Central Frontenac Council - Mar 12/14

Mar 12, 2014

Filling the late Bill Snyder's council seat

Included in a motion where council (with great sadness) officially declared the seat of the late Councilor Bill Snyder vacant, CAO Larry Donaldson informed council of the rules in the Municipal Act regarding filling the seat. The two options are that council can appoint someone to fill the seat or else hold a by-election. Donaldson recommended that council forgo calling an election due to the short time left in this term and also because of the expense and time involved. He instead recommended that council appoint Philip Smith, who ran in the last election in Hinchinbrooke district and who has served on council previously. The motion was carried and Donaldson said that he would speak to Smith immediately to see if he would accept the position. If not then council will hold a special meeting to plan how to proceed with a by-election in a timely fashion.

Ground Maintenance Contracts

In a report to council, Chief Building Officer Jeremy Neven made a number of recommendations regarding the upcoming renewal of the three year long maintenance contracts for recreational facilities in the township's four districts from 2014-2017. Council had directed staff to prepare a monetary scale of upgraded service level costs (based on the three-year cost). In the report, staff recommended that Kennebec and Hinchinbrooke receive the same service level, at a cost of $26,000 and $24,200 respectively since no complaints were made by residents in these districts. It was further recommended that services in Olden district be upgraded to include raking the beaches twice instead of once at a cost of $24,000. Oso district will also be upgraded since it received the most complaints and the services there will include the beach to be raked once a day and the washrooms and floating raft to be cleaned twice daily at a total cost of $61,389. The total cost for the township comes to $124,580, an increase from the base cost over the last three year period of $23,200 with the additional services roughly costing an extra $15,000. Council passed a motion accepting these recommendations.

Council approves two tandem truck purchases and one new water tank.

Public Works Manager Mike Richardson made his report to council recommending the purchase of two snow plow tandem trucks at a total cost of $388,000 with one to be paid for by insurance and the second to be paid out of the capital budget. Richardson said he went with the lowest bid and the quickest delivery. In a last-minute report to council he recommended the additional purchase of a new water tank at a cost of $25,500. Richardson said that the new tank will save roughly 5% on gravel and calcium costs and the tank can be quickly loaded and unloaded, which will free up trucks for other uses.

Council reinstates regular schedule for amnesty loads

Waste Management Supervisor Kyle Labbett recommended that the township's Amnesty Load program be reinstated but that it take place once instead of twice per year and that it run from August 23, 2014 to September 7, 2014.

Labbett's earlier recommendation that the program be scrapped altogether for 2014 was defeated by council at an earlier date in a tied vote. This time around certain council members opposed the changing of the dates, citing that residents would be confused. Councilor Frances Smith argued for reinstating the program as it was in 2013. Councilor Norm Guntensperger requested a recorded vote on the motion that was based on Labbett's recommendations. That motion was defeated, with councilors Guntensperger, Smith, Fox, Millar and Mayor Gutowski voting against it and councilors Matson, Dewey and Purdon voting for it. As a result of the defeated motion, the Amnesty Load program will be reinstated as it was in 2013 at two different times during the year. The first is from May 11 until May 23 and the second is from August 23 until September 7.

Intelivote Systems chosen for 2014 municipal elections in North, Central and South Frontenac

CAO Larry Donaldson recommended that as a result of discussions regarding putting out an RFP for an electronic voting service provider, that council accept Intelivote Systems' offer of providing their service to voters in Central, North and South Frontenac. Two previous RFPs for the service put out by the townships of North and South Frontenac garnered just two and three bids respectively. By aggregating their services in the three townships, the company said they will be able to offer a discount of $1.65 per voter since the total number of eligible voters across the three townships amounts to over 31,000. Donaldson said that educating and training services would also made simpler and the voters across the three municipalities will be voting using the same system, which is also a benefit.

Council approves new projects for the Central Frontenac Railway Heritage Society

In a delegation to council Sally Angle, Chair of the Central Frontenac Railway Heritage Society, requested permission from council to carry out two new projects at their Railway Heritage Park in Sharbot Lake. The first will see a 15 by 40 foot paved and fenced area constructed at the park caboose's back entrance, which will allow for tables to be set up to display artifacts. The second project is to have two signs erected on Road 38, one at either end of the village to alert visitors to the park, which is located on Elizabeth Street across from the township offices. Council approved both requests and sign maker Rodger MacMunn then presented council with a display shelf he designed and built that boasts the Railway Heritage Society logo. He invited council to hang it in the township office to display some artifacts from the society's collection.