Central Frontenac Council awarded the tender to fix Crow Lake Road from Road 38 up to the rail approach just before the hamlet to Gemmill’s Sand & Gravel for $1,021,681.48 excluding HST, further to a recommendation and report from acting Public Works Manager David Armstrong.

The Council meeting was held in Arden, as per Township policy to rotate meeting locations through the summer.

Armstrong said the project is set to begin “late July, early August” and should be completed by “Oct. 15.”

One potential speed bump in the road project could potentially be the fact there is a 1.5 km portion of the road that the Township does not have title to, as well as one portion over Crown Land and another which is a “registry PIN so ownership cannot be verified without further searching.”

In his report, Armstrong said “In the course of researching a location for a dry hydrant, it has come to the attention of staff that there is approximately 1.5 kilometres of Crow Lake Road that is not in the Township’s title.

“It appears to be a trespass road owned by the property owner of the concession lot,” Armstrong’s report said. “The Deputy Clerk recommends that we approach the land owner to negotiate a transfer of title so that there are no liability or other legal issues relating to the reconstruction.

‘A reference plan would be required to convey the road to the municipality, however, we can also incorporate the land needed for the dry hydrant at the same time, so we can either obtain an easement of transfer of that land as well.”

Gemmill’s was also the successful bidder on a tender for the supply and placement of gravel in the amount of $295,400 excluding HST.

Rock removal

Roadwork was the predominant item on this week’s agenda, with Armstrong outlaying plans for rock removal on Bell Line Road West (complete), Oak Flats Road (complete) and Echo Lake Road (expected to start shortly).

There was an emergency culvert replacement at Westport Road, grind-in-place work planned for the entire length of Price Road, and Henderson Road from Baker Valley Road to the Henderson/Bordenwood intersection.

He said paving repair of Road 509 is in the process of being scheduled.

“We’re also waiting for additional prices to micro-surface Arden Road (from the hamlet limits to southwest of Pit Road),” he said.

Coun. Tom Dewey thanked Armstrong for “getting to Arden Road” and asked for an explanation of what micro-surfacing is.

“Micro-surfacing is the laying down of an asphalt compound to about 2/3 of an inch,” Armstrong said. “It does act to stop water from penetrating potholes similar to crack sealant.

“It’s a bit of a band-aide solution but hopefully it’ll give us two seasons. If it gets us through next season I’ll be happy.”

He said Arden Road should be done by the end of the summer.

Roadside mowing

Armstrong said that road-side mowing is “ongoing.”

He said they only have two tractors and “limited staff” so they’re considering contracting out some of the work if they can find somebody to do it.

Obligatory Raptors reference

This was Armstrong’s last Council meeting. Much like Kawhi Leonard, he has accepted a job in his home town. Only Armstrong will be replacing Mississippi Mill’s outgoing operations manager rather than becoming small forward/shooting guard for the LA Clippers.

Stop light on Road 38?

Council passed a resolution in support of the Sharbot Lake Business Group’s request to the Minister of Transportation asking for a traffic light at the corner of Hwy 7 and Road 38. Council plans letters to both the Minister and MPP Randy Hillier.

“David (Armstrong) has had conversations with the ministry so they know we’re supportive of this,” said Mayor Frances Smith.”

“Randy won’t have much clout,” said Coun. Tom Dewey.

Regional Roads plan clears a hurdle

Township staff has expressed concern about the legal implications of transferring minimal ownership (1%) of arterial roads in the township to Frontenac County. A proposal to undertake the transfer is being considered by all four Frontenac Townships in order to facilitate the establishment of a virtual county roads system to help secure more infrastructure grant money.

The townships lawyer, Tony Fleming, did not answer all of the detailed questions staff had about the implications of shared jurisdiction over roads, but on the key question of liability, he said that as long as the agreement between the parties is clear, liability will not be a concern. Given that, and some verbal assurances by Fleming on other issues, a staff report recommended that council consider a motion to approve the proposed virtual roads system, with one proviso, that any agreement that is reached be vetted by the township’s lawyer.

