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Ken Gilpin, the owner of Frontenac Municipal Bylaw Enforcement, appeared before Central Frontenac Council this week to speak to changes that have been proposed to the safe properties and noise bylaws that the township already has in place.

“All these bylaws are simply means of dealing with issues that come up. The changes that are proposed are just updates and short form wording as well to make them more effective,” he said.

Gilpin explained that the inspections are only triggered by complaints, and that after investigations, non-compliance with the bylaws results in the issuance of an order with 30 days to comply.

“At the end of 30 days we bring in a company to clean the property up and bill from there,” he said.

Gilpin said that his company, which provides bylaw enforcement services for a number of municipalities including North, Central and South Frontenac, always uses the same company to clean up properties.

“They have the necessary equipment and licenses to deal with scrap metal, hazardous waste, anything that is necessary to clean up properties that are derelict,” he said.

Councilor Tom Dewey said that Gilpin should put out an RFP for the services he contracts out in order to comply with township procurement policies, leading to a discussion about whether the policy applies to contractors.

The tenor of the discussion changed, however, when Mayor Smith invited Ross Halliday, a new resident of the township, to present his objections to the bylaw, which were included in a detailed written submission. Halliday said that the bylaw includes too much vague language and therefore hay fields, dandelions, cars that are unlicensed but still being repaired, and grass that may only be a few inches long, can be seen as non-compliant with the bylaw.

“I moved here with my wife Mandy a year ago with the intention of farming, and this bylaw can be used to stop us from doing most of what we are planning to do. I took a tour of my neighborhood and just about every property can be seen to be non-compliant with this new bylaw, which is much more open ended and vague than the current bylaw,” he said.

Council received letters supporting the changes from Gord Brown and Terry Kennedy, and one that opposes it from Sarah Hale, but the submission by Ross Halliday seemed to have the greatest effect.

Councilors Jamie Riddell and Brent Cameron said that passage of the bylaw should be deferred and the matter referred to special committee of council. Even Councilor Tom Dewey, who has been supportive of the changes, agreed, and by a unanimous vote the new safe properties and noise bylaws were referred to a committee that was subsequently struck to look at them and report back later in the year.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

A packed house greeted Central Frontenac Council at the Kennebec Hall for their annual meeting in Arden. The agenda was full because Council only meets once a month in the summer, and it wasn't until after the supper break, prepared by the Friends of Arden and the Kennebec fire crew, that issues of particular concern to the Arden area were raised.

Terry Kennedy, president of the Friends of Arden, made a presentation to Council on behalf of his group and 12 others in the community.

He started by expressing the community's gratitude to the township for recent work, mentioning the hard-topping of Henderson Road; the replacment of the entrance sign to the park; and the providing of fill for the memorial garden that is being planned for the hamlet.

He then talked about a number of initiatives that are underway or are being planned for the community, ranging from work on the trail known as the Matson Mile and improvements to the Cenotaph, to updating the local business brochure and improving the landscaping in public spaces.

Ongoing needs, some of which will involve support from the township, include cleaning up the Mill pond at the center of Arden, which has become choked with algae. The state of the Arden Road has been an ongoing concern for many years, and Kennedy said it has an “impact on some of the other things we are trying to do, such as finding ways to begin to fill what is largely a retail vacuum.”

Both the Big Clear and Kennebec Lake associations have been involved in an ongoing discussion at the township level about a mandatory septic re-inspection program, and Kennedy said they are planning to “keep working with the township to bring it forward to implementation”.

Kennedy concluded by saying that there has been a “willingness for Council to provide assistance, which has enabled the community to undertake and complete many initiatives that would otherwise not be possible.”

He said he hopes Council will continue to “extend its support where feasible and reasonable.”

Building starts leap ahead in June

When Chief Building Official Jeremy Neven came to Council in mid-June with disappointing news about a lack of building permits being taken out in May, which resulted in a cumulative $2 million drop in construction activity compared to last year, he said that he anticipated bringing more positive news in the coming months. That prediction came true, as there were permits issued for almost $2.5 million in construction in June alone, bringing the year-to-date total to $3.7 million. Suddenly the township is $450,000 over the pace that was set last year, and a whopping $1.4 million more than in 2014.

Permits for six new residential units and two new seasonal units were the highlights of the 24 permits issued in June.

OPP not coming back to Hinch school

Following up on concerns expressed at the previous meeting of Council over township staff allowing the OPP to use Hinchinbrooke school for training purposes without charging a fee, Jeremy Neven reported that he had contacted the OPP to find out if they were interested in coming back. They said they were and he told them they would have to make a formal request and there might be a fee attached.

