Ever since the Ardoch Lake Development Corporation began planning to develop lots on a large section of Ardoch Lake about five years ago, there has been keen public interest in the project, mainly from the few other property owners on the lake, and the more numerous residents of Malcolm Lake, which adjoins it.

It was not surprising, therefore, that the Clar-Mill Hall in Plevna was full on August 22 for a public meeting on the proposed 34 vacant lot condominium on the property.

A vacant lot condominium is similar to a subdivision. It is a planning tool that allows a developer to sub-divide a single large lot, in this case a 200 acre parcel with frontage on about half of the small lake. The laneway that connects all these properties to the nearest township road will be built by the developer, and maintained by a condominium corporation that will need to be established. In this case, the condominium corporation will also take legal responsibility for the type of septic systems that each of the eventual property owners puts in on their own lots.

Because Ardoch Lake is small, and there is a potential for increases in phosphorous levels in the lake as the result of septic runoff, this is a key element to the proposal.

The first presenter on the application was Joe Gallivan, who is playing a dual role in the planning process. As the staff planner for Frontenac County, he represents the county's interest as the approval authority for the plan of vacant land condominium. As the contract planner for the township (under an agreement with the county) he represents the township's interests in dealing with a site plan agreement and a zoning application that is part of the proposal.

Gallivan outlined the way the latest phase of the process has developed, including the reports from commenting agencies such as the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Kingston Frontenac Public Health and others.

Chief among the concerns expressed by MVCA are those dealing with potential impacts of the development on water quality and the fact that if the development is approved as proposed, the capacity of the lake for development will be used up. None of the three or four other property owners on the lake will be able to create new building lots on their properties.

Speaking for the developer, planner Peter Josephs said that by insisting that the septic systems on each of the 34 lots are built using recently approved technology the impact of phosphorous on the lake will be minimised, and the lake will be able to maintain a level of phosphorous under the provincial standard of 20 micrograms per litre.

Other groups also made presentations raising concerns about the proposed condominium, including the North Frontenac Lake Associations Alliance, and the Malcolm and Ardoch Lake Association.

Speaking for his family, Brian Schonauer talked about the decades-old cottages his family has put up on the other side of the lake, and said they might want to put up a few more at some point. Then he went further, introducing Gord Neilson of Michalski Neilson, a environmental planning and lake capacity assessment company based in Bracebridge, Ont.

In a detailed report, Gord Neilson questioned the target of 20 mirograms per litre of phosphorous in a lake that he described as "oligotrophic". Oligotrophic lakes are prized for their “excellent water quality and clarity”.

“Results of ministry-sponsored surveys show that Ardoch and Malcolm Lakes have low levels of phosphorous coming from natural sources, making them very clear as well ... the long-standing provincial water quality standard for oligotrophic lakes reads as follows:

'A high level of protection against aesthetic deterioration will be provided by a total phosphorous concentration for the ice free period of 10[micrograms]/Litre or less. This should apply to all lakes naturally below this value.'"

With the limited amount of development already existing on Ardoch Lake, the mean phosphorous concentration in testing between 2010 and 2013 is 6.8.

Neilson also said that “The typical pattern for new shoreline development on small cottage-country lakes is through individual severances, which result in small, incremental changes in lake values ... Larger plans of subdivision or plans of condominium are often contemplated on large lakes, the size and flow characteristics of which provide considerable resiliency against the scale of such development. It is extremely unusual for an application to be advanced that would see an increase of 25% or more in the number of residential units on a lake, let alone the approximately 400% increase in this case.”

Members of the public also expressed their concerns about the proposal, particularly because all of the calculations for impacts on the shoreline and water quality are based on seasonal use. However cottages do get four-season use.

Peter Josephs said that the road that will be put in will not be ploughed in the winter, limiting the use of the residences.

Joe Gallivan said that the proposal and all of the commentary will allow his office to provide a recommendation in the coming weeks.

Last week, Central Frontenac Council decided to stay an order to remove two miniature horses from a property on Clarke Rd. Margaret Mallory and Brian Skillen have been keeping the horses on their one-acre property and petitioned the township to allow them to keep them. Council asked township staff to report back on whether this constitutes an “agricultural use”, which would require a minimum lot size of four hectares (9.9 acres).

