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“Everything’s looking quite healthy,” auditor Cara Chesney of MNP LLP told Central Frontenac Council at its regular meeting Tuesday evening at Oso Hall. “There were no difficulties encountered during the course of our audit procedures: no changes to the initial audit plan and no disagreements or difficulties with management.

She said there was an increase in tangible capital assets in 2018 (acquisitions totaled $2.8 million) and large projects included Elm Tree Road bridge and Henderson Road culverts. Large purchases included fleet and machinery.

This was offset by amortization expense of $1.8 million and disposals of capital assets. There was an increase in deferred revenue due to unspent funding from OCIF (which is required to be spent on infrastructure).

The $2.8 million in capital asset additions was the third largest figure since 2013. The largest figure was in 2015 at $6,199,670, which Treasurer Michael McGovern noted included Wagarville Road, which was paid for largely with grant money.

She said there was an increase in total expenses in 2018, attributable to wage increases, materials purchases and amortization of capital assets. However, total expenses were consistent with budgeted figures.

In the summary of audit findings, she said tangible capital assets are approximately 34 per cent used (35 per cent in 2017) and more than half of the annual expenses are related to transportation, followed by protection and general government.

Software woes for fire department
The fire department has its head in a cloud, and Dep. Chief Jamie Riddell didn’t seem too happy about it.

Riddell reported that Firehouse Cloud software has been installed but it has problems.

“IT has been one headache after another,” he said. “Cloud was supposed to make firehouse better — but it’s done the complete opposite.”

He did say that Central Frontenac joined South and North Frontenac to purchase a fit test machine for breathing apparatuses.

The home inspection program starts in May.

Hazardous waste day is gone for 2019
Council passed a resolution officially cancelling Household Hazardous Waste Day for this year but Mayor Frances Smith pointed out that if a plan to work with South Frontenac and/or the City of Kingston doesn’t work out, it could be revisited next year.

Coun. Tom Dewey tried to reopen debate to no avail. However, Dewey did ask for a recorded vote, with the results being Dewey and Coun. Elwin Burke voting against the measure.

New Quinte Chief administrator comes calling
New Quinte Conservation Authority CAO Brad McNevin addressed Council as part of his tour of the municipalities the CA services.

In Central Frontenac, Quinte Conservation administers the Fish Creek and Kennebec Complex wetlands,, the Depot Lakes Conservations Area, 45 lakes and six dams — Second Depot Lake, Third Depot Lake, Upper Arden, Middle Arden, Lower Arden and Dead Creek.

Central’s contribution to the total special levy is $8,567 of $350,000.

Later in the meeting, Council passed a resolution to firm up a special service delivery agreement with Quinte Conservation as it relates to planning matters.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Usually, when all the stacking chairs at a North Frontenac Council meeting are filled with warm bodies, it means somebody’s getting an award.

But the crowd at last Friday’s meeting was in no mood to give anybody an award. They were there to voice their concerns about the Township’s new Zoning Bylaw.

Zoning Bylaw discussions, as a rule, don’t tend to draw crowds. But two aspects of this one would seem to have created considerable concerns — commercial forestry operations and Areas of Natural or Scientific Interest (ANSI).

In particular, the ANSIs in North Frontenac seemed to draw the most interest.

Some ANSIs date back as far as the late ’60s and were created by the Province of Ontario under the MNR to protect significant areas of biological or geological interest, including old growth forests, unique flora and fauna, species at risk, fossils, mineral deposits or geological structures. Perhaps the best known is the Niagara Escarpment and one new one under consideration is the Marble Lake Stromatolites- arguably the oldest fossils on the planet. ANSIs designated as “provincial” are considered among the best examples of certain aspects in the province.

“We’re not even close to passing the bylaw yet,” Mayor Ron Higgins told the crowd. “This is my No. 1 priority.

“I’m on it every day.”

He said there’s another public meeting on the agenda, likely near the end of May “but we’re not near ready yet.”

In a report to the Township, Megan Rueckwald, manager of community planning, County of Frontenac said there are currently eight confirmed ANSIs within the Township and three more ‘candidate ANSIs.