Then after media reports from that meeting, Neven said that he heard back from the OPP Emergency Response Unit, which had used the building, and was informed they were no longer going to be holding training events in Central Frontenac.

Strat Plan moving forward

Penny Sharman, who held senior roles in North Frontenac and Stone Mills townships before spending six years with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, has now turned to consulting.

She met with council in June to kick-start a strategic planning process. In her preliminary report she made note of 37 initiatives that were discussed and talked briefly about how she has narrowed them down. She said she is prepared to bring forward a draft plan to the August meeting of Council unless there were concerns over the direction she was taking. When none came forward, Mayor Frances Smith said Sharman could go ahead and prepare the draft plan.

The plan will go to council and the public before being considered for adoption in the early fall.

Official Plan review and private roads

Joe Gallivan appeared as the township's planning consultant to put forward a schedule for the completion of both an Official Plan review and a Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw review for the township by the end of the current term of Council in 2½ years. The review had been delayed until Frontenac County completed its own Official Plan earlier this year, which will make it the approving body for the Central Frontenac plan when it is completed.

As the staff planner for the County, Gallivan has spent several years bringing its plan to completion.

In his role as county planner, Gallivan also reported on the recently completed private roads study for Frontenac County, highlighting some of the detail as it pertains to Central Frontenac.

The study shows that of the 166 private lanes in Central Frontenac, 121 are not candidates for further development, and of the other 45, only 13 can accommodate five or more new lots.

Still, Gallivan said that there are 111 vacant lots on private lanes in the township, and the potential for another 74 new lots to be created on the existing private lane network, so 185 of the 580 lots the township is projected to need by 2036 to accommodate demand can come from private lanes.

The requirements for development on these lanes is more stringent than it was in the past, but thanks to the County's lobbying efforts and the private lanes study, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs has reversed its long-standing position and is permitting this further activity on private lanes.

Seniors' housing

Joe Gallivan and Janette Amini, the clerk of Frontenac County, briefed Council on its role in developing a seniors' housing project in the township. One of the strategic goals of Frontenac County is building a small seniors' housing project in each of the four townships. Frontenac Islands is furthest along in the process. It has a piece of land picked out and is shopping for a developer.

South Frontenac is at the pre-development stage, and Central Frontenac is just now ready to start working on it. In order to start, a task force needs to be established. Under County rules, that task force is to include the mayor, two county council appointees (Councilors Tom Dewey from Central Frontenac and John McDougall from South Frontenac) and an appointee from Central Frontenac Council.

Councilor Bill MacDonald said he was willing to sit on the task force, and he was duly appointed by Council.

The task force will be ratified by the county at their meeting next week, and will start its work after that. Its first job is determining what the housing needs are for seniors in Central Frontenac. Both Frontenac Islands and South Frontenac have determined that units designed for market rent are appropriate, but Central Frontenac may be looking at a subsidized rental units.

“If you go the route of subsidized housing, there is grant money available,” said Amini.

Grass cutting and gravel contract

Supervisors Rick Commodore and Steve Gould, who together are handling the role of public works manager on an interim basis, reported that there have been some delays in the grass-cutting efforts on the sides of township roads this summer because of vehicle breakdowns and difficulty accessing parts. However, they said crews are working on the back roads in Olden District, and an outside contractor, Matson Construction, has stepped forward to do the work in Kennebec.

“We expect to catch up soon,” said Gould.

They also brought tenders for the supply of gravel to the township garages in Olden and Hinchinbrooke districts. The lowest bidder for both contracts was Gemmill Sand and Gravel, at $77,000 for Olden and $86,000 for Hinchinbrooke. This was lower than the bids from Crains' Consruction ($98,000 and $107,000 respectively) and Robinson Excavation ($106,000 and $119,000).

Councilor Dewey thanked Commodore and Gould for all the effort they have made to keep the department moving after its manager, John Badgley, parted company with the township last month (see Whatever happened to ... John Badgely)

Crow Lake to get seasonal speed bumps, signage

Karen Leahy, owner of the Oaks Resort in Crow Lake, said the residents of Crow Lake appreciate how the township has handled their request that the township do something about cars that speed through the narrow hamlet on a daily basis.

Township staff proposed, and council accepted, that removable speed bumps be installed at either end of the hamlet, with appropriate signage.

As Steve Gould from the Public Works department explained, the design of the recycled rubber product they plan to purchase from BMR Signs is such that larger heavy vehicles such as fire trucks, ambulances, and transports will not be affected because the speed bumps are narrow, but the cars and motorcycles that often speed through the hamlet will have to slow down.

The total cost of the speed bumps and signs is $1,433 and they will be removed before snowfall so they will not interfere with snow removal efforts.

