Central Frontenac Council - Oct. 25/11

Jeff Green | Oct 27, 2011

By Jeff Green & Julie Druker

CF Council unanimously passes Comprehensive Zoning By-Law

by Julie Druker

“It was an onerous task,” Mayor Gutowski said about the work that went into preparing the second version of a Comprehensive Zoning By-Law for Central Frontenac.

“I'd say it took about three years. It was an interesting process with a few hiccups along the way but a lot of consultations and public meetings took place and I hope the public feels that we have done a good job”, she said.

Prior to the bylaw’s passing, Councilor Purdon was presented with a complete consolidated version of both the Official Plan and the new bylaw by Glenn Tunnock, the township’s planning consultant.

“This is for all of your effort,” Tunnock said.

Purdon thanked Tunnock and agreed to withhold any further suggestions he might have, “for the moment.”

“Planning is the key and it is certainly important in a community - and it also never ends as we evolve and change,” said Mayor Gutowski just before the vote on the bylaw was called.

Two public meetings offer no objections to zoning amendments

Glenn Tunnock and his assistant David Welwood made back-to-back presentations regarding two separate zoning amendments. Both received no objections or questions either from council or members of the public who were in attendance. The amendments concerned lands at Kirk Kove on Big Gull Lake in Kennebec and the MacDonald property on Kellar Lake in Olden. Both reports were accepted by council for information and in both cases staff was directed to prepare the amended by-laws for the next council meeting on Nov. 8.

Novatech rep addresses council re drive-thrus

Prior to the passing of the Comprehensive Zoning By-Law, Adam Thompson of Novatech Engineering of Ottawa, representing members of the Ontario Restaurant and Hotel Association, which include Tim Hortons, Wendys, A&W and McDonalds, invited council to consider their Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to ensure that the proper zoning be in place to accommodate drive-thru restaurant facilities. Thompson asked that drive-thru lanes be permitted anywhere there is a restaurant in the township.

Councilor Guntensperger said, “Frankly my response to your statement 'anywhere a restaurant is’, is that it is not appropriate in certain circumstances, like at Oso beach for example. That would just not work.”

Glenn Tunnock addressed the issue later and said that the new bylaw allows for that kind of development but common sense says it would most likely occur along the Highway 7 corridor, where those kinds of places would fit it. He added that site controls would determine where those developments might be located and that each one would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Communications problem solved

by Jeff Green

Members of the Central Frontenac Fire Department have been using satellite radios that were managed and controlled by an outside company. Now, after five years of effort and delays, the township has full control over its own communications, using a tower that is located just off Highway 7 near Mountain Grove.

“We now have four ways to get hold of our members, including through their cell phones, which is much easier for members to carry than the radio pager when they are out working,” said Fire Chief Mark MacDonald.

Then new system, which is integrated with the fire dispatch service out of Kingston, also enables independent internal communication among fire department members, as well as the township roads department and even members of Council.

“Having control of our own communications was very important to us,” said MacDonald, “and the system is working really well. We have already seen our numbers growing during calls because of the cell phone application.”

Councilor Jeff Matson, who was chairing the Council meeting on Tuesday, October 25 when MacDonald made his announcement, and who is also a volunteer firefighter, said that he finds it much easier to carry his cell phone, “particularly when I am out working on a loader.”

“That reminds me of another advantage. We won’t have to replace as many radios because they have been run over by loaders,” said Mark MacDonald.

No tax break for seniors’ housing project

On the recommendation of the Finance Department, Council rejected a request for five years of tax relief from the Central Frontenac Housing Corporation, which built and manages a five-unit seniors’ complex off Clement Road near Sharbot Lake.

The not-for-profit housing corporation faced cost overruns when building the complex, some of which came about due to complications in the planning process overseen by the township. A gap in the township’s Official Plan forced an Official Plan amendment in addition to a zoning bylaw amendment before construction could begin. The situation was further exacerbated when a group of residents took the township to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) over their decision to allow the project to proceed. Although the township covered the housing corporation’s legal costs at the OMB hearing, which went the township’s way, construction delays pushed the price of the building up.

In reviewing the request for tax relief, township Deputy Treasurer Christine Beaushaw said, “We calculate that this rebate would amount to over $23,000 over five years and it would have to be calculated into each year’s budget as an added expense to other tax payers. This will increase the burden of taxes on other taxpayers within the same property class, and we do not recommend that Council do this.”

Mayor Janet Gutowski, a long-time supporter of the project, said she has “mixed emotions about this report. On the one hand I am proud that we have stepped in and supported this project by helping out with development fees, and I would like to see us continue to support it because it is in the interest of our township to improve the stock of affordable seniors’ housing. However, this is an unbudgeted ask that we were not counting on and we have to be concerned about how other not-for-profits might see this. I will reluctantly be supporting this staff recommendation, but I do feel we need to some more thinking about how we address this property.”

Councilor Bill Snyder said that he has visited the property, and noted that the driveway and the area in front of the building have not been completed.

“Maybe we could have our public works department at least grade the driveway,” he said.

Council rejected the request for tax relief, and passed a further motion asking the staff and board of Central Frontenac Housing to meet with staff and council to consider further assistance from the township.

Mayor Gutowski thanked Christine Beaushaw for her service to the township, as she will be leaving her position in the finance department before the next council meeting.

Township all a-twitter: Among upgrades outlined in report by Charlene Godfrey, were a subscription email service that will enable subscribers to keep up to date with township new bulletins, and a Twitter account for the township, which is now up and running.

“I was disappointed that I couldn’t be the first ‘follower’ of the Central Frontenac twitter feed,” said Mayor Gutowski, “when I went to register I found that Alan McPhail, a township councilor in South Frontenac, was already listed as a ‘follower’.”