Council is considering changing the bylaw or fine tuning the definition of agricultural use to exclude animals that are being kept as pets, as the horses are.

Two people read the account of this debate with interest, for different reasons.

One of those people is Peter Lister, who was one of the very few in the audience at the meeting who was not there to support Mallory and Skillen. In fact it was Peter Lister who made the complaint that activated the bylaw officer to order the miniature horses removed in the first place.

“I have nothing against the horses,” he said later when interviewed at his home, which is next to the home of Mallory and Skillen, “nor do I have anything against the people living there. My problem is with the potential effect of those horses on my water and on the water in Big Clear Lake.”

As was reported last week, the Ministry of the Environment will be investigating the matter, not because of the bylaw but because the wellhead on the property in question is located in the same converted garage where the miniature horses, Teddy and Tommy, are stabled.

Lister's concern is based on the fact that his own well is the same depth as the well on the neighbouring property and he is concerned it might be the same vein that feeds both wells, making his well subject to potential contamination.

“I am trying to sell my house and if anything happens to the water that would be the end of my sale,” he said, “and I would be left with contaminated drinking water.”

Lister said that he has been testing his well water every week since the spring, when he became concerned, and thus far the tests have come back clean.

“The garage also backs onto a flood plain that drains directly into Big Clear Lake,” Lister said, pointing to the back of the properties, “and the animal waste can feed into the lake.”

We attempted to contact Mr. Skillen to comment on the concerns raised by Peter Lister, but were unsuccessful thus far.

If two horses are ok, what about six goats?

Shawn Blackburn also read the article last week, and called us to talk about his brush with the bylaw officer. Blackburn lives with his wife Julie and daughter Christina on Brock Road close to Mountain Grove. Last month he was served with an order from the Central Frontenac bylaw officer to remove the pet goats that he has had on his three-acre property for the past 18 months.

“I have permission from my neighbour to use 10 acres of his property, which backs onto mine, in order to get the township off my back,” he said, taking a break from doing some excavator work in preparation for putting up a fence around his neighbour's field. The order from the township requires that the animals are removed by August 23, and Blackburn does not know what will happen then. He has been working on a combine in Saskatchewan and will be flying back there to work until the season ends in mid-November. He is hoping the township will give him enough time to find a way to comply with the bylaw.

Blackburn does not know who complained about the goats, which he keeps in a penned-in yard next to his house. The six goats started off as two goats, Billy and Daisy, who were purchased as pets for Christina, but now there are six, two of which, twins Bob and Burt, are set to be given away.

“We're going to fix the males so we'll have four left,” said Blackburn, adding that the animals are kept entirely as pets, not for milk or meat or any other agricultural use.

“I'll do what I have to to keep them; my daughter is very attached to them. She pampers them; she feeds them by hand. We all do.”

In North and Central Frontenac there are two police officers scheduled to cover policing needs at all times. In the daytime they sometimes patrol in two cars and at night they double up in one vehicle. The same level of service is provided in Tay Valley. In South Frontenac, where there is a policing contract, the service level is a bit higher. The police who serve all these communities also spend a lot of time working directly for the Province of Ontario by covering Highway 7 and Highway 401, which are not within the jurisdiction of the townships.

These levels of service are not changing, but what is changing is how much people will be charged for policing on their property tax bills.

Ever since policing costs were downloaded to municipalities almost 15 years, the way costs are calculated for municipalities who are not under a fixed contract with the OPP has been shrouded in mystery. When the province announced they were going to change the formula and make it transparent it was well received by the municipalities. Unfortunately, for the small municipalities in Eastern Ontario at least, it became clear when proposals for a new formula were introduced that increases were on the way.

The problem is that the main piece of information the province is using for calculating charges is the number of households in a municipality. At first the proposal was to base all the cost entirely on this, and the figure that was floated was about $350 per household. This would be very expensive locally, in large part because the formula does not distinguish between seasonal and full-time residences. North Frontenac Township paid $234,000 for policing in 2014, and with 3,500 households, the cost would skyrocket to $1.25 million. Central Frontenac, which paid $794,000 in 2014, would jump to $1.4 million. Tay Valley would go from about $500,00 to $1.35 million.