“Given the importance of the agreement between the municipalities, staff recommend the municipality seek independent legal review of that document, once we are at that stage in the process,” said the staff report on the matter.

The proposal will return in August for a vote.

After 18 months, two open houses and two public meetings, North Frontenac Council passed the Township’s Zoning Bylaw at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

One of the more controversial aspects of the new bylaw concerned the designation of Areas of Natural or Scientific Interest (ANSI) and Coun. Vernon Hermer asked what effects taking them out of the Zoning Bylaw but leaving them in the Official Plan would have.

“If you apply for a building permit on land within an ANSI, it will be the same as any other application,” said Clerk/Planning Manager Tara Mieske. “But, if you want a minor variance, severance, or plan of subdivision, then yes, it will trigger the need for studies.

“But, it will not require a zoning bylaw amendment.”

Council did amend its procedural bylaw to allow one member of the public to speak before the bylaw was passed.

After Council passed an amendment to Section 3.36 of the Zoning Bylaw (which governs allowing recreational vehicles like motorhomes on single family dwelling lots as well as dwelling lots) to allow such vehicles “once in a 90-day period,” resident James White apologized for coming late to the discussion but said he’d just found out about the regulations and since he had a rather large property to which he wanted to invite several family members who had such vehicles, he wanted to know if he’d be allowed to have “more than one trailer” on his property for a reunion.

“Life is not a bylaw, it’s life,” he said. “Freedom is one of the reasons people want to live back here.”

Mieske assured White that “there are procedures to allow for things like that. You can come and apply for an exemption to allow it.”

• • •

Responding to a request from resident Wendi Hudson to reduce speed on a portion of Myers Cave Road, Coun. John Inglis proposed adding more electronic signs that show a driver’s speed.

“I’ve seen more and more of these signs and I know that some councilors say they don’t work (but) I’d like to see us buy a few more of them and move them around,” he said. “It’s probably a technology that’s getting cheaper.”

Inglis said that as far as getting drivers to slow down, at least in his own case “they kinda do work.”

Coun. Vernon Hermer concurred.

“There’s one going into Tweed and you notice it,” Hermer said. “And they’re pretty accurate too.”

Council resolved to look into buying more of the signs.

• • •

A request for private lane assistance on Mills Lane in Cloyne by resident Mark Bernacki was flatly refused by Council.

“We don’t do work on private lanes,” said Dep. Mayor Fred Perry. “And we don’t have anything to do with ATVs in there.

“It would be a president for private lanes and there are a lot of them.”

Coun. Gerry Martin agreed.

“I live on a private lane,” Martin said.

“I do too,” said Perry.

In 2018 Tay Valley Council formed the Green Energy and Climate Change Working Group and subsequently applied to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partners for Climate Protection program for funding to develop a plan to address climate change in the Township. Approximately 65% of the Canadian population lives in communities which have such plans.

With funding from the Federation, the Township has hired Sue Brandum to assist the Working Group in developing the Climate Change Plan. Brandum is the former manager of the Rideau Environmental Action League and has a long history of working on climate and energy issues.

“As one of the first actions to develop the plan, we have posted a short survey that asks our residents a number of questions including how they heat their homes, how much they drive, whether they grow some of their own food, and what types of garbage they produce,” said Reeve Brian Campbell. “We’ll only be using the data in a collated form, not identified by individual,” he added.

The survey is available on the Township website at https://forms.tayvalleytwp.ca/Building-and-Planning-Department/Climate-Change-Survey  as well as in paper form at the municipal office, waste sites, and other locations around the Township.  The project has a very tight time frame. Over the next six months, Brandum and the Working Group will gather data on the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) generated by the municipality itself (for example, from its buildings, fleet, street lighting, and landfills) as well as from the community at large.

“Once the data are collected, the Township will hold public meetings to work out how, together, we can make substantial emissions reductions,” said Deputy Reeve Barrie Crampton.

