| Nov 29, 2017


Central Frontenac Council came out of a closed session at its regular meeting Tuesday in Sharbot Lake and immediately introduced a motion to spend $207,509 “to mitigate legislative health and safety risks.”

It was an unusual outcome given the stated reason for the in camera meeting discuss two instances of “personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.”

In an interview, Fire Chief Greg Robinson said the $207,509 was mostly for personal protective gear — bunker suits, helmets, gloves and some training for supervisors. He said none of the funding was for breathing apparatus.

The resolution allows for the $207,509 to be taken from reserves suggesting that the equipment is needed immediately.

Mayor Frances Smith said after the meeting that the Township doesn’t have enough gear for its firefighters.

“The legislation says we have to have so many of this and so many of that and we don’t have it,” she said. “In some cases, there’s gear that needs to be replaced.”

She said that they expect there to be some funds left over in this year’s budget but whatever shortfall there is will be made up from reserves and discussed in the 2018 budget deliberations which are scheduled to begin Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. in the District 3 (Oso) Fire Hall.

$200 boot allowance for PW staff

Council agreed to raise the boot allowance for full-time Public Works staff to $200 per employee per year from the current $120 (which was approved in 2015).

“I work in much the same environment they do and $200 doesn’t meet the need for work boots today,” said Coun. Bill MacDonald.

Thake said the anticipated cost of the measure will be $4,400 (an increase of $1,760) and will be included in the 2018 budget.

Elm Tree road construction to begin

Thake also said he expects work on Elm Tree Road culvert to begin shortly. The holdup came when the conservation authority required a larger culvert than what was planned because “Arden is in a low-lying area.” However the larger culvert isn’t a stock size and has to be manufactured individually.

Thake said the asphalt on Elm Tree will be held off until next year to give the gravel bed time to settle.

He said there will likely be traffic disruptions once the actual work begins but school boards (for busing) and emergency services will be notified of such closures, which might be able to be scheduled over the Christmas break.

Accessibility report

Frontenac County Clerk Jannette Amini, who coordinates the County Accessibility Committee, gave Council a progress report.

Specifically in Central Frontenac, in 2017 a seniors housing task force was set up with the direction for allowing seniors who cannot function in their homes to have a place to move that would allow them to stay in Central Frontenac and a fully accessible library was built in Mountain Grove to replace the old inaccessible one.

In 2018, the committee is looking at a crossing on Road 38 at Elizabeth Street, a ramp for the barn at the Parham Fair Grounds, signage for crosswalks, work on the Eagle Lake Dock, designated parking areas at the Parham, Mountain Grove, Piccadilly and Sharbot Lake libraries and community centres and LED stree lights with wifi capability.

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