The province has moderated the formula, announcing last week that 60% of the billing would be based on the number of residences and 40% based on calls for service. Municipal officials whom I have contacted are unclear about what this will mean for their ratepayers, and they will find out in early September, when information sessions are scheduled. There will also be a four-year phase-in to cushion the blow, and according to a government press release the maximum a municipality will be charged is a $40 per household increase each year for the five years. The best case scenario then, for North Frontenac ratepayers, would then be an increase of $700,000 over five years, which translates to a 14% increase in taxes over the time period just for policing costs. Central Frontenac could see a smaller increase, somewhere in the order of 10%.

South Frontenac's policing contract will be affected by this change, and the details will be released in September. Since there are about 10,000 households in South Frontenac, and the township budgeted $2.7 million for policing in 2014 (up from $2.3 million in 2013) there is every reason to believe that costs will go up to about $3.6 million over five years, a $900,000 increase that represents a 7.5% increase in taxes for South Frontenac ratepayers.

In conversations with some of the township treasurers about this, it was clear that they do not yet know what the announcements from the province actually means for their budgets in 2015 and beyond, but they do expect large increases.

As we are about to go headlong into a municipal election campaign, these figures might temper some of the candidates' election promises.

Ompah fire hall renovations to cost $300,000

If all goes well, North Frontenac Council will not have to concern itself with the future of the Ompah fire hall/ community centre any more.

A proposal put forward to council this week by Steve Sunderland, the voluntary co-ordinator of the project, included three options for council's consideration.

Council accepted option 3, the most complete and most expensive, at a cost of $292,225. The option includes two additions to the original proposal: in-floor heating in the fire hall and a relocated washroom and shower unit for the firefighters.

The decision by council to add the two new elements came about after a flurry of correspondence between the Ompah Community Association (OCA) and the township in late July and early August.

Ultimately the OCA sent a letter to the township last week pledging a $50,000 donation to the project on the condition that the two new elements be included. The rest of the money will come from a number of reserve funds, chiefly the Ompah fire hall reserve fund.

When asked by the mayor, Fire Chief Steve Riddell said he was not sure that the in-floor heating was necessary, but his was the only dissenting voice on council.

The most vocal critic of expanding the project beyond the $180,000 approved in this year's budget, Councilor Wayne Good, from Barrie ward, was not in attendance, nor was Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, who had also argued for restraint. Good and Perry have gone so far as to question the need for the fire hall, given that there are fire halls in Plevna, 15 km to the west, and Snow Road, 8 km to the east.

The project is already underway, following a suggestion earlier this spring by Steve Sunderland that it be split into numerous sub-projects, which are being completed one at a time. This way of proceeding came about when the lowest of the tender bids for the entire project was $364,000.

However that was only the latest chapter in the saga of the Ompah fire hall, which has been at the council table for eight years or more. The township even purchased land across the road from the existing fire hall/community hall/library building, intending to build a brand new combined fire hall/ambulance base in conjunction with Frontenac County. Cost overruns related to the site and projected costs as well as an inability to agree on cost-sharing led to the demise of that project, which left the township on the hook for the cost of purchasing and re-mediating the site, which once housed a gas station.

After the latest series of letters between council, staff, Ompah residents and firefighters, which led to the proposal that has finally been approved by council, Mayor Clayton said in a letter to Rose Boivin of the Ompah Community Association, “No one will be happier to see this project come to a healthy conclusion than I.”

Other items from Council

Buckshot Lake cell tower lighting

For the third time, Buckshot Lake residents Dave Swanson and Marie Whiting came to Council about a recently installed Bell Canada cell tower on the shores of the lake. They are concerned about the lights on the tower, particular a red LED light that shines down on the lake.

“I have been talking to officials at Bell,” Swanson said, “and in order to follow the process to change the orientation of that light, the township first has to send a letter to Transport Canada, pointing out the problem. We can draft the letter and submit it to the township.”

Norcan Lake dogs Council again

The ill-fated Canonto Lodge subdivision on Norcan Lake, in the north-eastern edge of the township, was back on the council agenda this week. Earlier this summer, council decided to allocate the $30,000 remaining from what had been a $60,000 payment to them from developer David Hill. The money was to be paid back to Hill once all the conditions noted in a site plan agreement between Hill and the township were met. One of those is a laneway linking a number of lot owners' properties with a water access lot they all hold in common.