Council authorized the purchase.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 06 July 2016 20:50

North Frontenac Council - Jun 30/16

Phosphorus Levels

Victor Castro, a senior aquatic scientist from the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) out of Kingston, made a presentation to Council on Thursday on phosphorus and its effect on the area's water systems. He also provided direction on the best management practices for future development on lakes. Castro explained that phosphorus, and nutrient enrichment, are the primary water-quality concerns for Ontario's inland lakes. An increase in phosphorus can result in algae blooms in lakes as the nutrients stimulate the production of algae.

Phosphorus is found naturally in all aquatic eco-systems but can also come from surface runoff, upstream lakes, the agricultural industry, and atmospheric depositions such as rain, snow, or dust. Sewage treatment plants and septic tanks can also provide a significant source of phosphorous, although technology has improved dramatically in sewage treatment over the years, lessening the negative impact these systems can potentially have.

Castro also told Council that climate change, invasive species, and shoreline development are some of the other threats to Ontario lakes.

Removing trees along a shoreline, or building roads allows water run-off to occur more easily and this can increase phosphorus levels. Castro related this to the benefit that larger waterfront lots can have, because typically, landowners leave more of the shoreline in a natural state, which helps cut down on phosphorus getting into the water system.

Castro explained that a lake is considered vulnerable to water-quality issues if it has over 20 micrograms of phosphorus per litre of water and that the MOE has designed a model to map current water quality as well as predict future water conditions. He explained that they also use the model to predict the current amount of phosphorus in the lake. They then can confirm the model’s accuracy by testing the water and making sure the numbers are consistent. If a lake is under-capacity, as far as phosphorus levels go, the model can predict how much more development the lake can take before it becomes vulnerable.

“Mazinaw Lake,” Castro explained, “you could pound that lake with development and never see a change. You could develop that lake; you could put thousands of cottages on that lake and never see anything. … We've done capacity assessments on the most significant lakes in North Frontenac. We're the only jurisdiction in Canada that will set a limit and say that's enough (development).”

Castro explained a few different ways that a property can still be developed on a “capacity” lake. “If the tile bed of the septic system is set back greater than 300M to the waterline, or the property drains to a non-sensitive watershed, or the land is re-developed with no net increase of phosphorus levels.”

Private Roads Study

Joe Gallivan, the director of Planning and Economic Development for Frontenac County, presented his report on private roads to Council. The report was commissioned by County Council in 2015 after the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) put restrictions on new developments on private lanes across Ontario.

“The results of the study is that we now have the facts,” Gallivan said.

Gallivan spoke about the complexities of private lanes in Frontenac County. The shift to taxpayers becoming permanent residents instead of seasonal residents puts added stress on these roads.

Gallivan explained that of the 981 private lanes, or “cottage roads”, in Frontenac County, 189 of them exist in North Frontenac and that 95% of them lead to water. He also explained that North Frontenac has higher quality lanes than the other three townships in the County.

Gallivan said the study revealed 178 vacant waterfront lots in North Frontenac. He also said the study projects that they will have a need for 380 units over the next 20 years and so the current supply does not meet the projected demand. This included potentially creating over 30 units from infilling and extending some existing private lanes.

Gallivan suggested some potential policies for the township to develop including new private lane construction standards, infilling and extending existing lots, and even the township assuming responsibility over existing private lanes.

The private lanes study offers Gallivan and the County new data to fight the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on the development restrictions they are trying to put in place. “We've done some analysis and the total assessment of the County is $5 billion,” Gallivan said back in February of 2015. “$2 billion of that is on private roads...[Development] means a lot to the financial stability of the townships.”

“The positions the ministry takes sometimes are blanket positions,” Gallivan explained. “They're applying it across the province the same way and that's just not right.”

“There are a number of things that are happening in Muskoka that might happen here,” Councilor John Inglis said. “Land prices are extremely high, the density on the lakes...It will happen if we don't take steps to prevent it. ..We are going to need help if we want to avoid this becoming a Muskoka.”

“The significant advantage that we have is the amount of Crown Land,” Gallivan said. “Almost 2/3 of the area is Crown Land. This area, relative to other areas like Peterborough and the Kawarthas and Muskoka, is different as it's still going to have that protected area.”

“How do you make sure that the Crown jewels that have lake development are protected?” Gallivan said “because it will be a very unique place 100 years from now if it's well done.”

Council to give $5000 honorarium to consultant

Council, in a recorded vote, decided on Thursday to pay Terry Gervais, a former Napanee Fire Chief, $5000 for mentoring work he did for the township. Gervais acted as a volunteer consultant to Eric Korhonen, the North Frontenac Fire Chief, while Korhonen prepared his Operational Review of the fire department recently.

