Technical Difficulties Shut Down Central Frontenac Youtube Broadcast

Craig Bakay | Oct 04, 2023

It was bound to happen sometime.

Ever since municipal councils started holding electronic meetings during the Covid pandemic, while there were a few temporary glitches, meetings managed to take place, with the electronic record being posted to YouTube.

Until the Sept. 26 Central Frontenac meeting that is.

With Mayor Francis Smith not in attendance with a recurring back issue, and a new sound system installed, things just went south. And although the meeting continued in person at Soldiers Memorial Hall in Sharbot Lake, there was no live version on YouTube, nor was there an electronic record posted.

“We have a new sound system,” said CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn later in the week. “I’m not very technically oriented but it didn’t initially get along with the rest of our equipment.

“Hopefully everything is ironed out now.”

MacMunn said that there was a rise and report after a closed session of Council during which it was announced that the Township wouldn’t be buying a small piece of land for a memorial to the former St. James Anglican Church in Parham. The church burned down in June of 2020 and a group in the hamlet wants to erect something to commemorate the church’s 133 years on the site. They had approached Council to buy a small piece of land from the Anglican Archdiocese for insurance purposes.

“Staff looked at the proposal but the municipality doesn’t normally buy such small parcels of land,” MacMunn said. “They have no ‘municipal purpose.

“So, the group will have to work with the Archdiocese but Council did offer them a grant of $1,000 to assist with the project.”

Procedural Bylaw

As per standard practice for each new Council, an examination of the procedural bylaw was undertaken.

“We do this with every new Council,” MacMunn said. “What’s different this year is the Land Acknowledgement has been added and we’ll be adding the National Anthem at Council meetings.”

Marcel Giroux Honoured

Council approved naming the space in the Township office where the Sharbot Lake Branch of the Public Library is located, the Marcel Giroux Room and directed a sign be installed. Giroux was a prominent citizen in Sharbot Lake and contributed many hours to many causes.

“There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony sometime in the future,” MacMunn said.

Conservation Authourities

Council authorized staff to enter into agreements with the three conservation authorities the Township deals with to provide services.

“It’s the same as they’ve always done for us,” MacMunn said.

By-Law Enforcement

MacMunn said they’re working on a new system with Frontenac Municipal Law Enforcement Incorporated to track and record complaints as well as the way complaints are received. She said they’re also looking at the Administrative Monetary Penalty Program for fines instead of going through the Provincial Offenses Notice program, which pays the County of Frontenac but leaves the Township without any compensation.

“South Frontenac has done quite well with the AMP program,” she said.

Strategic Plan

MacMunn said work on the new Strategic Plan is coming along well and that they have received 884 responses to the survey on what to do with the former Sharbot Lake Public School property.