Christmas Box Time in Loughborough 

Sydenham Lion Joanne Ankers presented a cheque for $1,000 to Sue Clinton, for the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Relief Committee. (LCERC).

For the past 28 years, the LCERC has been preparing Christmas baskets for Loughborough and area families in need. This year, 73 baskets will go out, each containing the ingredients for a traditional Christmas dinner, along with a few treats, and a book and a gift for each child. Throughout the rest of the year, the fund is available for relief in cases of emergency, such as house fires. 

Because LCERC works in liaison with Southern Frontenac Community Services by receiving referrals, and uses Grace Hall to organize the actual Christmas boxes, people often confuse the two agencies. But LCERC is a completely separate, non-profit group of only five Sydenham residents (Bev McNeil, Sue Clinton, Lisa Holmes, Jim Kelly and Peter Stewart).

It’s a great example of what can be accomplished by a few determined and hard-working individuals. All their money comes from local donations, and they provide tax receipts; it’s still not too late to send them a donation. They do call in some extra volunteers in the last week before Christmas to help sorting and packing the rows and rows of boxes that fill the huge hall.

On Thursday, December 22nd, the committee was working in earnest, assembling orders, lining up brightly coloured mittens, and boxes of toys to be ready for the special day, when families came to gather their goodies for Christmas. By 2:30, the Grace Centre Hall was full of colour, the boxes already, save for the Turkey’s and other perishable items that got delivered the next day, just in time for Christmas

South Frontenac Township will be without a budget for the first bit of 2017.

A budget featuring a 2.2 per cent increase was voted down at this week’s regular Council meeting in Sydenham.

It was actually a tie vote (there are eight votes on Council currently as Portland representative Bill Robinson passed away last Thursday) with Mayor Ron Vandewal, Dep. Mayor Norm Roberts, Coun. Ron Sleeth and Mark Schjerning each voting against the budget.

For Roberts and Sleeth, the issue was the scrapping of the garbage handling fee in favour of the charge now being rolled into the tax levy. Schjerning said he was voting against the budget “on principle” because “there are a number of things we’re required to do that aren’t in the budget.” Vandewal said he wanted to keep the budget increase to 2.0 per cent.

“I’ve had time to reflect on garbage fees,” Sleeth said. “For things like vacant land, people will be paying garbage tax on that where they haven’t been in the past.” Treasurer Louise Fragnito said that 70 per cent of South Frontenac ratepayers would see a net reduction in the garbage portion of their taxes. Only the top 30 per cent of assessed properties will see a net increase because of the new system.

“I like the budget, there’s nothing magic about 2 per cent,” said Coun. Ross Sutherland.

FICE is one of those low-tech, imaginative programs that can help communities gain a different perspective by seeing themselves through the eyes of first-time visitors. Coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), representatives from communities that are similar in population and economic drivers visit each other unannounced, and later report back on their first impressions. In this case, South Frontenac ( specifically Sydenham, Harrowsmith and Verona) was twinned with Highlands East (Wilberforce, Cardiff and Gooderham). Among other benefits, participation in FICE can help support funding applications for future community projects.

In reporting back to South Frontenac on behalf of his two co-visitors, Curtis Tigh drew smiles with his description of Harrowsmith as having “a very strange intersection”. They were impressed by all three communities’ cleanliness, beautiful buildings, parks and sense of community pride. They made special note of the use of historic photos in businesses such as Trousdales and The Point Restaurant.

The suggestions to Harrowsmith about improving their parking signs, “doing something with that intersection”, seeking new businesses to fit vacant storefronts and encouraging tourism through promotion of history and heritage fit well into the village’s recently launched community improvement program. The five biggest challenges facing South Frontenac were listed as; proximity to and dependence on Kingston, lack of accommodations and industry, need to attract youth and young families and need to develop greater unity between villages i.e; willingness to reach out to, and support neighbouring towns.