“I don't feel this is proper,” Councilor Victor Hermer said. “I recall when Eric was hired, Terry Gervais volunteered his services and I specifically asked at the time 'what will this cost the township?' and he said 'absolutely nothing.’”

“I don't really know where this is coming from” Councilor Inglis said. “$5000 is a good amount of money. I'm kind of against it based on its lack of transparency.”

“The reason I put this together was I really appreciate the effort he put into this,” Mayor Ron Higgins said. “This is not being solicited by him. It was lots of travel, off-hour time, more of an appreciation of the volunteer work.”

In the recorded vote, councilors Hermer and Inglis voted against the $5000 and Councilor Gerry Martin, Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, and Mayor Higgins voted for it. The motion was carried.

Senior of the Year

“I do what I do because I like doing it,” Eileen Flieler.

Eileen Flieler was presented with the Senior Of The Year Award by Mayor Ron Higgins to a full house of family and friends at the June 30 council meeting in Plevna.

Published in NORTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 06 July 2016 20:13

Addington Highlands Council – Jul 4/16

More delays over Denbigh dump

Craig Dobiech and Roberto Sacilotto, from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, appeared before council on Monday to talk about the future of the Denbigh and Kaladar waste sites.

The Denbigh site was closed in 2004, and for the last 12 years the township has been seeking ministry approval to re-open the site on an expanded footprint. The township has purchased land adjacent to the waste site and, according to Reeve Hogg, has “done everything the ministry has asked of us over that time but we have not heard, ever, whether there is any likelihood of the site opening again and when that might happen.”

Speaking for the ministry, Dobiech said that there is a concern about the potential for leachate from material in the existing and the potentially extended site into the water table. He said that, in consultation with the township's waste consultant, Diedre Johnson, who was at the meeting, and Road Supervisor Royce Rosenblath, additional work is planned for the site to raise the ground level and hopefully divert water around the waste to mitigate the leaching issue.

“Hopefully we can expedite your application to have this work done, so it can be completed this year. We will then require a couple of sampling events to determine how well it works, at least one of them in the spring,” said Dobiech.

“There is one thing about this I don't like,” said Councilor Bill Cox. “We could do all this, spend more money, after we have spent a lot of money over the years, and end up with the dump staying closed.”

“Whether or not the site can be re-opened, the work needs to be done as part of the closure plan,” said Diedre Johnson, as Craig Dobiech confirmed.

“What's the likelihood, after we do this, that it will yield the results you are looking for and we can re-open the dump?” asked Councilor Tony Fritsch.

“I can't answer that question,” said Johnson.

“But if we do the work this summer, and test in the fall and the spring, the dump could be open a year from now, could it not?” asked Councilor Kirby Thompson.

“I can't answer that,” said Dobiech, “but we can expedite the approval for having the work done on the site this year.”

The second topic discussed was the pending closure of the Kaladar Waste Site.

“Essentially, the site is full,” said Johnson, “and it is ready to be capped with .6 metres of clay. However, if the township uses a thinner membrane instead of clay, there will be enough extra space created for 6 to 7 years.

“Has this membrane been approved in other places?” asked Reeve Hogg.

“It has, and we can consider it for this site, but we need an application in front of us before we can react,” said Dobiech.

“We are trying to get an application in within the next couple of weeks,” said Johnson.

The township is considering restricting all of the dump sites to household waste, and diverting all construction waste and furniture from the local sites in order to keep them open longer. If approved, the Denbigh site would be liable to receive waste for 30 years.

More noise exemptions – the New Apostolic Church requested the use of the Denbigh ball field for a church homecoming weekend on August 21 and 22, when they are planning to hold an outdoor service and a concert. They also requested an exemption to the noise bylaw for the occasion.

Council approved the noise bylaw exemption.

Library Purchasing Policy – In response to a request from Councilor Cox, the purchasing policy for the Addington Highlands Public Library was included in the agenda package. The policy, which dates from 2004, states that for any expenditure over $5,000, three “written quotes” are required.

“I was just concerned because it seemed all the work that gets done is solely sourced from one contractor, which is not something we can do at the township, and we pay the library budget,” said Cox.

“We might pay the budget, but the library is not required to follow our bylaws. They are independent in that sense,” said Reeve Hogg.

Council received the library purchasing policy for information.

