Central Frontenac Council - Oct 22/13

Jeff Green | Oct 24, 2013

Sharbot Lake CIP relegated to signage thus far

The Sharbot Lake Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a year old, and thus far the uptake has been slow. Of $80,000 that has been made available in grants, only $5,395 has been allocated thus far, on two projects. Both of the grants went towards new signage for existing businesses in the hamlet.

Two new projects are being considered, and Central Frontenac Planning Co-ordinator Cathy MacMunn, in her monthly report to council, said that one of those is not from a business. Villages Beautiful is looking to put up a new sign at the southern end of the village. Peter Young from Frontenac County, the major funder of the CIP, will be looking at the application from Villages Beautiful to see if it fits the program.

Another group, the Frontenac Railway Museum Committee, is considering applying, also for signage to promote the railway park they have developed.

“It might take some interesting accounting to make this money available to community groups instead of just businesses,” said Councilor Frances Smith.

“The uptake has been slow, that’s true” said Mayor Gutowski, “but it takes time for businesses to make their plans and the CIP does not have an end date.”

“Perhaps things would have moved faster if the entire township was eligible for grants, not just Sharbot Lake. Maybe we should open it up,” said Councilor Norman Guntensperger.

“There is a CIP being finalised in Marysville this year, and North Frontenac will follow. But there is time for the rest of Central Frontenac because these projects will continue on for years,” said Gutowski.

The first Community Improvement Plan in Frontenac County was established in Verona. Sharbot Lake was the second.

Tipping fees to rise for commercial operators

Waste Management Supervisor Kyle Labbett has proposed a new schedule for tipping fees at Central Frontenac waste sites. For the average homeowner the changes will have little impact. The cost of clear bags will remain the same and a half ton truckload in a 5.5 or 6 foot box will remain at $30. But starting with an 8’ box, where the price will rise to $40 from $30, the fees are headed upwards.

There are new prices for trailers of different sizes, and if those trailers have been fitted with 4 or 6 foot sidewalls instead of the standard 2 foot wall, the price will double or triple.

A 4 ft. car trailer will cost $30; 6 ft. $40; and 8 ft. $50 provided the side walls are 2 feet high

Larger loads in single or double axle dump trucks or roll-off bin containers will be priced according to the standard base price of $25 per cubic yard.

The cost for shingles, currently double the regular tipping fee, will be charged at 2.5 times the regular fee.

When faced with the proposal, members of Central Frontenac Council wanted to look more closely at the fee schedule, and also wanted to provide an opportunity for public feedback.

A motion to defer the proposal, which will be available this week on the township's website, was approved.

Building activity slows: The rate of construction in Central Frontenac has dropped, ever so slightly, below the rate for 2012, which was a slow year. With permits for only $194,000 in construction being taken out in September, as compared to $630,000 a year earlier, the year to date number is now $4.36 million, below the year to date number of $4.44 million last year.

In 2011, which was a strong year, the September figure was $1.27 million, and the year to date number as of September 30/2011 was $7.03 million. (The $14 million Granite Ridge Education Centre Project is not included in any of the figures)