A key report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year stated the world had only until 2030 to cut its emissions by 45% and until 2050 to virtually eliminate GHGs. A subsequent report showed that most of Canada is heating at twice the pace of the rest of the world. “People everywhere have a lot of work to do, to meet that goal, but frankly it will be much less expensive to work to constrain climate change than it will be to bear the costs,” said Councillor Rob Rainer, a member of the Working Group. “Here in Tay Valley we will seek out and support opportunities for existing businesses to retool and to grow new business and new activities that are healthier for us and for the Township.”

By the time the next South Frontenac Council meeting rolls around (August 6), Wayne Orr will be retired and packing for a leisurely road trip west. In recognition of this, Mayor Vandewal presented Orr with his nameplate at the end of the meeting, just before Clerk Angela Maddocks brought out a cake.

Draft Development Charges By-law

Consultant Gary Scanlon of Watson Associates attended the mandatory public meeting to review the proposed Development Charges by-law and receive public input prior to Council’s final consideration of the new by-law on August 6. Development Charges are charges levied at the time of new construction to recover capital costs associated with both residential and non-residential growth within the municipality. The Province is currently in the process of separating “hard” services (roads, fire protection, police and engineering services) from “soft” services which include parks, recreation, and library services and community-based studies.

Mayor Vandewal noted that there have been no enquiries from either developers or the general public and only one person had attended the mid-June information open house. Likewise, no one from the public (other than the press) was in attendance at this meeting.

The report estimates that, over the next 15 years, 1311 new residential units will be built in the township and the population will increase by 2,767 people. The draft bylaw pegs the total development and community benefit fees per new single-family dwelling at $9,383, a 39% increase over the current fee of $6,758. This fee is paid in addition to building permit fees and any zoning amendment charges that may be necessary.

Scanlon briefly reviewed some of the highlights of his report, and there being no questions or comments from the public, Council agreed to move on to the next step, in August, of passing the by-law.

Community Safety and Well Being Plan (CSWB Plan)

In January 2019, The province legislated municipalities have two years to prepare and adopt a CSWB Plan which will identify risk factors in the municipality and “determine which risk factors the municipality will treat as a priority to reduce; strategies to reduce the risk factors, including providing new services, changing existing services, improving the integration of existing services or coordinating existing services in a different way; set out measurable outcomes that the strategies are intended to produce; plus any other issues/information that may be prescribed through Regulation.” A joint Frontenac Townships CSWB Advisory Committee will be created, and will include representatives from a large, specified group of social, health and education services. CAO Orr said that while the basic concept of such a group had the potential to lead to positive outcomes, “we’re the wrong group of people to set it up”.

Councillor Roberts suggested the proposed advisory committee was too large, but Orr said there was no choice: the group’s composition had been determined by the Province. Councillor Sutherland said he would prefer that as many as possible of the committee members be Frontenac residents.

The proposed committee will include Deputy Clerk Cindy Deachman, Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith (who is the incoming county warden and has a social services background) Sgt Sharron Brown, detachment commander Frontenac OPP, David Herrington from the South Frontenac Police Services Board, Chief Doreen Davis from the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, and one representative each from social services, addictions and mental health, health care, education, and children and youth.

Council adjourned to share the aforementioned cake in CAO Orr’s honour.

Addington Highlands’s accumulated surplus was up about a half a million dollars in 2018 over 2017, auditor Adam Young of Secker, Ross & Perry LLP told Council at its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon in Flinton.

The actual accumulated surplus at the end of the year was $13,311,584 (budget was $13,601,636) as opposed to $12,786,095 in 2017.

He said part of the reason for that was that revenues were up 9 per cent while expenses were up only 6 per cent and a substantial increase in the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund grant from the Province.

He also noted that reserves have grown to $3,965,858 at the end of the year from $3,486,166 at the beginning of the year.

Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch asked how the reserves numbers compared to what they should be.

“It’s hard to benchmark these,” said Young. “I’ve never been able to find a quality benchmark tool.”

Similarly, Young said the Township’s landfill closure/post closure responsibility of $4.187 million was “as close as we can get it because of measurement uncertainty. There are a lot of variables.”