Calcium Carbonate applied – Royce Rosenblath reported that the application of calcium carbonate on township roads for dust suppression has been completed, as have the re-surfacing projects that were approved in the budget.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Wednesday, 06 July 2016 20:10

South Frontenac Council

Council Rejects Re-Zoning Application

The owner (Don Stricelj) of a legal non-complying cottage on Dog Lake in Storrington District replaced a roofed front deck (damaged by a windstorm) with a two-storey addition. Because this replacement structure was built illegally without a building permit, is located 5.5 metres from the lake, and is a storey taller than the original, when it came to the township’s attention the owner was required to bring the structure into compliance.

Accordingly, Stricelj applied for a minor variance to permit construction of a whole new addition on the non-water side (also within the 30-metre setback), claiming that the offending two-storey addition was just a replacement for the damaged deck, the lack of building permit had been the contractor’s fault, not his and therefore the existing addition should be allowed. Committee of Adjustment denied the application and the owner appealed it to the OMB. Now that the present rezoning application seeks to address both current and proposed additions, the OMB hearing scheduled for later this month has been adjourned.

The subject land is 1.5 acres and has a steep cliff in front of the cottage. Planner Mills indicates there is sufficient land beyond the 30-metre setback for further development, though the owner contends this would constitute a hardship as it would not accommodate the shape of his current blueprint.

Much of the discussion that followed focussed on the question of whether or not the front addition was constructed on the previous footprint of the damaged deck, rather than the closeness to the shoreline of the existing dwelling and proposed further addition.

Mayor Vandewal noted that if one landowner was not required to go through the same permit process as everyone else, it would “open the floodgates”.

Council unanimously denied the re-zoning application.

Canadian Guitar Festival Approval Squeaks Through

Event promoter Del Vezeau has applied for a noise by-law exemption to permit him to hold the annual Canadian Guitar Festival on his Loughborough Lake property July 22-24.

Council did not dispute the quality and significance of the guitar festival, but at the same time were not pleased with the fact that Vezeau has been sponsoring other events that have violated the noise by-law, in spite of protests from his neighbours. They also felt he should not be advertising the festival before applying for the noise by-law exemption.

Planner Mills said this has been an annual problem. At one point, Mills had suggested a permanent zoning change to permit the guitar festival, but Vezeau did not follow up on the idea. Councillors McDougall and Sutherland suggested the problem should be discussed with the township's lawyer. In the end, Council approved lifting the noise restriction, but not unanimously. (5-3)

Agility Competitions at Centennial Park Next Year

Arena and Recreation Supervisor Tim LaPrade asked Council to approve noise and camping exemptions to the Eastern Ontario Regional Agility Competition organizers. They will be holding the event next June at Centennial Park, and have asked permission for the competitors’ trailers to remain on-site throughout the event. Recreation and Public Works staff have met with the organizers to discuss logistics.

(Note: agility refers to dogs running obstacle courses: fun to watch, and open to the public free of charge.)

Medical Centres

Silvers’ application for rezoning to permit construction of a new medical clinic in Sydenham was approved, as was the proposal to renew the lease for the Verona Medical Clinic, which is owned by the township but managed by a community board.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 29 June 2016 20:25

Central Frontenac Council - Jun 28/16

CF Council donates to NF Food Bank, Canada 150 Committee

The township considered a request for a $5,000 contribution to help the North Frontenac Food Bank deal with an unprecedented level of need in the community, particularly among the population of seniors. Between 2012 and 2014 the food bank dealt with a stable but increasing demand, from 256 baskets in 2012 to 287 in 2014. The number then jumped to 456 in 2015, and based on the first quarter of 2016, it is projected to reach 624 for the year.

With the cost of food increasing as well, the average basket of food costs $71 now, and the food bank is finding itself unable to keep up.

In a letter to Council, Kim Cucoch, the food bank's co-ordinator pointed out that the North Frontenac Food Bank is one of the few in Ontario that operates without any paid staff. She asked the township for $5,000 to help get through the year. In response, Treasurer Michael McGovern said that the township budget is very tight this year, and recommended that the township donate $2,500 instead of $5,000.

Council donated $2,500 for now and asked that McGovern take a look at the year-to-date expenditures later in the year to see if another $2,500 will be available.

Tender for fire hall parking lot

Based on the recommendation of Fire Chief Bill Young, Council awarded the contract for landscaping the parking lot at the new Parham Fire Hall to Steven McVeigh at a cost of $39,215. Among the four bids there was one for only $26,600 from AWD Contracting, but Young said that the AWD bid did not include any rock removal, which is a major part of the job. The other two bidders, Robinson Excavating and Crains' Construction, were both substantially higher priced compared to McVeigh's bid.