The confirmed ANSIs are:

The Plevna Cedar Swamp (life sciences, regional)

Snow Road Station Esker (earth sciences, provincial)

Hungry Lake Barrens (life sciences, provincial)

Within the Madawaska Highlands Land Use Plan:

Palmerston Lake (life sciences, regional)

Evergreen Mountain (life sciences, regional)

Summit Lake (life sciences, provincial)

Fortune-Schooner (life sciences, provincial)

Centennial Lake (life science, provincial)

The candidate ANSIs are:

Bishop Corners Schoolhouse (earth sciences, provincial)

Ore Chimney Mine (earth sciences, provincial)

Marble Lake Stromatolites (earth sciences, provincial)

Most of the ANSI lands are on Crown Land, however, the Plevna Cedar Swamp, Snow Road Station Esker, Palmerston Lake and Fortune-Schooner overlap with privately-owned land.

And that’s where the points of contention come in.

“When I read it, it clearly indicates the ANSI (designation) totally applies to Crown Land,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer. “My opinion is that they’ve (MNR) made mapping mistakes and they don’t want to appear foolish.

“That’s why they’re stonewalling.”

“According to the map, it applies to Crown Land, not private land,” said Higgins. “So we’re contesting it.”

“We’ve had like 18 instances of invasive species, gypsy moths being one example,” said Dep. Mayor Fred Perry. “How do we know these things are still there?”

Being designated and Environmental Protection zones doesn’t in itself preclude development in these areas but it does require some studies that wouldn’t necessarily be required in other zones (at a cost of $2,000-$5,000). Also, certain activities (mining, lumbering, hunting) may be restricted depending on what’s being protected in the ANSI.

“And, if you remove the EP in the Zoning Bylaw, a study still has to be done because of the Township and County Official Plan requirements,” said Rueckwald.

The Palmerston Lake ANSI seems to be garnering the most attention. Among the features being protected are a rare form of orchid, and a rare moss, a Great Blue Heron colony, nesting ravens and calcareous-based hardwoods.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 17 April 2019 12:50

North Frontenac passes smoking bylaw

At first glance, the smoking bylaw North Frontenac Council passed at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna seemed a lot more ominous than it actually turns out to be.

For example, one section contains the phrase: “No person shall, smoke or vape within 20 metres of any point on the perimeter of the outdoor grounds of a community recreational facility and public areas.”

Now if you interpret that to mean the property lines of Township facilities, you might conclude that the bylaw extends into private property. For example, in the case of Barrie Hall, that would mean extending across Hwy 41, into Addington Highlands Township and onto the home of Addington Highlands Reeve Henry Hogg. It would also mean that in some cases, it would extend into Crown Lands (for example some boat launches).

But that’s not the intension, Clerk/Planning Manager Tara Mieske said Tuesday in an interview.

“It only pertains to Township-owned facilities and property,” she said. “The bylaw was updated to come into line with the updated Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which now includes cannabis and the bylaw is designed to reflect that.”

This means smoking is restricted to 9 metres from the entrance to a Township building and 20 metres from the ‘perimeter’ of a children’s playground, sporting area or recreational facility, but it doesn’t extend past the Township-owned property, she said.

“This includes the ballfield and tennis courts in Cloyne but not Township beaches and boat launches, or things that don’t have a roof like waste sites,” she said.

It also doesn’t include things like the Township garages and municipal office (although the 9 metres from the entrance still applies), she said.

Technically, the 20 metres doesn’t include fire halls but in some cases (notably Ompah and Snow Road) the fire halls are attached or adjacent to recreational halls and/or libraries where the 20-metre restriction does apply.

One other unclear aspect of the bylaw is what constitutes smoking.

“Smoke and Smoking includes carrying or holding of a lighted tobacco product, a lighted cannabis product, an activated electronic cigarette, or a lighted or heated water pipe,” would seem to prohibit the First Nation smudging ceremony, common at Powwows and other gatherings.

Mieske said that hadn’t been considered in the wording of the bylaw and she’d research the matter before bringing a report to Council.

 

• • •

On March 26, Mayor Ron Higgins sent an email to Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith asking about Central’s plans to fix potholes on Road 509 and Ardoch Road.

“How’d you make out?” said Dep. Mayor Fred Perry.