This laneway has never been constructed, and has been mired in controversy, leading a group of angry lot owners to seek redress from Council.

The latest problem arose when an engineer's report, commissioned by the township's public works manager, Jim Phillips, revealed that a stacked boulder retaining wall at the edge of the proposed lane could fail. The engineer recommended building a new wall and Phillips brought that recommendation to council. Phillips also recommended meeting with the affected landowners to discuss the matter.

A couple of Canonto subdivision land holders were present at the meeting. They wanted to address Council on the matter but had not registered as a delegation beforehand.

One of them expressed frustration at the further delay and added cost to the construction. “I don't know why the township didn't go right after David Hill for this. I don't know why we end up being treated like the enemy when all we want to do is make sure we have what we paid for in the first place so we can go ahead and build and pay taxes to them,” one of them said outside the meeting.

Recycling ratios remain steady

North Frontenac residents continue to recycle more bags of waste than they send "over the hill' into township landfill. Statistics for the 2nd quarter of 2014 show a consistent rate of just under 60% each month throughout the system, although the numbers vary somewhat from waste site to waste site.

The 2014 totals are almost 5% better than they were a year earlier, when the rate was about 55%.

Miniature horses get a 60 day stay from CF Council 

The Oso hall was packed to the rafters for the August meeting of Central Frontenac Council, not a common occurrence by any means.

The audience sat through numerous debates over whether to stop up and close road allowances and heard about the number of building permits issued last month. They even sat through the approval of the accounts and the discussion about failed tax sales and whether vesting properties is a viable option in those cases.

To their credit, no one closed their eyes through the entire first hour and a quarter of the proceedings, which is more than can be said of some members of the press, present company included.

They waited through all this because of their devotion to Tommy and Teddy, the miniature horses that are cared for by Margaret Mallory and Brian Skillen, on their property at 113 Clarke Road.

In mid-July, Mallory and Skillen were served a Notice of Contravention from the township's bylaw officer. The notice said they were in contravention of the township zoning bylaw because their 1 acre lot is less than the “minimum lot area for agricultural use”.

The trouble for Teddy and Tommy came about as the result of a complaint by one neighbour, which was enough to trigger the township bylaw, since bylaw enforcement in Central Frontenac is complaint-based.

Speaking on Mallory and Skillen's behalf, neighbours Glenys Coffin and Rebecca Kelsey asserted that Mr. Skillen is not operating a farm and that the miniature horses are not agricultural animals, but pets.

“There are a number of species of dogs that are larger than Tommy and Teddy. They are less than 3 feet tall and they weigh less than 150 pounds,” said Glenys Coffin.

Tommy and Teddy are well known around the region because Brian Skillen brings them to Legion events in Arden and Tweed, the Fun Fair at Land O'Lakes Public School, to children's parties as far away as Newburgh, to county fairs and parades, and they have even been brought into Pine Meadow Nursing Home.

A local foster family sent a letter of support, saying their three-year-old foster daughter has a terrible fear of animals, and Mr. Skillen brought his horses to their house every day for a time, until their foster child became accustomed to them and eventually began petting them and looking forward to the visits.

“She has even begun to get over her fear of other animals, thanks to Tommy and Teddy,” the letter concluded.

Faced with this, the debate among Council in response to the delegation centred on how to keep Tommy and Teddy in place while they looked for a permanent solution to the issue.

Mayor Janet Gutowski pointed out that “the Ministry of the Environment phoned the township today {August 12} expressing a concern about possible well contamination because the horses are being kept in a garage that is near the well on the property and they will be checking further on water regulations. This is just something else that Council needs to consider.”

The ministry's concern seems to stem from communication from the same complainant who made the initial complaint from the township. Mr. Skillen, who was in the audience at the meeting, said that no ministry official has visited his property thus far.

Councillor Tom Dewey proposed a motion asking staff to look into making changes to the bylaw to clarify the distinction between livestock and pets and report back to council within 60 days.

“The other thing we need to do is find a way to put a stay on the order to remove the horses from the property,” said Councillor Norm Guntensperger.

Councillor John Purdon suggested that the remedy for the problem may not involve changing the bylaw at all.