Money for Canada 150 Committee

Bill Bowick, chair of the Canada 150 Committee, presented a number of documents outlining some of the activities that the committee is working on developing for 2017. In addition to planning for the opening of the completed K&P Trail on Canada Day 2017, the committee is planning a number of other events, including: geo-caching significant locations within the community; planting special tulip bulbs this fall; a Fitness 150 challenge; and more. He also asked for $2370 this year and double that in 2017 to help the committee complete its mandate. Council approved the $2,370, to be taken from reserves, and will look at the second request when the 2017 budget is being worked on.

OPP use of former school raised hackles

Councilor Riddell asked Chief Building Official Jeremy Neven about township staff granting permission to the Ontario Provincial Police Emergency Response Unit to use the former Hinchinbrooke school for a one-day training exercise.

“Was the township paid for this and were the insurance implications considered?,” Riddell asked.

“The OPP did not have a budget for this and would not have used the school if we were charging,” said Neven, “but it was a good location for them to do the exercise they wanted to do, the details of which they did not share with me. As far as insurance goes, they added us as a rider on their policy, so it was covered by them.”

“We've been hit pretty hard by OPP costs, and I feel they should have been billed just like any other group,” said Riddell.

“I'd like to echo Councilor Riddell's comments,” said Councilor Brent Cameron. “We have paid substantial increases to them, and when they ask for the use of township property, which we pay heat and hydro on, we should hold them to the same standard they hold us to.”

“If further requests are forthcoming before us, you can bring them to Council,” said Deputy Mayor MacDonald to Neven and Chef Administrative Officer MacMunn, who approved the use of the building.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 29 June 2016 20:23

South Frontenac Council

Cycling Lanes

Elizabeth Wylie of Perth Road, an avid cyclist, made a plea for more bike lanes along township roads, both for greater safety and to encourage a healthy mode of transportation and recreation. She also asked whether there was some way of addressing the problem of the annual bike ride from Ottawa to Kingston, which results in bicyclists riding as many as six abreast on the road between Westport and Kingston.

Mayor Vandewal said that it is a policy of the Roads Department to include paved bike lanes on all newly paved or reconstructed roads in the Township. He added that Council has written of their safety concerns to the Ottawa-Kingston cycle organizers, who agreed to try to enforce the two-abreast rule. Councillor Roberts said he lived on the Perth Road, and had seen police enforcement during this year’s ride.

Hartington Family Farm

Hartington resident Steve Leonard came with several family members to express his fear that the development of a housing subdivision in and/or near the village would prevent his continuing operation of his family farm. He was concerned that more wells in the area might cause his well to run dry, and asked what restrictions would be placed on the construction of farm-related buildings. He was assured that the only restrictions on new farm outbuildings are the MDS (minimum distance setbacks) already in the regulations, and that these already pertained to any neighbouring homes. The water supply and quality in the area is currently under assessment.

Canadian Guitar Festival

Planner Lindsay Mills brought a request for a July 22-24 exemption from the noise by-law for a guitar festival on private property just off Sydenham Road, on the south side of Loughborough Lake (Veseau). This will be the twelfth year for this popular event.

Last year Council had denied Veseau a noise by-law exemption for a concert featuring the group “Ambush” on the same property. He had held the concert none the less, and the Township had charged him of violation of the noise by-law. This matter is currently before the courts.

However,” Councillor McDougall said, “the guitar festival is widely respected and features excellent performers.” There was general agreement, with the recommendation that there should be some restrictions added to the exemption.

The final form of the exemption will come to Council next week for official approval.

Proposed Medical Clinic on Rutledge Road

Planner Mills brought an information summary on a proposal to develop a medical clinic on Rutledge Road west of Sydenham Village. This would be located on property owned by C. Silver, directly across from the Ashwood development. Because the land in question borders Sydenham Creek and is low-lying, stormwater management and drainage is particularly important.

A formal request for site plan approval will come to Council at a later date.

No mention was made of whether for not this project would be for a relocation of the current medical clinic on Campbell Road.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Thursday, 23 June 2016 00:02

South Frontenac Volunteers of the year

Rachael Smith-Tryon

(citation read by Councillor Mark Schjerning.

Rachael Smith-Tryon was a student at Harrowsmith Public School, and now that her own children attend the school she has become an active member of the parent council, with responsibility for communications. Over the years she has also helped out with Family Day, Canada Day and Movie Nights in the Park.

Over the past four years, she has been volunteering with Girl Guides of Canada. Jewel (her Guider name) has been making a difference in the lives of girls aged five and six on a weekly basis, providing youth-centered programming; encouraging girls to learn, make new friends, grow and discover the very best in themselves.

She works full-time and has three children, but nonetheless four years ago she began volunteering with the Frontenac Soccer Association. She was a coach and a convenor and since 2011 she has been a member of the executive and has serves as registrar, a crucial role.