“You saw her response,” said Higgins.

“Although they did do some work,” said Coun. Gerry Martin.

“I didn’t agree with this action at all,” said Coun. John Inglis. “It was unnecessary and the tone wsas insulting.”

For the record, here are the two emails.

From Higgins to Smith:

“Frances, I was asked by Council to contact you about the road condition of 509 (near Ardoch Road) and 2-3 bad spots on Ardoch Road. We have been getting a number of residents asking if we knew what Central Frontenac was considering with regards to repair. They are concerned about vehicle damage due to bad road conditions.

“Would it be possible to provide us with any plans your Township has in regards to this issue?”

Smith’s response:

“Good morning Ron. I think it is the swamp on the flat that you are talking about. We are quite aware of it and as soon as the thaw permits, we will be dealing with it.”

 

• • •

With about a dozen members of the public in attendance at the meeting, Mayor Ron Higgins asked for a motion to move the public question period up on the agenda so that those members of the public who wished to could comment on the question of ANSIs (Area of Natural or Scientific Interest) in North Frontenac’s Zoning Bylaw could be heard.

Only Coun. Wayne Good voted against the measure.

Later in the meeting, Council voted to end the restriction that a public question period only be permitted if the Council meeting takes under three hours.

North’s meetings commonly exceed three hours. By comparison, Central and South meetings rarely exceed two hours and South has one or two meetings a year under a half hour.

 

• • •

In response to Kerry Skipper’s request for a Pickleball court in Cloyne, Coun. Fred Fowler challenged Dep. Mayor Fred Perry to the first game.

Fowler declined to offer Perry some sort of handicap even though Perry recently had surgery on his leg.

Pickleball is a racquet sport combining elements of badminton, tennis and ping pong using a whiffleball of some sort.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC

The Annual “Dump Report”
Stephanie Reeder, of Cambium Consulting and Engineering presented the annual update on the township’s waste disposal sites. Currently, South Frontenac has five active sites: Portland, Loughborough, Bradshaw, Salem and Green Bay. All were found to be operating in compliance with the Province’s environmental requirements. Due to operational improvements over the past five years, the overall estimated life (capacity) of the municipality’s active landfill sites has increased by six years over the estimate last year. It now sits at 26 years.. Four of the five closed sites are still being monitored for groundwater and surface water quality, erosion, seeps, litter and vermin, but none have shown problems.

Reeder indicated that although diversion of organics would certainly reduce waste volume, it would not make much difference to the problem of contaminants, for organics produce virtually no contaminants.

Mayor Vandewal asked whether a pollinator-friendly seed mix was being used when reseeding capped-over sections of the landfills.

Verona Cenotaph Improvements Proposed
Wayne Conway, Chair of the Verona Community Association, outlined community plans to make the Cenotaph more accessible and attractive by adding concrete walkways, more benches, a flowerbed and a 30’ flagpole - possibly a small roofed shelter or gazebo in the future. The cenotaph is located in McMullen Park beside road 38. McMullen Park belongs to the Township. The Verona community is supporting the project by fundraising; Council relaxed visibly when Conway said they were not asking for money - only permission to proceed with the work on Township property. Led by Councillors Morey and Leonard, full approval was granted for the project; “Keep up the good work,” said Vandewal.

Development Charges Presentation
The Township’s current Development Charges by-law expires this September, and as part of the by-law updating process, Claire Dodds, Director of Development Services, presented an overview of the issues and timeline. Development charges are levied to recover the capital costs associated with both residential and non-residential growth within a municipality, and are in addition to the costs that would normally be incurred by the developer as part of a subdivision/condominium, etc.

(However, some services cannot be included under this act, including arts, culture, museums and entertainment facilities, tourism facilities, hospitals, and parkland acquisition.) A consulting firm, Wilson and Associates, has been engaged to draft an updated by-law: their background study will be released by the end of May, an Information Open House is planned for June 19, and the public meeting for the revised Development Charges By-law will be held July 2.

“You’ve asked for detailed information reports,” Vandewal said to Council, “and now you’re getting them.”