“By our definition of a hobby farm, this is not a hobby farm, and it all comes down to what we define as livestock. If we define these miniature horses as pets, we no longer have an issue,” he said.

After a break to discuss the wording of a motion, council proceeded to pass a motion asking staff to report back on the situation, including consulting with the Ministry of the Environment and the township's lawyer. They also put a stay on the order to remove the animals for 60 days. Chief Administrative Officer Larry Donaldson said that while staff will certainly be able to report back within 60 days, if it is necessary to change the bylaw it will take longer than that, because of the process that needs to be followed.

“But we can extend the stay if we have to,” said Councillor Heather Fox.

No dollar commitment necessary at this time

Council expresses interest in acquiring Hinchinbrooke Public School building

The Limestone District School Board has formally declared that the Hinchinbrooke School property is surplus and has approved the sale of the property.

Central Frontenac, on the urging of a community group called the Central Frontenac Community Recreation Centre Committee, has decided to put forward an expression of interest in the 13,870 square foot building and the 5.28 acres that surround it.

CAO Larry Donaldson said that he has contacted the board about the property.

“They are not looking for an offer to purchase right away. They will be inviting groups to come forward and will then walk everyone through the process and will share the most current information about the building and property so that when a decision is made it will be an informed one,” he said.

According to provincial regulations the board is required to offer the property first to all adjacent school boards, of which there are three, two French and one English Catholic Board, followed by post secondary institutions (St. Lawrence College, Cite College – Ottawa, Queen's University) the Ontario Infrastructure and Land Corporation, the Township of Central Frontenac, Frontenac County, and the federal government.

Speaking for the Recreation Centre Committee, Sue Leslie said there are at least a half a dozen community groups interested in using the space. They include the Parham Happy Travelers, Northern Frontenac Community Services, a local artists group, the soccer and baseball leagues, RKY camp and Community Living – North Frontenac.

“The library will also need space, and they have a policy of locating branches in community hubs, so this would be a good location.”

Members of Council asked if any of the potential users were in a position to pay rental or usage fees of any kind.

“Certainly Northern Frontenac Community Services is willing to pay for programming space, and others are aware as well, although they aren't necessarily in a position to pay a lot,” said Leslie.

She said that as far as she knew the cost of maintaining the building, which the school board has pegged at $132,000 per year, includes a full-time caretaker, which the community would not need to employ.

“There is a lot of square footage to the building,” said Councillor John Purdon, “and the library only needs about 1000 square feet of it and they are only open 6 hours a week. And the other groups will be using it only occasionally. Are you sure you have use for all that space?'

“There are lots of uses. If you build it they will come,” said Leslie, “and since we might have to limit ourselves to the main floor for public use because of accessibility requirements, we may have less space than we need.”

Councillor Frances Smith said, “To maintain it over the long term is going to be difficult, once the township owns it. The land itself is worth something to the Hinchinbrooke community, to all of us, since the fair ground, ball field and fire hall are adjacent to it. I think we should show an expression of interest for sure.”

Councillor Jeff Matson suggested that the other groups on the list should be contacted to see if any of them are interested in a joint venture.

CAO Donaldson said he would do that, and council approved a motion to let the board know they are interested in the property.

To date the township has not put any money aside for the project, nor have they made even an informal commitment to spend anything. The community group has indicated they will get involved in fund-raising for the project if necessary.

Wayne Orr, the chief administrative officer for South Frontenac Township, has taken a look at the next few months and what he sees is a council that will have little opportunity to make decisions.

Based on the current state of registered candidates for the upcoming election, it is Orr’s assessment that the council will be in what is known as a ‘lame duck’ position as of September 12, and will not resume its full authority until a new council is sworn in on December 2^nd.

A ‘lame duck’ council cannot do any hiring or firing, cannot buy or sell any property worth more than $50,000, and it cannot spend money or take on any new liability exceeding that same $50,000 threshold, unless it is already included in the annual budget.

These functions can be accomplished, however, if Council delegates its authority to staff before the beginning of the election period.

Larger municipalities delegate all of these kinds of functions to staff all the time, but smaller municipalities take a more hands-on role at most times.