She spends countless hours prior to the season start updating the website, working on the player registration portal, trouble-shooting the system when parents are unable to register, answering the soccer hotline for questions about the upcoming season, and facilitating registration via mail when needed. As the season gets underway, Rachael remains busy exporting registration files and assisting the convenors with player placements.

She also updates the association's website and is the first point of contact for the association.

Rachael is a committed volunteer. As a result of her dedication hundreds of children are able to play soccer every summer within their own community through the Frontenac Soccer Association.

Eileen Sleeth (citation read by Councillor Norm Roberts)

Eileen Sleeth made the move from Sunbury to Battersea to marry the love of her life and live on a working farm many years ago and she has never looked back. In 2014 her family received the Bank of Montreal Farm Family of the Year Award for 2014 in recognition of her family’s involvement in the community.

Over the years she has been deeply involved with Battersea United Church and the organization of all of its fundraising dinners and various functions and events, including the baking of hundreds of dozens of shortbread cookies, an event originally started by Isabel Freeman.

She drove bus for 40 years and has volunteered for many years at the Battersea Pumpkin Festival. She was Apple Pie Queen at the festival for her baking skills. For the last 12 years, Eileen has been secretary for the Holstein Federation.

Over the years she has made many friends in the community. The love and respect they feel for her was evident by the many cards, well wishes and flowers she received during her recent illness.

Linda Bates

(Citation read by Councillor John McDougall)

Linda Bates moved to Verona in 1999 and has been moving ever since. She joined the Verona Community Association (VCA) in 2004 and has enthusiastically contributed to the success of the Cattail Festival. She has served on the sponsorship team; has been manager of Cameron’s Bog, the vendor village, and children’s activities; and managed the live on-stage entertainment. She is a very active committee member in the re-designed Verona Car Show and is currently the VCA vice-president. Linda has been a member of the Boy Scouts for over 41 years and is a guild member. She participated in the Haiti project over a five-year period, leading the coordination of repairs to a school and supplying the students with a multitude of donated educational supplies. She has been involved in scouting for decades and is a member of the Sydenham Women's Institute where she is currently the past president. She has also devoted many hours to Southern Frontenac Community Services and is now employed in the Diner's Club and Meals on Wheels programs.

During the Frontenac County 150th anniversary weekend celebrations she managed the vendor village at Harrowsmith Centennial Park. Her latest volunteer commitment is as a member of the Seniors Law Enforcement Together (SALT) Committee with the Frontenac detachment.

Citation for Wilma Kenny

(read by Councillor Ross Sutherland)

Wilma Kenny is one of the key organizers in the village of Sydenham, having been involved in the establishment of at least three major local institutions.

She was born and raised in Sydenham and returned after stints out west and up north.

Wilma played an instrumental role in the creation of Sydenham’s Meadowbrook and Maple Ridge apartments, some of the best seniors' housing in Canada!

As a member of the Grace Arts Committee, she was a driving force in the transformation of the old United Church into the Grace Centre, an invaluable community space, and attaching it to the Southern Frontenac Community Services. As an ongoing member of the Arts Committee she helps local artists display their work. Wilma’s quilts, depicting the heritage of South Frontenac, are on permanent display in the center.

For many years, Wilma was the editor of the Triangle, a local community newspaper, and she is a mainstay of the South Frontenac writers' group.

As a volunteer representative of the Kingston Frontenac Library Board, where she held the vice-chair post for a number of years, she helped bring a new library to Sydenham.

Wilma has been involved in many other activities to improve South Frontenac, including writing, researching and helping produce a historical walking guide of Sydenham, which saw 10,000 leaflets circulated and still attracts interest.

(Editor's note – Wilma also covers South Frontenac Council for the Frontenac News)

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 22 June 2016 23:30

South Frontenac Council

Zoning by-law Amendment, J. Campbell Property, Canoe Lake

Council passed a by-law amendment, rezoning land abutting James Wilson Road in Bedford, to permit creation of three new waterfront lots on Canoe Lake. Although the Cataraqui Regional Conservation Authority had originally requested a 60-metre set-back from water for building on all three lots, further review by Ontario Lake Assessments determined that 30 metres would be adequate for two of the new lots, and 45 metres for the third one.

The ownership of the strip of sand along Jame Wilson Road, which had been traditionally used for public swimming, was a controversial issue. However the updated survey establishes that most of the beach is on the public road allowance. Council decided not to enlarge the area of public use by requesting a strip of parkland adjacent to the road, which would have caused a potential parking hazard at the curve of the road. The planning report also referred to possible danger to swimmers posed by an underwater hydro line, although there have been prior assurances from Ontario Hydro to the contrary.

