| Mar 25, 2015


Out with the old; in with the new

Cathy MacMunn, one of the few original Central Frontenac Township employees still working for the township, was seated next to Mayor Frances Smith at the start of a Council meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Although she has been seated next to the mayor on a number of occasions in her role as deputy clerk or interim clerk, it was her first meeting since she was given a promotion to the role of clerk/planning manager.

Meanwhile, at the staff table at the back of the hall, the interim Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the township, Steve Silver, was sitting next to the newest staff member of Central Frontenac Township, CAO/Public Works Manager, Jim Zimmerman.

“Steve has been a great help to us. He came here when we had difficulties and smoothed things over very well. But I must also say that I hope we don't see him working for us again,” said Frances Smith, in reference to the fact that Silver, a retired CAO at the County level, has taken on only short-term contracts for townships in transition from one executive officer to another over the last couple of years.

Next week, in fact, he will take on an interim role at Fairmount Home in place of its ailing administrator, Julie Shillington.

Frances Smith then said, “We welcome Jim Zimmerman, who will be with us for a long time, I hope.”

For his part, Zimmerman said he is looking forward to returning to his own rural roots, since he was raised in a small Eastern Ontario village, Frankford.

“I really look forward to working with all of you,” he said.

Remuneration report for 2014

As required, the township released a report detailing how much Central Frontenac politicians were paid in 2014. Former Mayor Janet Gutowski received the most money, $11,264 for 11 months as mayor, and Frances Smith received $9292 for 11 months as councilor and one month as mayor. Former deputy mayor, Jeff Matson, received $8,425 for 11 months on the job, while returning council member Tom Dewey received $8398 over 12 months. Outgoing councilors Guntensperger, Millar, Purdon and Fox received $7,885 over 11 months, and Philip Smith, who was appointed to Council during the year and was then re-elected, received $5,439. Newly elected councilors Cindy Kelsey, Victor Heese, Jamie Riddell, Bill MacDonald, Sherry Whan, and Brent Cameron all received $483 for the month of December.

Co-operation with North Frontenac

Frances Smith reported that a joint meeting with North Frontenac Council, which was held last week, was a success, and led to an arrangement regarding the building departments, which may lead to a combining of the two departments if it is a success. North Frontenac will be hiring a building inspector, and the two townships will make joint use of that person in addition to Central Frontenac Chief Building Official Jeremy Neven.

“We'll see how this works for a year, and then decide whether to move further, said outgoing CAO Steve Silver of the arrangement.

60 zone on Road 38

A proposal by Councilor Brent Cameron to slow the maximum speed to 60 km/hr on a stretch of Road 38 that runs from the municipal garage at Godfrey to the junction with White Lake Road because of a sharp bend in the road was referred to staff for comment and will come back to Council after that.

No payment for damage caused by heaving culvert

A Mr. Hamilton, who lives near Arden, asked the township to reimburse a $500 repair bill for damage done to the bottom of his car when he passed over a culvert that had heaved through the surface on his road.

A staff report acknowledged that the road had heaved, and said it is a common issue on that particular road in the spring time. The report recommended not paying the $500 repair because, it said, Mr. Hamilton has lived in that location for 10 years and should know that the road heaves.

“I would hate for us to do this,” said Councilor Bill MacDonald. “People would come out of the woodwork looking for money if we did.”

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