Six-unit Rental Building Planned for Sydenham
Council agreed to pass a by-law to enter into a site plan agreement with RKR Landholdings Corp. (Rob Morgan) for his proposed six-unit residential building in the Valleyview Subdivision, which lies south of Rutledge Road in Sydenham. The property’s zoning permits a residential multiple dwelling unit, but requires a site plan control agreement which specifies the location of all buildings and structures, septic system, lighting, garbage areas, landscaped buffers, parking and entrances. Council’s only concern was the location of the garbage enclosure; it was agreed that if at all possible the garbage bin should be moved to the back of the building, not installed at the front. Vandewal questioned the need for a separate garbage bin for six units. Sutherland and Ruttan asked for the motion to be deferred to give the current residents time to comment on the site plan, but their amendment to defer was rejected.

Quarterly Report: Fire and Rescue
As requested by Council, Chief Darcy Knott presented a seven-page first-quarter 2019 Operational Review. In the first three months of 2019, the medical response level has remained high, and there has been a rise in the number of fires: nine in total, five of which have resulted in major property damage. Knott outlined a number of organizational accomplishments, chief of which has been a very successful media drive to recruit volunteer firefighters. From the initial 100 attendees at the information sessions, there were 78 applicants: the final 25 will be selected and begin their in-depth training on May 8, which will continue until the end of October.

Council complimented Knott on the breadth and quality of his report, and on his management of the department.

“Touch a Truck”
Watch for more information on this Public Education Event which will be held at Keeley Road on May 9, in the evening, from 5:00-8:00.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

“This eliminates Household Hazardous Waste Day as we know it,” Mayor Frances Smith said at the regular Central Frontenac Council meeting Tuesday afternoon in Sharbot Lake.

Central has been holding the annual day for several years and it was designed to clear out all sorts of ‘hazardous’ waste like old pain and oil from barns and garages around the Township.

It did quite well at that but the problem was that it was expensive.

In a report to Council, acting Public Works Manager David Armstrong pointed out that in 2018, 380 vehicles came in to dump hazardous waste. That ended up costing the Township $24,072.49 (invoiced cost of $37,000 minus $12,927.51 in rebates). And that doesn’t include staff overtime.

If everyone in the Township took a load of household hazardous waste to Kingston for disposal, the cost would have been $14,198.50. (For the previous three years, the day has averaged 389 vehicles per year).

If all residents took a load to South Frontenac, the cost would have been $19,450.

Armstrong said that as it stands now, residents can take hazardous waste to Kingston or South Frontenac. South Frontenac is a bit more expensive but he said they seem open to negotiation.

There is also a chance that North Frontenac facilities could be made available to Central residents.

So for this year at least, residents who want to dispose of such dangerous materials are to go to the Township office in Sharbot Lake, fill out a form and take their waste to Kingston or South Frontenac.

However, the Township will pick up the tab for it (gas excluded).

“It’s already in the budget (for worst case scenario),” said Armstrong.

“If we need to re-instate Household Hazardous Waste Day, I’m sure we’ll hear about it,” said Smith. “I just can’t save up enough waste every year though.

“Maybe we might look at doing it every two years.”

“I think this is great,” said Coun. Nicki Gowdy. “I think it will catch on when people realize they can go whenever they want rather than having to wait every year.”

Dep. Mayor Victor Heese suggested a drop off site at Wemp Road or Oso, trucking the waste to Kingston once a month might be an option.

“It wouldn’t be quite that simple,” said Armstrong. “We’d have to have the proper licence and designated areas for it at our waste sites.

“But it could be a possibility.”

 

Culvert promise
Who knew it could be that simple?

When Dorothy Gray came to Council asking for a culvert to alleviate flooding problems in her driveway on Long Lake Road, it sounded like she expected an arguement.

“I’ve told a couple of people but nothing’s been done,” she said. “It’s a big puddle and it freezes over.”

Mayor Frances Smith asked acting Public Works Manager David Armstrong if the Township installed culverts in these situations.

Armstrong replied that generally, they put them in for new construction but when something like this is brought to their attention, they usually take care of it.

“Especially if it’s beneficial to our infrastructure,” he said.

Council directed staff to have a look at the matter.

