Public Works Manager Brad Thake said that the cost of the Elm Tree Road box culvert replacement came in under budget and work will likely start the second week in August. He said there will likely be a one- to two-week shutdown of the road but an alternate route for area residents is part of the contract. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of September or early October.

“KFL&A Public Health has no plans to get out of the septic inspection business,” Director of Programs Ed Gardner told Addington Highlands Council at its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon in Flinton.

Reeve Henry Hogg said he’d invited public health officials to the meeting because “people were asking us why we weren’t doing it ourselves, which prompted this discussion.”

Gardner begin his brief presentation by giving a short history of septic inspection in Ontario highlighting that the responsibility was downloaded to the municipalities in 1998 and is now governed by the Building Code.

“(But) KFL&A has been doing septics since the early ’70s,” he said. “We do all nine municipalities in our catchment area.”

Coun. Tony Fritsch asked what effect there would be on the health unit if municipalities opted to do their own inspections.

“It would have a very deleterious effect,” Gardner said. “We have three septic inspectors as well as Public Health Inspector Gordon Mitchell and support staff.

“It would mean a big part of our budget would be gone.”

Gardner said they’d had to raise fees a few years ago to cover costs and costs are still rising but “we’d like to keep in it.

“We have no immediate plans to shelve the system.”

Coun. Bill Cox asked if there were any benefits to a Township for handling the inspections themselves.

Gardner conceded that townships could charge fees but suggested any profit gained would likely be more than eaten up by training people and especially with the inevitable litigation that occurs.

“We’ve had years and years of experience and we know what to do when it goes to court,” Gardner said. “It’s built into our fee structure.

“It’s very difficult to go cold into septic inspection and our inspectors train for years and are used to a lot of travel and litigation.”

Gardner said he didn’t know if there was a right or wrong answer to who should handle septic inspections but he’s seen municipalities take it over themselves or go to the conservation authorities, but most come back.

“Stone Mills opted out but ended up asking us to take over again because they were facing more and more litigation,” he said.

Mitchell said that of the 20-30 septic permits issued for Addington Highlands in an average year, most were for new systems and one-third to one-half are for replacement systems.

Overall, he said KFL&A issues about 550 permits in an average year.

New tandem truck, just shy of $200,000
Council approved the purchase of a tandem axle cab and chassis truck with complete roll-off hoist package plus an optional tarp system.

Road & Waste Management Supervisor Mark Freeburn told Council there was only one quotation received, that being from Winslow Gerolamy Motors Ltd. for $190,348 plus GST.

“I think this is money well spent,” Freeburn said. “Especially for the safety of the drivers.”

“Especially if we’re entertaining the idea of moving bulkier items ourselves,” said Clerk-Treasurer Christine Reed.

Dust suppression
Freeburn said they’re putting down dust suppressant as weather permits.

“This has been an abnormal year,” he said. “I can’t understand how a road gets so dusty when it’s raining all the time.”

Fire crews nice and quiet
Fire Chief Casey Cuddy told Council that aside from the Canada Day weekend, “it’s been quiet and call volumes are down.”

On behalf of the Hartington Community Association (HCA), Michelle Foxton came before Council asking them to consider making a contribution to the costs incurred by Hartington residents in preparation for their recent participation in an OMB hearing.

In August 2015, developer Terry Grant had proposed a 40-unit subdivision which would run from Boyce Road in Hartington south to Petworth Road. In the face of local opposition, he shrank his proposal to13 lots, all within the hamlet. When, after much deliberation and continued opposition by residents, South Frontenac Council had still not come to a decision on the zone change necessary for the reduced-size subdivision to proceed, developer Grant appealed to the OMB in February 2016 on the grounds that the County had not given him a decision on his proposal within the allotted six months from the time of application. (For the subdivision to proceed, the Township had to approve a zoning change although the final subdivision approval is done by the County.)

Shuffle forward to August 2016, when South Frontenac turned down the proposed zoning change, and the following day County Council approved Grant’s application. By then, the Township had a report saying that in spite of their having spent over $100,000 on clean-up, there was still contaminated soil on the former gas station lot located across Road 38 from the subdivision area. The HCA, which had based their opposition to the development on the grounds that it was a potential threat to the quality and quantity of their well-water, asked for third-party status at the OMB hearing. This hearing took place over two weeks recently; a decision is not expected before fall.

In preparation, the HCA had independently hired peer reviewers to respond to the hydrogeological reports carried out on behalf of the Township and the County (which had already been peer reviewed on behalf of both municipal governments.). Foxton said that the total costs incurred by her group amounted to more than $70,000. Saying that the Township had gained valuable hydrogeological information about the area as a result of the reports obtained by the HCA, Foxton asked Council to consider covering the hydrogeologist’s last two invoices and one from expert witness Ruland, for a total of $28,792.

Mayor Vandewal responded that the matter would be referred to the Development Services Committee for review and recommendation.

Three Requests for Road Closures
Applications to purchase unopened Township road allowances frequently come before Council. All three were forwarded to Council for approval, although two were leading to water, and there is a general policy not to close off public access to water. One is a 40-metre long, 20-foot wide strip crossing a small island in Opinicon Lake, and marks the boundary between South Frontenac and Rideau Lakes. As Schjerning said, “Unless we decide to build a third crossing…” Because of its access to water, cost will be $9,857.

An unopened extension of Larry York Road, terminating at a cliff on Cedar Lake near Battersea, generated some discussion, but ended in general agreement. Sutherland objected, on the grounds that if it became a lot addition, it would create a (very narrow) waterfront lot with development within the 30-meter setback.

The third, a 15-foot wide strip of township property in Harrowsmith running parallel to Church Street behind the former St Paul’s church and rectory, is a query, as the proposal is to use the land for a multi-unit residential property (two units in the former church, and one in the house.) It is hoped the bit of extra land would make a “well-engineered” septic system possible for the small parcel. There was overall agreement-in-principle, on the grounds that it could improve the property.

Skateboarding on Township Property
CAO Orr brought a report recommending against a by-law forbidding skateboarding on the Sydenham Township Hall property. Corporate Services had recommended the by-law, for at times skateboarders have become a nuisance on the property, causing noise, risking injury, and possibly damaging cars in the parking lot. Orr, while acknowledging the issue existed, contended that a by-law would require enforcement, which could lead to fines. He suggested this seemed unnecessary use of bylaw enforcement services. Although a Township skateboard park has been proposed, it was not one of the priorities of Council at budget time. The estimated cost of skateboard park was $5,000 for a design, and $100,000 for installation.

Councillor Summerville favoured a by-law; “this is not a skateboard park, and (the boarders) are a danger to users of the property,” adding that he was, however, in favour of a skateboard park.

“At least they’re out there exercising,” said Vandewal, who later said that one of the problems was choosing a location for a skateboard park: “In many ways, Harrowsmith Park’s an ideal place, but the high school’s in Sydenham.”