Sole sourcing fire study draws flak at Central Council meeting

Craig Bakay | Feb 02, 2022

A recommendation from the Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief to sole source Loomex Group to complete the Community Risk Assessment (CRA) and Master Fire Plan (MFP) met with some resistance at Central Frontenac’s regular (online) Council meeting Jan. 25.

Cost of completing the CRA and MFP is $30,000 which will be funded from reserves in this year’s budget.

Councilor Nicki Gowdy questioned as to why this was being sole-sourced but CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn said that under the Township Procurement Bylaw this could be done for things under $50,000, especially because Loomex is a vendor of record with the Township.

But while Gowdy seemed satisfied that the Procurement Bylaw was being observed, she also expressed concerns about newly hired Fire Chief Chris McDonough’s previous relationship with Loomex.

“The optics don’t kinda look very good in that the chief comes from Loomex,” Gowdy said.

MacMunn said that McDonough didn’t work for Loomex but had done some work for them.

“He did writing for them and wasn’t the only chief who helped out with Loomex,” MacMunn said.

“I do contract work with Loomex and so does my wife,” McDonough said. “They are familiar with the municipality and you don’t want the fire chief doing this kind of work for his municipality.

“You want a third-party consultant.”

Gowdy said the municipality did receive a ‘draft’ MFP from Chief Robinson but it wasn’t accepted.

Coun. Brent Cameron then produced a copy of the 240-document which was created in 2018.

Dep. Chief Jamie Riddell said he didn’t remember that document because he was on Council at the time and not Acting Chief. Riddell said the only MFP he remembered was from 2012.

“We did invest a lot of money time and effort on this (the draft document),” Cameron said. “And although Council didn’t accept all of it, I’m concerned about going back to square 1.

McDonough said he wasn’t aware of the document but would definitely use it now that he knows it exists.

He also said that an MFP isn’t a required document whereas a CRA is and in this case is due in 2024. He said it’s usually standard procedure for an MFP to dovetail along with a CRA.

“Thirty thousand dollars is a lot of money and while we may have the authority to spend it, why wouldn’t we have looked at options?” said Coun. Phillip Smith. “And Coun. Gowdy’s point of conflict may or may not come up but this is a small community and it won’t be long until everybody knows you worked for Loomex.”

The measure passed 5-4 with Gowdy, Cameron, Phillip Smith and Cindy Kelsey voting against.

A bell not rung

Council voted to not give the bell and some historical photos to the new owner of the Crow Lake Schoolhouse but they did offer to loan them to her.

However, Diana Meeks told Council she did not want the bell or pictures on loan.

“I was a little disappointed in that the letter (in the agenda) was not the letter I sent in and that (Dep. Clerk) Cindy (Deachman) refused to add my letter as an addendum,” Meeks said. “The community has been asking me about it (and) I wanted to ring it morning and evening.

“I don’t want to be responsible for it if it’s not mine (but) I’d like to get pictures and dimensions so I can make a replica.”

Millfoil study

Council voted to lend its support to the Sharbot Lake Property Owner’s Association in its bid to secure a microgrant from the Invasive Species Center to map the infestation of Eurasian Water Milfoil in Sharbot Lake.

The project will produce a drone fly-over and map in co-ordination with Wade Leonard and Granite Ridge Education Centre.