Fire Apparatus At Piccadilly Location To Remain Status Quo

Craig Bakay | Apr 03, 2024

At the Feb. 27 Central Frontenac Council meeting, Council asked Fire Chief Chris McDonough to ‘investigate’ what it would take to replace the pickup truck currently occupying the Piccadilly location with a piece of fire ‘apparatus.’

At the regular Council meeting March 26 in Sharbot Lake, McDonough gave Council its answer — about $500,000 — $550,000.

That would have involved moving a 20-year-old pumper there from the Sharbot Lake station and replacing that unit with a used rescue/pumper in Sharbot Lake.

McDonough said that used units are about the only option available for this sort of acquisition because there simply aren’t that many units available and new units require about a two-year waiting period and the cost is currently in the $1,000,000 range.

However, McDonough said he did find a used unit but it would also require Council to approve a sole source acquisition.

Council was presented with a motion to purchase said unit but in a recorded vote (requested by Mayor Frances Smith) the motion was defeated 6-3. Coun. Phillip Smith, Nicki Gowdy and Duncan McGregor voted for. Dep. Mayor Susan Irwin abstained from the vote which is recorded as a “no” vote.

“This doesn’t mean you can’t investigate other possible vehicles,” said Mayor Smith. “Just that we’re not buying a truck right now.”

In the recently passed 2024 budget, there was no provision for a new (used) vehicle.

McDonough said he didn’t really expect Council to approve the purchase “just this is what it’s going to cost to make this work.”

But, he also said that they were always on the lookout for good used vehicles and that he could see something becoming available in the fall, which could be included in the 2025 budget should Council want to go in that direction.

However, they may not want to because McDonough said Central is very close to completing an Automatic Aid Agreement with South Frontenac which, he said, will greatly improve fire protection in south end of the Township. He said South Frontenac would automatically respond to calls in that area without a request from Central (as would be required under the current Mutual Aid Agreement) and in return, Central would handle calls in the Bradshaw area.

Central already has a similar agreement with North Frontenac.

Decline in planning applications as COVID spike eases further

Planning applications across North and Central Frontenac have declined for the third year in a row, County Director of Planning and Economic Development Joe Gallivan told Council in his report from a high of 174 in 2021 to 108 in 2023.

He cited the covid-19 pandemic as a likely major reason for the 2021 spike.

He said the County planning department has a number of initiatives expected to involve significant planning hours including the new Community Planning Permit system, communal services work under the new Frontenac Municipal Services Corporation (which he expects will lead to increased plans of subdivision and condominium), a Natural Heritage Study, the Regional Community Improvement Plan, the County Official Plan update, the former Sharbot Lake School Site Redevelopment, the South Frontenac Official Plan Review, the Frontenac Islands Official Plan and the Marysville Design Standards and Zoning Bylaw amendments.

Cemetery fees up again

Council agreed to an increase of 3.3 per cent (consumer price index) for cemetery fees in 2024 and agreed to look at it again in 2025.

“It seems odd that we would do all that work only increase it by the CPI and then say ‘we’ll look at it again in 2025,’” said Coun. Phillip Smith.

Black Bear Study

Council gave its permission to the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry to use the unopened road allowances along the old CP trail and a secondary shorter line along Ducharme and Leggat Lake Road to conduct a study on the demographic distribution of black bears in the area beginning May 6, 2024 to June 27, 2024. The last time a similar study was conducted was in 2019.

“Hopefully their stuff will be far enough away that people won’t be tempted to go out and look at the bears,” said Mayor Frances Smith.