Vendor of Record List Compiled

Vendor of record” refers to those vendors who have an ‘acceptable business relationship’ with the Township which pre-qualifies them to provide goods/services to the Township. Township policy permits these vendors to be used when a purchase is between $150 and $25,000, and the services are within budget. Policy also requires a list of these vendors be compiled and recommended for Council’s approval on a bi-annual basis.

Treasurer Fragnito presented Council with a nine-page list. Council suggested this list might be more useful if: it included amounts of money spent on each vendor; was arranged in categories rather than alphabetically; a simple ‘report card’ score was developed and included each time one of the vendors of record was used by the Township.

Organizational Review

Council agreed unanimously to re-open the issue of the CAO’s five recommendations for moving forward with the organizational review in 2016. The motion brought forward was to approve Orr’s recommendations, most of which focus on working toward eventually hiring a Development Services Manager who would help prepare the Township to assume responsibility for approval of plans of subdivision within the Township.

Deputy Mayor Sutherland proposed an amendment to the motion which would exclude one of the more controversial recommendations from discussion: the proposal to relocate of the Pubic Works Manager’s office. Discussion of the amendment soon veered into discussion of the original motion. Several felt there was no need to move so quickly in hiring another staff member until the Township was more prepared to take on a greater role in planning.

Ross Sutherland disagreed, saying “Look at the present state of our planning department; we’re not ready to step forward, and are unlikely to get approval from the County if we’re not even prepared to commit money to change.”

Mayor Vandewal agreed with Sutherland; “ The County won’t look at us if we’re not prepared.”

Councilllor Revill said he was not sure what more the Corporate Services Committee could add to the discussion.

Councillor Barr asked that the motion on the table be re-read, and Council was reminded that they were supposed to be discussing moving the Public Works Managers office and not whether to hire a planning co-ordinator.

In spite of this, the general consensus was that further discussion about planning was necessary, and Councillor McDougall said perhaps more could be accomplished if a smaller group, i.e., the Corporate Services Committee, tackled all the issues and brought recommendations back.

Somehow in all this, the proposed amendment was set aside and Council agreed to refer the whole issue of the CAO’s Organizational Review recommendations for 2016 back to Corporate Services, asking them to report to Council in August.

Shoreline Damage Remediated

Planner Mills recommended that the holding symbol be removed from a Sydenham Lake waterfront property (part lot 8, Concession V, Souci), in order to permit development to proceed.

The lot had been created in 2007 with strict conditions (from the OMB) requiring the developer to maintain mature shoreline tree growth in order to prevent erosion of the steep embankment within 30 metres of the lake. However, the owner had brought in heavy equipment to gouge a roadway down through the bank, and to level a sitting area.

Mills said that insufficient remediation attempts had led to a hold being placed by Council on any further development until satisfactory remediation had been completed. The forced roadway has now been filled in and overgrown and the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority has reviewed and approved the property remediation. Accordingly Council has removed the holding symbol, to permit building on the lot.

Surprise! Another Farmer on Council

Council passed a motion proposed by Councillor Sleeth, to support the re-establishment of the Prison Farm Program. Deputy Mayor Sutherland did not vote, claiming a conflict of interest. Seems he owns a cow, formerly one of the prison herd…

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 22 June 2016 23:28

Drought conditions worsening

As the weather continues its hot and dry pattern, local conservation authorities are sounding the alarm bells.

The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority issued a statement this week, on Monday, June 20.

The statement said the Mississippi River is in a minor drought condition, but that the tributaries are now experiencing a moderate to severe drought. Flows in the river are at 25% of the norm and in the tributaries the flows are at 10% of the norm. While lake water levels remain at the summer average, they are starting to drop.

“Water conservation is recommended for everyone within the watershed,” said the statement.

Quinte Region Conservation issued a level 1 low water warning in early June, and has requested that homes and businesses reduce water consumption by 10%.

Both the Cataraqui Region Conservation (CRCA) and Rideau Valley Conservation Authorities (RVCA) issued slightly more optimistic statements just after some heavy rains in early June. On June 7, the CRCA said it was maintaining its minor drought level even though 20-50 mm of rain had fallen on the watershed in the two previous days. On June 9, citing the same rains, the RVCA downgraded its warning to minor. With little rain since then except for heavy but spotty thunderstorms on Monday, the next statements from both the CRCA and RVCA will likely be more dire.

Residents in all districts are advised to check for fire bans before lighting any fires, as bans have been issued in different jurisdictions at different times over the past month (see editorial).

Published in General Interest
Page 9 of 46
With the participation of the Government of Canada