Young said staff was very cooperative in providing information and there were no irregularities.

“We certainly didn’t become aware of any unusual acts,” he said. “If there were, you’ have heard from me long before this.”

Roads remain dust free so far

Roads and Waste Management Supervisor Brett Reavie said that grading continues in the Township and so far, he hasn’t had to use any calcium to keep dust down because due to the rain.

“I haven’t heard one complaint,” he said.

Council agreed that none of them had heard any dust complaints either.

“It’s all a matter of timing,” said Reeve Henry Hogg. “As long as on Saturday afternoon, it rains.”

Longer LCBO hours?

Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch received Council’s permission to write to the LCBO requesting longer hours for the Denbigh store.

“That store has ended up with reduced hours at peak times,” Fritsch said. “Like long weekends, holidays and Friday evenings. One local business observed 40 people driving in after the store had closed and that’s dollars going out of the community.”

Flooding relief

During the Spring of 2019, the Township experienced significant flooding, primarily in the north end of the municipality, which caused a number of township roads to wash out. The cost incurred to repair this damage was not included in the 2019 Budget. Since these costs are expected to exceed 3% of the township portion of its levy to ratepayers, AH is eligible to submit a claim to the Ontario Municipal Disaster Recovery Program, which CAO Christine Reed is planning to do. The township could receive 75% of the cost they incurred up to the 3% threshold, and 95% of the costs beyond that. Council passed a bylaw requesting relief authorizing Reed be delegated the authority to attest to the costs and verify the accuracy of the claim.

Council on the fence over level 2 Energy Analysis of AH Community Centre – Denbigh.

The township’s revised Conservation and Demand Management Plan, which was approved in June, identified high energy costs at the former Denbigh School, which has been converted into a community centre.

J.L. Richards has provided a quote to complete such a study, but council had a bit of sticker shock at the price, up to $16,000. Council members will take some time to review the proposal and will then decide whether to proceed.

The next Council meeting takes place on August 6 in Denbigh at 7pm.

After being passed over during the most recent federal budget, the Shining Waters rail proposal, linking Toronto and Ottawa with stations in Peterborough, Tweed, Sharbot Lake, and Smiths Falls along the way, has new life.

Mariam Monsef, MP for Peterborough and Minister for Gender Equality and International Development, announced on Tuesday (June 25) that the federal government and the Canada Infrastructure Bank are committing $71.1 million in new funding to complete planning activities over two years to advance the VIA rail proposal.

The announcement was made at the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, which is housed in the former Peterborough passenger rail station. A similar announcement was made in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, as the proposed Toronto to Ottawa rail line has been paired with a Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec City line that would travel on the north side of the St. Lawrence River through Trois Rivieres.

A map that was printed along with article in the Globe and Mail that broke the news about the funding includes stations in Tweed and Sharbot Lake.

“This project would bring significant economic growth to our community and the affected regions along the corridor,” Monsef said.

The work that is slated to be done using this injection of funds includes consultation with stakeholders and indigenous communities, an examination of the required land and track acquisition, and the completion of the technical, financial, and commercial analysis that is required for a final investment decision.

Monsef added that this new expenditure is a step along a process towards bringing the new rail line to fruition but said “this train has yet to leave the station, but this is the furthest we have ever come on the idea of a passenger train.”

The project itself will cost about $4 billion to complete, $6 billion if the rail cars are fully electric. One of the potential outcomes of the $71 injection of federal dollars is to create enough certainty about the viability of the rail service for it to attract private investment dollars

In the Globe and Mail article, the section of the proposed line that runs between Ottawa and Peterborough is said to “involve reviving a long-abandoned rail line that has since been converted to a recreational trail”.

The advantage of using the trail is that it is simple to acquire, whereas the section between Peterborough and Toronto will require the purchase of an existing Canadian Pacific Rail line.

Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith received a heads up from VIA rail’s communication department about the announcement early this week, and brought the information to a meeting of Central Frontenac Council on Tuesday afternoon.