Shooting Range: a Federal Responsibility
Adam Rayner of Buck Bay Road, Godfrey, appealed to Council for help in resolving his issues with a neighbour’s shooting range. According to Rayner, he was aware of the gun range on the adjoining property when he bought his home two years ago. However, after reviewing the ‘Chief Firearms office rules for a licensed range’ he felt assured the range would not be allowed to continue for a number of reasons: the range was far closer to the property line than the required 200 metres; it was being used, but was not approved for, skeet shooting; and the required signage was not posted. The reply from the RCMP indicated the range had been reinspected and was in compliance with all requirements, and therefore fully approved. The Firearms Act has no process for a third party to challenge a decision made under the act: the RCMP recommended contacting the Municipality.

Planner Lindssay Mills confirmed that unless the shooting range is a commercial venture, the municipality has no by-laws (other than possibly the noise by-law) that would apply to this federally regulated use. CAO Wayne Orr said Council could choose to advocate by writing to the firearms officer.

Rayner raised the possibility that restricted weapons (‘semi-automatics’) might be in use on the range. He gave no indication of the orientation of the range, or frequency and times of use. Councilor Mask Schjerning said more background information was needed.

Mayor Vandewal said Council would discuss the problem with the RCMP.

Asset Management Plan
Treasurer Louise Fragnito presented an asset management plan update which will come before next week’s Council for adoption.

First developed in 2013 to meet Provincial requirements, the original plan is currently being integrated with a related software, Cartography. As this is further developed, it will give the Township a more efficient way to catalogue assets and provide

The 1st Frontenac Guide & Pathfinder Unit pictured with SFCSC Food Bank Co-ordinator, Vicki England along with the 1st Sydenham Spark & Brownie Unit were busy during November collecting non-perishable food items in lieu of dues.

Treasurer Fragnito’s current report included two more capital projects to be added: a furnace for the museum and docks for the Point ($10,000 each), and an MPAC update in assessment with an increase in growth amounting to an unexpected additional capacity of $48,750. This, combined with adjustments by the township departments, creates a total of $87,525 of unallocated budget resources. Fragnito listed several options: lower taxpayer impact by .2%; fund added capital projects or CFDC’s request for one-time funding (had the County agreed to grant CFDC $35,000 South Frontenac’s portion would have been $20,000), or increase reserves, or fund ‘other projects’. This will be discussed at a later meeting.
Due to a lengthy closed session, the public Council meeting did not convene until 7:40. Other than to confirm that they met with the Township’s solicitor concerning two OMB appeals (Hartington subdivision proposal and proposed Official Plan changes to sections 5.10.2 / 5.11) and ‘property matters’, neither Mayor nor CAO would make any comments.

Councillor Norm Roberts of Storrington was sworn in as Deputy Mayor for the coming year.
Newly-hired Chief Building Official Ryan Arcand was introduced to Council.

Petworth Mill
A brief public meeting addressed zoning changes necessary to permit creation of two residential lots in the hamlet of Petworth. In this unusual situation, Council has decided to accept land to fulfill the parkland dedication requirement, in order to acquire the part of Lot #1 (.2 acres) containing the remains of the Petworth Mill, for future preservation: the lower stone arches of the structure have been judged noteworthy. There were no objections; only one request to consider imposing a speed limit on that part of the road running west through the hamlet from the bridge.

Public Works Q&A
Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth provided a report answering a number of budget-related questions from Council. Eg: Cost to operate a single streetlight? Approximately $0.13 per day. Cost to install them? Up to $10,000 per light if there is no pole present. Why install doors on salt domes being used for storage of vehicles or equipment? Lack of doors is deemed a health and safety issue, due to pigeon faces. All other attempts to deter the pigeons have been unsuccessful.

Applewood Parkland Fee
Council accepted the planner’s recommendation to accept $30,000. as the fee in lieu of parkland offered by the developers of Applewood condominiums in Storrington. This is 5% of the value of the land ($600,000), as appraised by M.W.Cotman & Associates.