 

Grants for rinks
Council gave its blessing for staff to help the Kennebec Recreation Committee to apply for a Hydro 1 grant to be put towards rink renovations in Arden and to look at projects that might qualify for Ontario Trillium Fund grants such as the (proposed) rink in Sharbot Lake.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

At their meeting in Sydenham on Tuesday Night (April 2) South Frontenac Council released the funds that were on hold in the 2019 budget for the Gilmour Point washroom/change house/shelter.

The cost estimate for the project by Hughes Downey Architects is $225,00 to $250,000 plus HST and includes mechanical/ electrical, ventilation, lighting, power and building.

The estimated does not include septic, well and pump system or electrical services but these costs will fall within the overall budget for the project, for which $450,000 has been budgeted all told

The 2017 and 2018 approved capital budgets included amounts of $20,000 and $150,000 respectively for the project. An additional amount of $280,000 was included in the 2019 capital budget submission.

“We had a meeting with the rec committee and they were quite pleased with the changes,” said Dep. Mayor Ron Sleeth.

Public Works Manager Marks Segsworth said the architect’s fees would be “in the neighbourhood of $20,000.”

Council rejects motion to oppose development service charge changes
A motion brought forth by Coun. Ross Sutherland opposing changes to development services charges was defeated at South Frontenac’s regular Council meeting Tuesday night in Sydenham.

Sutherland’s motion stemmed from a similar motion in Peel Region, which is concerned that provincial government changes to development charges legislation may eliminate the charges altogether. Peel is concerned that without development charges, water bills will rise to pay for water and wastewater to new houses.

The South Frontenac motion read in part: “Moved that the Township of South Frontenac believes that growth should pay for itself through development charges and that development services charges are critical to help South Frontenac pay for needed new infrastructure to accommodate growth, roads and fire halls and

“Further, that any changes to development fees that would move new development water servicing costs to water rates would have significant negative effect on water system users, particularly those on small water systems like in South Frontenac, and also adding a significant block to further development in our hamlets . . .”

The motion further requested that letters be sent to the Premier, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Leader of the Opposition, AMO and other Ontario municipalities.

“I won’t be supporting this,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal. “Development services said it would be handled through them.”

“If we’re going through a process of review, aren’t we putting the cart before the horse?” said Dep. Mayor Ron Sleeth.

“I do support this, we need to be proactive,” said Coun. Randy Ruttan.

$20 per diem
Council approved a $20 per diem for public committee of adjustment members to attend site visits outside of their district.

Generally, both public and Council committee members visit sites within their district and are compensated at $50 per meeting and $0.55 per kilometer to attend site visits and meetings.

The out of district site visits would be done at the request of the director of development services (Claire Dodds).

“I think this is getting to a slippery slope,” said Mayor Ron Vandewal, but if it’s done at the request of the planner, I can support it.”

Hazardous waste
Council has directed staff to develop an arrangement whereby Central Frontenac residents will be able to make use of the South Frontenac Hazardous Waste site on Keeley Road, provided that all costs incurred by extending use of the site will be 100% recovered.

Central Frontenac staff approached South Frontenac to see if it is possible, and the contractor who handles the waste, Brendar, said there is extra capacity to handle more volume.

Details regarding how billing will be handled has been left to staff to work out.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

Ken Arney does not expect Central Frontenac Township to pull out the large culvert that they put in to allow water from Dead Creek to pass under the Henderson Road a few metres from his home, just because the culvert and the rocks that are holding it in place are jutting onto his property.

He would like to get paid some compensation for the land that has effectively been taken by the township, and he would also like the township to re-install the fence that was pulled down in order to do the work. But mostly he would like some acknowledgement that the township should have shown him some more respect.

“I never heard anything from before they started, not until I began seeing equipment arriving in the last week of November. Then, I saw that the survey stake that marked the border between mine and my neighbours property had been buried, and that the fence marking the border between his property and the township property was gone. That’s when I started asking questions.”

“When I asked the workers what was going on, they told me that they would remove any of the material that was on my property,” said Arney, in an interview at this house this week.

Arney said that he called Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith the next day on Saturday, December 1st.

Frances Smith does not recall exactly what she told Arney on the phone on December 1st.