“This is the first communication I have received from VIA since just after the federal budget came out in April , when it looked like the project did not have much momentum,” Smith said. “That seems to have changed.”

The announcement of funding for rail in Eastern Ontario and Quebec comes about on the second business day after the start of a long summer of election campaigning. The House of Commons rose last week, not to return until after the election.

The Frontenac News has received an unconfirmed report that VIA rail has already looked at locations for a station in the vicinity of Sharbot Lake, and is considering ducking just south of the village rather than following the former rail line which would rumble within metres of the Sharbot Lake Family Health team, the Sharbot Lake beach and the Central Frontenac township office.

Prior to Tuesday’s regular Central Frontenac Council meeting at Oso Hall, the Township held an annual tradition — naming its Seniors of the Year, complete with an opening by Township Crier Paddy O’Connor and four tunes from the Arden Glee Club.

Mayor Frances Smith welcomed a rather large crowd by praising all the work that volunteers in the community do, and noting that seniors tend to be a big part of that.

“I read a story recently that said seniors who volunteer live longer — and we’re all proof of that,” she said.

Ward One’s award recipient this year is Gord Brown, who was introduced by Coun. Tom Dewey.

“It turns out that Gord and I grew up in the same area and both went to high school in Napanee,” Dewey said. “But Gord went on to Royal Military College and after being an engineer in the military, he worked for CHEO for 13 years.

“He’s been married to his wife Karen for 43 years and is active in the Kennebec Rec Committee, the Kennebec Lake Association and Friends of Arden.

“He’s been the driving force behind the Kennebec Trail and the Blue Jays farm team, aka The Arden Seniors.”

“I’m obviously more confident on the Kennebec Trails with a weed whacker than talking in front of a large crowd,” Brown said. “The Arden community is blessed with so many wonderful people that it’s humbling to be singled out among them.”

Ward Two’s recipient is Dave Willis, who was introduced by Coun. Elwin Burke.

“I’ve known Dave for 25 years,” Burke said. “I can’t remember ever meeting a better guy.”

“Sue and I have lived across the province from Eastern to Northwestern Ontario,” Willis said. “But this is home.

“I was a policeman here for the last 17 years of my career (and) I’m so proud of the youth in this area.

“There were one or two who caused some trouble but the vast majority of them were good kids and that says a lot about their parents.”

Ward Three’s recipient is Ken Fisher. He was introduced by Coun. Bill MacDonald.

“Ken’s a relatively new member of this community, so I had to call his wife to get some information on him,” MacDonald said. “Most of it, I can’t say here. But he grew up in Ottawa and graduated from Queen’s.

“He’s been very involved in the business community and I think he lives on the internet. He’s constantly reminding people of events coming up in their email.”

“I’ve been here 11 years,” Fisher said. “I’ve lived all over the world and this is the happiest period of my life.”

Ward Four’s recipient is Heather Fox. She was introduced by Coun. Nicki Gowdy.

“Heather grew up and still lives here,” Gowdy said. “She’s been instrumental in the Godfrey Women’s Institute and helped with the Lions Club and Fire Department, among other things.”

“She’s been such a presence on both sides of the Council table,” said Coun. Brent Cameron, alluding to the fact that served as clerk in Hinchinbrooke Township before becoming Central Frontenac’s first clerk. She later spent a term as councilor for District Four.

“I just got out of hospital so I can’t talk,” Fox said. “Thanks everybody.”

Fire stats?

After the presentations and some refreshments, the regular Council meeting got underway.

Coun. Brent Cameron asked Fire Chief Greg Robinson for an update on statistics given the problem the department has had with software recently.

“From my standpoint, I have to rely on data to make decisions,” Cameron said. “It may not be entered into a computer but we should have a record of calls and training.”

“Unfortunately that’s one of the most frustrating things I’ve had to deal with,” Robinson said. “I don’t have a clear answer.”

Robinson said he would endeavor to have some statistics for Council soon.

Coun Sherry Whan asked about recruitment.