OMB Reform
Council agreed, with little discussion, to support the two core principles and 9 recommendations put forward by the Ontario Association of Municipalities (AMO) in their paper; Ontario Municipal Board Reform. These will be forwarded to the Ministry as South Frontenac’s comments on the review of the OMB. The core principles are: 1) municipalities are a mature form of government and are in a  position to take a more rigorous role in land use planning, and: 2) Planning in Ontario should continue to be a public, democratic process. Full details of the nine recommendations, intended to streamline and clarify the OMB process, can be found on the Township website in the agenda notes for the Dec 06 Council.

Canada 150 Community Leader Appointed
Council accepted the nomination of Pam Morey for this role.

Perth Road Fire Hall
The Fire Chief, Supervisor of Facilities and Public Works Manager evaluated four proposals for the design and construction administration of a new fire hall, to be located on Perth Road, north of Wilmer Road. Council approved their recommendation to appoint AWDE Architect of Bethany, Ont (near Peterborough) at a cost of $112,350.25, HST included.

January 2017 Meetings
There will be no Council meeting January 3: the regular schedule will resume with Committee of the Whole Jan 10 and 24, and Council January 17.

There will be no meeting January 31, the fifth Tuesday.

Members of the Frontenc Fury had lots of fun with Santa at the Sydenham Santa Claus Parade on Saturday (November 26) The Sydenham parade was the first to be held locally, and will be followed by parades in Harrowsmith, Sharbot Lake, and Northbrook on Saturday morning (Dec. 3), Denbigh and North Frontenac on Saturday night, and Parham/Tichborne on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 4)

Last May, proposed housekeeping changes to the South Frontenac Official Plan were passed by a 5-4 vote of Council in the face of a storm of protest from long-time waterfront residents.

Now, South Frontenac Township is facing 8 OMB appeals on behalf of over 300 long-time lakefront residents from Buck, Desert, Bobs, Crow, Hambly, Loughborough, Big Clear, Howes and Knowlton Lakes. The residents fear they will lose their current rights to do any major improvements on their existing cottages, because those cottages were built years ago within the 30 metre setback from the shoreline now required for all new construction.

This spring’s  Official Plan changes to section 5.10.2): A) do not permit buildings within the 30-metre setback to be taken down and reconstructed, even on the same footprint and in the same dimensions, and B) define a property as vacant once more than 50% of load-bearing walls have been removed from a building within the setback (and therefore the structure would not be replaceable.) Council did retain that part of section 5.11 which permits replacement of a structure partially or completely destroyed by fire, flood or other ‘act of God’, but removed the right to replace a structure lost through a Township ordered demolition permit.

As spokesperson for the residents’ steering committee, Jeff Peck pointed out at a Committee of the Whole meeting on November 23 that the Official Plan changes do not address the majority of non-conforming lakeshore structures that are neither abandoned nor destroyed by natural causes. Many 60 to 100-year old family cottages which are still in use require more than just patchwork plumbing and wiring upgrades to continue to be safe and functional. He said that sometimes, in cases of mould, rot or decay, old summer cottages may need to be reconstructed in order to continue to be safe and healthy for habitation. This degree of reconstruction will now require an application to the Committee of Adjustment before being granted a building permit.

The residents Peck speaks for are not asking to increase the size of their grandfathered structures; only to have the right to maintain and update the current structures on their current footprints. Recent decisions by the Committee of Adjustment, supported by recommendations from the Health Unit and the CRCA , have consistently resulted in the requirement that wherever possible, all reconstructions must be relocated 30 metres back from the shoreline, thus reinforcing the complainants’ concerns.

This spring, Council accepted planner Mills’ interpretation of the intent of the Township’s Official Plan as: “eventually all buildings will be well set back from waterbodies to ensure protection of our lakes,” even though this interpretation, if followed to conclusion, could force relocation of the historic Township hall itself.        

“We would welcome the opportunity to work with Council to resolve this in a respectful manner, and could withdraw our OMB appeal,” Peck told Council last week; “We feel our individual property rights and the environment can both be protected. The Township could permit reconstruction on the footprint, but also stipulate environmental protection measures such as updated septic systems, water conservation strategies, etc.”