At their August meeting in Sydenham on Tuesday night, Council approved a proposal to delegate its authority for hiring, firing, and spending to CAO Wayne Orr until December 2.

South Frontenac will almost certainly be in a lame duck position as of September 12. It is a nine-member council (eight council members and one mayor) and the rules state that it will become lame if there is no possibility that the new council will include 75% of the membership of the out-going council

Mayor Davison is retiring, and since two members of the current council are seeking his position and only one will be elected, there is a guaranteed turnover of two positions. Councilors Larry York (Storrington) and Del Stowe (Bedford) are not registered to run again and indications are that they won’t be running. Unless they both change their mind, six or fewer members of the current council will have a chance of returning, and it will be a lame duck situation.

Orr also proposed canceling a number a meetings during the lame duck period. South Frontenac Council normally meets the first and third Tuesday of the month for a formal meeting and the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday as a Committee of the Whole. This fall, instead of meeting weekly, Orr proposed that they don’t hold any Committee of the Whole meetings at all, and that one of the two council meetings be cancelled as well, leaving them with only one meeting a month, on the first Tuesday of the month.

Council already does this in the summer, so in effect there will be only five meetings between July 1 and December 2 this year.

Central Frontenac Council may also become lame duck on September 12. With Councilor Frances Smith challenging Mayor Janet Gutowski, one of them will be gone from the new council. As well, both of the current councilors from Olden, Norm Guntensperger and John Purdon, have not registered as candidates. Unless at least one of them runs again, the nine-member Central Frontenac Council will be lame after September 12.

In North Frontenac, which has a seven-member council, six of the seven need to seek re-election to avoid being a lame duck council during the election period. As of now, only four have registered - Bud Clayton, Gerry Martin, Fred Perry, and John Inglis. At least two more from among Lonnie Watkins, Wayne Good, and Betty Hunter will need to throw their hats back in the ring to avoid it.

In Addington Highlands Mayor Hogg and the ward 2 councilors, Helen Yanch and Bill Cox, are seeking re-election, but the incumbents in ward 1 are not registered. At least one of the two, Tony Fritsch or Adam Snider, will need to run to avoid the lame duck.

The rules around lame duck councils are based on the fear that council members who are not going to be around to deal with the consequences of their spending decisions will not be as prudent with taxpayers' money. If 75% of the people sitting around the table have a chance of being back after an election, the chances of that happening are reduced.

Over 20 representatives from various groups and organizations that offer essential services to residents and guests in the Township of North Frontenac showed off their gear and know-how at the third annual Essential Services Fair, which took place at the Barrie Hall in Cloyne on July 26.

Mayor Bud Clayton, who was in attendance at the event, said that the fair is a way to let residents and potential residents of the township know that it is well looked after by a number of service groups in the area. “We are here to let the public know that we do have these services in the area and that the Township of North Frontenac is a safe and great place to live,” Clayton said. “It is also a way for these organizations to get important information out to the public.”

Matthew Doyle from KFLA Public Health passed out information about the free dental services and the tobacco reduction services they offer, as well as information about ticks and West Nile virus, septic system guidelines and the free well water testing they offer. Kelly Skaug of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters was spreading the word about the numerous invasive species in the area including spiny and fishhook waterfleas, Eurasian watermilfoil, rusty crayfish, zebra mussels and more. Randy Moore of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority spread the word about the regulations for safe septic systems and docks along with information about how to properly maintain natural waterfronts.

Members of the OPP detachments from Napanee and Smiths Falls were also present and did demonstrations showing off some of their gear. Members of the North Frontenac Fire Department had a number of their vehicles on site and gave demos of their new vacuum tanker, which empties and then reloads water in just a matter of minutes. They also offered up a BBQ lunch. Members of the Kaladar/Barrie Fire department were also on hand with some their new equipment including a new water rescue boat.

Members of the 150th Anniversary of the County of Frontenac committee were also present making visitors aware of the celebrations that are coming up in 2015.

David Jones, a member of Frontenac County Council representing the Township of Frontenac Islands, expressed his continuing unhappiness at the rate of absenteeism among Frontenac County employees at a meeting of council last week.