“It’s not been as successful as we’d hoped,” Robinson said.

Direction needed for OP revision

Council got an update on its Official Plan revision from County planner Megan Reuckwald. Reuckwald said she needed some direction on things like settlement areas, community wells and septic systems, garden suites, trailers and backyard chickens.

She said they’re looking at July 17 to put revisions up on the Township website and they scheduled Open Houses for July 31 (waterfront lots), Aug. 7 (settlement areas), and Aug. 14 (rural areas in general).

The open houses are scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at Oso Hall.

The current Central Frontenac Official Plan was approved 11 years ago, before there even was a County Official Plan and has to be updated to mesh with the County plan.

Magenta Corporation is the proponent for a vacant land plan of Condominium that is slated to create 18 waterfront and back-lots on a 91-acre parcel of land called Johnston’s Point on Loughborough Lake south of Perth Road Village. Thanks to a decision of Frontenac County Council last Wednesday (June 19) they will have at least one more year to clear all the conditions and obtain final approval for the development.

The project has been the subject of much opposition from neighouring property owners on the lake and others who are concerned that the project will impact wildlife within an adjacent Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) and on some identified Species at Risk within the proposed development itself.

In 2016, it was approved by the Ontario Municipal Board, the final authority in Ontario for land use planning matters. That approval is good for three years, which runs out this month, hence the application for an extension.

Two delegations before Council on the morning of the decision urged them to reject the one-year extension, but Frontenac County Manager of Planning and Development Joe Gallivan said that the extension was warranted.

In his report to Council, Gallivan wrote: County planning staff along with the owner, project manager, [South Frontenac] township staff and commenting agencies completed a site visit of the subject property on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. At this site visit the commenting agencies and Township confirmed that the outstanding work required the extension to ensure that the required conditions are appropriately fulfilled and were supportive of the one-year extension. County Councillors also had the opportunity to attend the site.”

South Frontenac and Frontenac County Council member Alan Revill indicated he would not be supporting the extension, pointing to his concerns over species at risk within the proposed development lands.

The Planning department of South Frontenac also supported granting the extension, however South Frontenac Council rejected their own planning department decision, and voted down a staff motion at their June 4th meeting recommending the county grant the extension. Frontenac County is the approval authority for land use planning within its jurisdiction.

Joe Gallivan told County Council that he is not aware that an extension such as the one being requested in this case “has ever been rejected by a municipality in Ontario”.

In a recorded vote, the extension was approved, with Councillor Revill casting the only dissenting vote. Couth Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal, who had been one of only two South Frontenac Council member to support the extension at the June 4th South Frontenac Council meeting, supported it again at Frontenac County Council on June 19.

One-year extensions for two other projects in the same district of South Frontenac, Storrington, as Johnston’s Point, were approved without comment. They are the Cranberry Cove and Sands Road projects.

Also at the meeting Council adopted a strategic plan for the rest of this term of council. The plan includes 3 relatively broad priorities: 1. Get behind plans that build community vitality and resilience in times of growth and change 2. Explore new funding sources and invest wisely in critical long-term infrastructure, and 3. Champion and coordinate collaborative efforts with partners to resolve complex problems otherwise beyond the reach of individual mandates and jurisdictions.

Removal of the term ANSI (Area of Natural or Scientific Interest) from the text and schedules of North Frontenac’s Zoning Bylaw was probably the most significant revision to emerge from the special Council meeting last Friday in Plevna.

Just what effect that might have on future development is unclear however as the term still remains part of Frontenac County’s Official Plan, which, as county planner Megan Rueckwald pointed out, supersedes any township document.

There were 10 changes in total, including several definition changes (pod, tiny home, recreational vehicle) as well as regulations allowing principal storage units on waterfront lots at least 150 metres from the water and the policies for recreational vehicles on vacant lots (maximum 14 days in a 90-day period). Another change clarifies that mainland parking and water access is not required for existing water access lots but will be required for any new water access lot.

“We’re going to need an encyclopedia to understand all these definitions,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer.