“I would have told him then what I told him when he came to council last month. If we did anything wrong, we will make it right,” she said in a phone interview this week.

The old culvert was removed and the new one installed a few days later, just before freeze up. By Friday, December 7, barely a week before arriving, construction crews were gone.

“What was left is a culvert that is wider and a lot longer than the one that was replaced. I have a copy of the permit they got from Quinte conservation, which says the new culvert will be 15 feet longer, but what is there is much longer than that. The permit also says that a sediment screen should be in place until the site has stabilised and there is no screening in place,” said Arney.

The construction took place after Greer Galloway, an engineering firm working for Central Frontenac, obtained a development permit from Quinte Conservation. The permit was granted on the basis of a report on the project prepared by Greer Galloway and submitted to Quinte Conservation, along with a “construction sequence and dewatering plan” that was submitted by Crains Construction.

The permit sets out six conditions, one being that a 27.5 metre long culvert will be replaced by a 31.5 metre long culvert. It also says that “sediment and erosion controls must be properly installed to isolate the work site from the watercourse and must remain in place until the site has stabilised.”

Quinte Conservation may or may not have visited the site before approving the permit. One of the notes attached to the permit says “Quinte Conservation inspects, some, but not all permits.”

When construction was complete, Ken Arney was not happy with the outcome. He called his local councillors, and eventually all members of council, and asked them to come look at the situation. He went before, and presented his concerns in February.

“They did not apologise. I got the feeling that they thought I was making trouble,” he said about the meeting.

He also said that while council is committed to buying the piece of land that they have effectively appropriated, they are not planning to build a new fence to replace the one that was removed.

He refers to a document he obtained from the public works department of the township, titled “notes on 2138 Henderson Road” which says, in part, “we can also investigate the possibilities of providing services in lieu of payment … (ie. repairing of fence or entrance improvements … )”

France Smith said that it is her understanding that Crains construction is going to replace the fence, and that a surveyor is going to be determining how much land is involved and the township will then purchase it.

“But none of this can happen in the winter,” she said. “We told him that. As I said, if we do anything wrong, we fix it.”

She also said that is it her understanding that Ken Arney was seeking a survey of his whole property as part of the resolution.

“We see no reason to do that, we will only survey what we need to survey,” she said.

Ken Arney is not quite ready to put the matter behind him.

“I think a lot of people messed up; Quinte, Greer Galloway, Crains and the township. Someone should look at this. The culvert is longer than they said it would be, and the sediment is leaching into the creek,” he said.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

VIA Rail officials have not given up on plans to build out a new service between Toronto and Ottawa, passing through and potentially stopping in Sharbot Lake, but the federal budget did not go as they had hoped.

In a short letter to Central Frontenac Council, written the day after the budget, Tiffany Anne Ouimet, Senior Advisor (government and community relations, Ontario and West) said she “wanted to reach out to let you know that we have taken stock of the Federal Budget measures announced yesterday”.

The letter does not go on to reveal what was in the budget, but it is clear by what is not said that the budget did not contain any funding for the project.

“We remain confident in the importance and relevance of High Frequency Rail for our passengers and for bringing communities closer together with a travel solution that will make life easier and unlock local opportunities, while reducing pollution and supporting Canadian growth and prosperity.

“Driven by our commitment to provide the best experience for our customers, VIA will continue to work with Government of Canada officials as they study High Frequency Rail,” the letter says before going on to talk about VIA’s other priorities.”

Then it thanks Central Frontenac for “sharing your perspective on the needs and opportunities in Central Frontenac”.

Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith said that it is her understanding that the letter is a way of letting the township know that “VIA is interested in the project but they realise the government is not supporting this project now, and they don’t know when that will change.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

“We’d like to expand into North Frontenac,” Dave Smith of North Frontenac Telephone Company told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

To be clear, Smith was talking about broadband internet connections, not cell phone coverage. Cell phone expansion in the area will have to wait until EORN (Eastern Ontario Regional Network) works out a deal with the federal government.

“There could be an announcement from EORN in the next couple of months,” said Mayor Ron Higgins. “A project is shovel ready.”

“We’ve had some discussions with EORN,” said NFTC representative, Rod Stroud. “We’ve acquired a tower at 509 and 7 and can now cover about 25 per cent of North Frontenac.”