His comments were occasioned by two reports by Colleen Hickey, the county manager of human resources - a quarterly attendance management report card for April to June of this year, and a monthly attendance report for June. The reports were ordered by county council last year in an attempt to get a grip on rising rates of absenteeism at Frontenac Paramedic Services and Fairmount Home, the county's two major operations.

Although the reports show that the rate is trending down at Frontenac Paramedic Services, Jones was not satisfied.

“We are near the end of our term, people,” he said, “and we saw that the numbers were going up and up each year. Just because they are down a little does not mean we have accomplished anything. We are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars each year here. Folks, if this was your business you wouldn't stand for it.”

Then, looking at the report on his computer screen, he said, “We will see what happens to the numbers now that summer time is here. I wonder if they will go up again.”

Jones' comments were not unusual, or unexpected. He reportedly made similar comments earlier in the week when new County CAO Kelly Pender was making a courtesy call to a meeting of Addington Highlands Council.

However, this time Chief of Paramedics, Paul Charbonneau, took offence and spoke up in an unprecedented manner.

Noting that there have been ten suicides among emergency services personnel recently in Canada, he said, “It is cumulative stress dealing with the shit that we deal with every day that is responsible for this. You can't compare what paramedics face each day with what happens in the private sector where people sit on their asses all day at a desk.”

When Jones was questioned after the meeting as to whether he believes that Frontenac County paramedics have been faking illness to get time off, he replied, “I did not say that.”

When further pressed about his comments regarding whether workers are more likely to call in sick during the summer, he paused, then said, “I was just musing, that's all.”

Shauna Dunn, the newly minted president of OPSEU Local 462, which represents the paramedics, commented on news reports about Jones' comments by elaborating on some of the points made by Paul Charbonneau: “ Paramedics are frontline health care workers, in close contact with sick people, multiple times per shift. We routinely face situations where we are exposed to saliva, mucous, blood, vomit, urine, and feces. We work outside in extreme weather. We work inside homes that can be described, at best, as unsanitary. We lift heavy patients in environments where proper body mechanics are not always possible. We work shift work. We see, hear, and smell things in the course of our duties that the average person would be horrified by if they were subjected to once, let alone multiple times. All of these factors affect us. Both physically and mentally.”

Both Charbonneau and Dunn were also surprised by the context of Jones' remarks, given that the reports he was commenting on both showed a marked decreased in absenteeism among Frontenac County paramedics in 2014.

Compared to 2014, absenteeism has been lower than the corresponding month in 2013 for each of the last four months. The county has set a target of a maximum of 12 sick days per unionized Frontenac Paramedic Services employee per year. In 2012, 45% of employees exceeded that target; in 2013, 42% exceeded the target; and in the first four months of 2014 (with a target of four sick days since it is only 1/3 of a year) only 16% of the paramedics exceeded the target.

Early in 2013 the Local 462 and Frontenac Paramedic Services were at loggerheads over absenteeism. A plan put forward by Paul Chabronneau to leave some shifts uncovered if paramedics were not available in order to save costs led to a grievance being filed to the Ontario Labour Board by the union. The County responded by abandoning the plan, and instead cut a 12-hour a day ambulance in the City of Kingston, which in turn cut the Local 462 work force by four full-time equivalent positions.

Relations were tense following that decision, but according to Shauna Dunn there has been a marked improvement in 2014, brought on partly by new leadership at the local and a new attitude at Frontenac County.

“We held a workshop session in the winter with our new executive, and management people and I think both sides found it very helpful,” she said.

For his part, Paul Charbonneau said that “We are working on a culture change between ourselves and the union, and I think it has been good for everyone.”

That change was reflected in a request by County Warden Bud Clayton that Shauna Dunn be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Robertsville Station.

That being said, the labour contract between Local 462 and the County ran out on January 1 of this year, and negotiations have not begun for a new contract. Before bargaining can begin, both sides need to agree on a level of service that will be maintained in the event of a strike or a lock-out, and they have not been able to come to terms. A meeting was held with a labour board official last month to try to work one out, unsuccessfully.

A full hearing is set for October, and bargaining will presumably begin once the Labour Board rules.

Sick pay is likely to be one of the key items in those negotiations.

If all goes well - NF Township office to re-open in the fall

North Frontenac Council approved a plan to bring the township office back to where it was on a cold day in January when an oil tank leaked, contaminating parts of the building and relegating township staff to portables and parts of the adjacent fire hall.