However, the twenty individuals who comprise the steering committee are determined to continue with the OMB appeal if Council shows no wish to work with them toward a mutually acceptable resolution. They are well funded and will be represented by Murray Chown, (Planning Consultant and Expert Witness) and Michael Polowin, (Lawyer). In a 2009 appeal involving the City of Ottawa, Polowing  convinced the OMB that “municipalities may not limit or coercively bring to an end non-conforming or non-complying rights beyond the narrow constraints permitted by the Planning Act, R.S.O.1990, c.P.13 and at common law.” (this ruling was discussed fully in The Digest of Municipal & Planning Law, Jan 2010, Issue 13.)

“An OMB appeal will be unnecessarily costly for all of us,” Peck told the Committee last week.

At the end of the meeting, Councillor Sleeth asked “Are we going to talk with them,” and offered to bring a motion to reconsider Council’s earlier decision. Deputy Mayor Sutherland said they had already come to a decision as a Council. Mayor Vandewal suggested that it was inappropriate to publicly discuss a matter currently before the OMB, and suggested they bring it to the closed session before the Dec 6 Council meeting. To be successful, a Council vote to reconsider a recent decision requires a 2/3 majority.  

VISIONSoup was begun eleven years ago by Leslie Read of Sydenham Veterinary Services and Josie Steele of Sydenham Chiropractic Clinic as a way of giving something back to their communities. Popular right from the beginning, it now fills Grace Hall in Sydenham with two sittings and raises almost $4,000 to be divided equally between the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Fund, and Southern Frontenac Community Services.

For many, it has become a delightful way to begin the winter holiday season (though last Saturday was still shorts and t-shirt weather). For $25, participants get to choose a bowl made by one of several local potters and a meal of soup from an area restaurant. Some fill their bowl with one soup, others prefer the ‘tasting’ approach, trying scoops of each of several of the wide variety of flavours. Not only do the bowls go home with their new owners, but the helpers whisk them away first and return them freshly washed.

The presentation of VISIONSoup remains largely a family affair: preparation, welcoming and serving are done by Josie and Leslie and their parents, spouses, children and friends, all wearing bright red shirts. Soups and bowls are all donated.

Rural Homelessness

David Townsend of Southern Frontenac Community Services and Louise Moody of Northern Frontenac Services gave a presentation on rural homelessness in the three townships north of Kingston. They emphasized the difference between city homelessness, which is often visible, and the rural version, which is much less noticeable, with people often subsisting in out-of-the way unserviced or poorly serviced accommodations, or ‘couch surfing’ with acquaintances. In rural areas, making it possible for people to remain in their ‘community of choice’ is essential.

Addictions and Mental Health, NFCSC and SFCSC have formed a collaborative approach to working with the homeless and those at risk throughout the County. Last May, over 50 community members and service providers met at a rural summit in Sharbot Lake. They chose to pursue expanding housing options in rural areas by working with local landlords, investigating what has worked well in other places, such as shared housing, and mini housing projects, and agreed to improve communication through forming a rural poverty coalition.

Townsend emphasized that they were not asking Council for concrete assistance other than their awareness and interest in rural housing needs.

He and Moody were warmly thanked for their work.

SFCSC Relocation has Cost Overrun

Townsend remained as a second delegate concerning the issue of the unexpectedly high cost of relocating all of SFCSC’s services to the Grace Centre. Purpose of the move is to make service provision more efficient and to realize annual savings of 22,000 in rent, utilities, etc. Establishing two portables to accommodate the food bank and the George Street offices has cost $60,000 more than budgeted (the first time, Townsend noted, that he has not brought a project in on budget.) So far, SFCSC has accumulated 40,000; Townsend asked Council if they would consider a one-time grant of $25,000 to the agency. Mayor Vandewal said that the budget was not yet set, and they would include this request in their discussions.

South Frontenac Waterfront Coalition

Jeff Peck addressed Council on behalf of a group of over 200 waterfront residents from “all the larger lakes in the Township” who have opposed and appealed Council’s recent bylaw amendments regarding waterfront structures. Peck emphasized that these residents merely want “the ability to use and maintain what they currently have.” He presented some compelling arguments for addressing the “grey area’ between derelict waterfront structures and those damaged or destroyed by “act of God”. “We have lots of common ground: can we work together on this? We don’t want to be adversarial. (by going to the OMB) for we only end up paying your legal fees and our own: could we open that door again?” Council had no questions for him, but later said that since this was before the OMB, it should be discussed in a closed session, perhaps prior to the Dec 6 Council meeting.