Still to be added to the bylaw are the addition of American safety standards to the RV definition, the removal of accessory dwellings from industrial zones, the inclusion of current zoning mapping of unstable soils rather than the draft mapping for such soils, a definition for lot of record and the establishment of a minimum lot size.

“Hopefully, this will be passed in July,” said Tracy Zander, of ZanderPlan, who wrote most of the bylaw. Zander noted that there have been “two public meetings and two open houses” for this bylaw.

One thing that won’t be changing however is a provision to allow raising more than chickens in backyards.

Despite Dep. Mayor Fred Perry’s suggestion that “chickens” be changed to “fowl,” a lengthy discussion on the exclusion of roosters and peacocks, Clerk/Planning Manager Tara Mieske provided the definitive argument to not changing the wording when she said: “We’ve consulted on this bylaw with the public for four months and I’m not comfortable (with that big a change). People will call and we’ll (staff) have to explain what the bylaw permits.”

“OK, let’s leave it at chickens,” said Coun. Wayne Good. “I’m done.”

The meeting ended on a somewhat sour note after Mayor Ron Higgins asked for public comments.

Resident Herbert Kent, who attends almost all Council meetings, tried to comment that Council wasn’t taking into account the ramifications some of their decisions but Higgins said Kent’s comments weren’t “pertinent to today’s agenda items.”

This led to a heated exchange between the two with Higgins threatening to have Kent removed.

Kent replied that wouldn’t be necessary and left of his own accord.

Based on preliminary cost estimates, anticipated revenues and assumed contributions, a five-unit seniors apartment building (four one-bedroom, one two-bedroom plus amenity space) would be viable, Ken Foulds of Re-Fact Consulting told North Frontenac Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna.

Under the suggested model, the total costs would be around $1.4 million, of which about $330,000 would come from Frontenac County, about $300,000 from the Province’s Affordable Housing Program and about $450,000 from the township, some of which presumably could be in the form of development fees.

“We looked at six municipally owned sites, three in Cloyne and three in Plevna and got it down to one in Cloyne and one in Plevna,” he said. “There’s certainly a viable business case.

He said rent on a one-bedroom would be around $660 per month, which he said was 80 per cent of the going market rate, based on landlord surveys.

“My biggest concern is fining seniors to fill them,” said Coun. John Inglis. “I know Central (Frontenac Township) has had some problems.

“Is there a case for say two units?”

“There would be less borrowing costs but there would still be upfront costs,” Foulds said. “You’re looking at $200/square foot construction costs.”

“When the survey was done, the highest number of respondents came from Cloyne,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer. “How would the rest of Wards 2 and 3 feel about living in Cloyne?”

“I find this quite doable but the big question is still going to be 5, 4, 3 units,” said Inglis.

Mayor Ron Higgins suggested Council digest the information before bringing it back for discussion.

“Do as much as you can when you can,” said Foulds. “It takes a lot to get a project built and if you build three and want to add on, you’ll have to go through the process again.”

“Another survey?” said Hermer.

“The survey suggested people wanted in-home services,” said Inglis. “The County said ‘no’ so it’s time to give up that fight and time to get the $300,000.”

Council also heard a presentation from JP Melville Non-profit Business & Project Management on the Abbeyfield Canada Seniors Housing Model.

Storage unit

Council approved a request from the Cloyne and District Historical Society to build storage shed at the Pioneer Museum.

“I can’t see any reason not to, we own the land,” said Coun. John Inglis. “Thanks for asking.”

Efficiency study

Council approved an “efficiency study” at the request of Mayor Ron Higgins.

“I don’t see that we’re going to see a lot of savings,” said Coun. John Inglis. “I don’t object to spending $5,000 on it but I don’t have very high expectations.”

“It’s something we’re going to have to document for the Province at some point,” said Higgins.

Planned outage

A planned power outage happened at the meeting right on schedule at 11:30 a.m..

Council continued on, something that wasn’t surprising given the extensive amount of experience they’ve had working in the dark.