Council was faced with three options at their meeting this week: 1) hire ServiceMaster, the company that has been working with their insurance company to assess the damage; 2) accept a settlement of $91,000 for construction to hire their own contractor to do the work; or 3) accept the settlement and embark on a number of upgrades to the building that were identified as necessary by an unrelated report into the future viability of the office.

“The report estimated the cost of all necessary work at $400,000, but only $100,000 to bring the building into compliance with the building code by putting fire separations, etc. in place,” said Public Works Manager Jim Phillips.

“Since we are considering going another route by building a new office, I think we should do the quickest thing and get Service Master to bring the building back to where it was before the spill,” suggested Deputy Mayor Fred Perry. “The new Council will decide what to do from there, but I think our office staff will appreciate returning to their old office space.”

“We have been able to function, although it has been pretty hot this summer,” said CAO Cheryl Robson, “but even with its limitations we would be happy to be back in our old offices.”

Council approved the plan to let the insurance company hire Service Master to do the work. Robson said that it will take another week or two to finalise the estimates, and six weeks or so to do the work.

“But I can’t really say when it will be done; it’s still too early,” she said.

New furniture will be needed and there are many other costs to the small-scale disaster that came as the result of the oil leak, but all the costs will be covered by insurance, Robson said.

Osprey nests – not for everyone

The Conservationists of Frontenac Addington have put $1,200 aside for the installation of four poles to be fitted with platforms to attract Osprey nesting within the township.

“There is a gentleman who is willing to put the poles up. What we need to do is decide where we want to put them. I thought I would bring this forward, but so far I have had no response. There will be no cost to the township; it is free, gratis, if we want it,” Fred Perry said.

“It is for us to find a location. It has to be on township land, not Crown land, because that would require an agreement,” said Mayor Clatyon.

“Or we could seek permission from a landowner,” said Councilor John Inglis. “I would take one on my land. There are swamps nearby; it might be suitable.”

“I brought the idea up at our Malcolm Lake Association AGM,” said Councilor Gerry Martin. "We don’t want one. Ospreys eat too many fish.”

“We should be able to find spots for them, preferably in places that people can get to; they would be good for tourism,” said Clayton.

The township will look into finding locations, although not near Malcolm Lake or other lakes where the association objects.

Compactor needs repair – Council approved an expenditure of $34,200 to replace the radiator and engine of the trash compactor that was purchased in 2009 for $130,000. Maintenance costs since purchasing the compactor have been minimal, until now.

Province gives township the financial blues

With a number of members of the public in attendance, Mayor Clayton took the opportunity to point out that the provincial government's promise to eliminate its deficit without raising taxes is already resulting in a shift of costs to municipalities, “which means higher taxes or cuts in service.”

He said increased policing costs are part of this trend, as is a recent announcement that the province will no longer pay townships grants in lieu of taxes for hydro dams on Crown land with township jurisdiction.

“This will only cost us $8,000 but the policing will be another story,” he said “and there will be more coming.”

In terms of policing, Clayton said he has had informal talks about Frontenac County townships seeking a policing contract with the City of Kingston police force in the face of rising OPP costs.

“I have talked to the Mayor of South Frontenac about this, but not the Mayor of Central Frontenac.”

In order for a municipal police force to expand their service area, the new area they serve must be accessible. They cannot pass through an OPP-served jurisdiction to get to one that they serve. Central and South Frontenac would also have to contract with Kingston in order for North Frontenac to have an opportunity to do so.

Letter to Mayor Clayton, North Frontenac Township

I have never written to you before as I have never the need to as I do right now. I would just like to ask what is going to happen to the River Road, how many more patch jobs is it going to take to make it a good, useful road, as it isn't right now. Yes I know that some work is being done now, but I am talking about paving the road from the 509 right out to the Ardoch Road. Today it has cost me over $500 to fix my truck, due to the pot holes and bumps and everything else on that road. I am sure that I am not the only one getting a new axle or ball joints or bearings put on their car due to this road, and yes I need this road to go to work. I think the township's money could have went to better use. Instead of a star pad, it should have gone on road repairs. Just my two cents worth, the patch jobs don't work; something else does though.

Janet Brooks