Applewood Parkland Fee

Planner Lindsay Mills brought the recommendation that Council accept the $30,000 cash in lieu of parkland offered by the developer of the 21-unit Applewood condominium project in Storrington district. The owner has based his proposal on a land value of $600,000. When questioned by Council about how the value was determined, Mills was unsure how or whether the property had been appraised. Orr said he thought the township lawyer had referred to an appraisal, and agreed to look into the question. Mayor Vandewal said Council needed a policy about appraisals from both sides in situations like this.

Who Owns Lane off Bellrock Road?

A request that the Township accept a lane at 4725 Bellrock Road (Hamilton) has opened up the question of who owns the 400 foot lane: originally it belonged to the County, but there appears to be no record of it having been transferred to South Frontenac at amalgamation. The Public Works Manager, who was unable to be at tonight’s meeting, will be asked to look into this.

Staff Budget Report

Treasurer Fragnito brought a summary of changes to the 2017 draft budget. Currently, after the cuts recommended at the last budget meeting, the Township has an unallocated sum of $52,475 in order to to meet the goal of a 2.2% taxation increase. This leaves them with the options of adjusting the the taxation impact downward, or adding in some items such as the CFDC grant request for $35,000, if it is not covered by the County. Mayor Vandewal commented, “This looks a lot better than it did in the Frontenac News.” There was some discussion in favour of SFCSC’s request for one-time funding assistance, in view of their very good track record of service to the community.

Ranked Balloting for 2018 Elections

Although recent amendments to the Municipal Elections Act now offer municipalities the option of introducing ranked balloting, CAO Orr brought a report to Council recommending that they maintain the existing First Past the Post system for the 2018 elections. He suggested Council might wish to request a report back to Council in 2019, based on the experiences of municipalities that used it. (to date no Canadian municipal, provincial or federal election uses ranked balloting, so there is no opportunity to learn from others.) Council showed no interest in becoming famous as pioneers in this field. Councillor Barr summed it up: “ we already have too few people voting in our elections: we don’t want to make it even more complicated than it is now.”  

November 15, 2016 – “An auto-parts heiress, married to a Russian yogi/ naturopathic doctor, is turning Kingston Penitentiary into a tourist attraction. Is this an investment opportunity to die for?” So goes the story line for the upcoming Murder Mystery Dinner happening on Saturday evening, December 3, at the Grace Centre, 4295 Stage Coach Road, in Sydenham.

Local charity Southern Frontenac Community Services is teaming up with Mr. Spot Mysteries to offer a fun-filled evening in Sydenham, where armchair sleuths can test their crime-solving skills in this hilarious production, while enjoying a lovely meal and the company of others.

Tickets for the Murder Mystery Dinner are $50 each, which includes not only the entertainment, but a sit-down, three course meal, with soup or salad, main course, one drink (beer/ wine/ soft drink), dessert, coffee/ tea, and dessert. A licensed cash bar will also be available.

“For less than the price of a dinner and a movie in Kingston, residents of South Frontenac – and beyond – can enjoy a fun evening out in the beautiful setting of the historic Grace Centre,” says Andy Mills, organizing the event on behalf of SFCSC. “Our meal will be prepared by our own cook, Josey Cadieux, and her team of volunteers,” he adds.

The Murder Mystery Dinner is intended to be a community event, and Mills states that SFCSC is involved for a few reasons: “We have this beautiful space, and we want to share it with our community quite simply by hosting events such as this. We also hope that we will meet some new guests who are not familiar with our charity, and will want to get to know us in the future.”

Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased online through the organization’s website: www.sfcsc.ca, as well as in person (cash or cheque) at their office at 4419 George Street in Sydenham.

For more information, visit: www.sfcsc.ca or contact Andy Mills at 613-376-6477, ext. 205.