“From the west end of Kash (Lake Kashawakamak) to the 41 corridor, there’s no service and that’s our most populated area,” said Coun. Gerry Martin.

“And the Snow Road abyss,” said Coun. Fred Fowler.

“Once the tech is built, it’s relatively simple to expand,” said Stroud. “There’s an art involved.”

“We’re not going to jam up towers in areas that already have service,” said NFTC representative Bill Young.

Stroud said they plan to offer packages to seasonal residents that include things like security options for people to observe and monitor their properties while they’re away.

“We’ll offer packages that may make them want to stay connected all year,” Stroud said. “We’ll start testing live on Monday and every person that wants service will get it.

“We’ll have a look at the towers you do have and look at municipal land where we may want to put up a tower.

“I think we’re in agreement,” said Higgins. “We want it and need it.

“We’ll get the word out to the cottage associations.”

 

• • •

North Frontenac has 100,000 cubic metres of landfill capacity, or about 50 years (including the now inoperative Ardoch site), David Bucholtz of Cambion Inc, the company that monitors North’s landfills, told Council.

He said there’s a bit of a cloud over the province vis a vis unexpected changes to government policy, but “the government has indicated it intends to continue the extended producer responsible waste system.”

North Frontenac is part of the waste assessment session scheduled for April 17 in Glenburnie.

Coun. Fred Perry asked about the possibility of incineration.

“Of course, it’s an option — if you have the money,” Bucholtz said.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC

Addington Highlands Council approved a request to bend the rules on how waste is delivered to one of its waste sites at its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon in Flinton.

The request came from Jenelle and Joseph Rosenblath, who are renovating the 41 Stop business.

“We purchased the property in October, 2018, (and) are attempting to renovate it and open as soon as possible as the summer months approach us,” the Rosenblaths said in a letter to Council. “Our next step is to prepare the site so that above ground fuel tanks can be installed and we need o remove an old free standing garage and deck.

“We would like to take the material to the Vennachar waste site in four large truck loads versus 16 smaller trailer loads as it is simply more convenient and cost effective and likely easier to dump and handle at the waste site.”

Coun. David Miles said he’d be in favour of making an exception to the dump rules in this case.

“But you’d be opening a can of worms,” said Coun. Kirby Thompson. “If you open that up, it’s never going to go away.”

“One of the reasons we have the rules is to discourage that sort of dumping at our waste sites,” said roads/bridges supervisor Brett Reavie.

Mayor Henry Hogg said there would be an option for the Rosenblaths to rent a dumpster but “they’re not cheap.”

“We want to be accommodating to our small businesses but we have to abide by the rules,” said Coun. Helen Yanch.

“We do make exceptions to bylaws on occasion,” said Clerk Christine Reed. “For example, we make exceptions to the noise bylaw.”

“Yes, but the noise goes away eventually, garbage is forever,” said Yanch.

In a recorded vote, Council defeated a motion to deny the request with Yanch and Thompson voting for.

“So, what do we do now?” said Hogg.

The answer was another motion, this time to approve the request. Again, it was a recorded vote and only Yanch voted against.

New CBO
Council passed bylaws appointing David Twiddy as both Chief Building Official and Municipal Law Enforcement Officer.

SDRA rejected
Council denied a request from the Skootamatta District Ratepayers Association for $1,000 to test the water quality on Skootamatta Lake.

“I think all lake associations do water testing as part of their raison d’etre,” said Mayor Henry Hogg. “But if we do it for one, we’d have to do it for all.”

“I don’t think we can go down that road,” said Coun. Helen Yanch.

Council passed a motion to receive the request and refer the lake association to Quinte Conservation for assistance.

OPWA rejected as well
A request from the Ontario Public Works Association to proclaim a Public Works Week and hold a “Truck Roadeo” was turned down by Council.

“I don’t think we make proclamations,” said Mayor Henry Hogg.

“Never have,” said Coun. Helen Yanch.

“Unless Brett (roads/bridges supervisor Reavie) wants to do a demonstration of snowplowing,” said Hogg.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Page 10 of 162
With the participation of the Government of Canada