Oct 17, 2018


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Addington Highlands

Reeve

Henry HoggHenry Hogg graduated from the University of Waterloo as a Mechanical Engineer. With his wife, he operated two businesses in the township. He enjoys working with people and feels that his past business experience will continue to help provide prudent financial management of the municipality’s revenue and expenses.

He has served as a councilor and reeve for almost 30 years, including 17 years as reeve of Addington Highlands

Among his concerns for the future of Addington Highlands, is the lack of high speed internet and cell phone service in some parts of the township, which is hindering development.

Waste management has become a major cost. Ontario has introduced the Waste Free Ontario Act but implementation has been slow.

Another of his concerns is the $16 billion deficit at the provincial level. What this may mean for municipal grants is a concern. Almost half of our operating budget is made up of provincial transfers.

Another worry is voter apathy. With almost 50% of ratepayers being non-resident, it is difficult to connect with them. He attended 4 cottage association annual meetings to listen to their issues this past summer.

Recent cannabis production operations have appeared in our township. Regulation by Health Canada is very limited and with legalisation in effect, law enforcement is minimal. This leads to security concerns and environmental problems.

 

Alice MadiganAlice Madigan says that since she chose to run for reeve she has been talking to

constituents from all parts of the township and the message she heard was consistent and overwhelming

“They want change,” she said.

Madigan was raised at Slate Falls, near Denbigh. She left the area and moved to different parts of the province, eventually settling in Carleton Place. She worked as a materials manager and at other jobs in the financial sector. In 1991, with her husband, she purchased a cottage back at Slate Falls.

Sadly, her husband died in 2007 and in 2010 she moved back to Slate Falls on a permanent basis. She joined the Denbigh Recreation Committee, and is still an active member. When the emergency services department of Lennox and Addington recommended cutting service in Denbigh, she became chair of the group that sprang up to oppose the cut from a 24 hour to a 12 hour a day service. The group, which still exists, is called the Denbigh Ambulance Network.

She also teaches Sunday School and is a volunteer business manager for a children’s camp. Since her background is in business finances and management, she can provide a perspective on township finances if elected as reeve.

“I'm a very dedicated person with strong leadership skills who will serve the people honestly and diligently,” she said.

She is also concerned about the state of the local economy and would like the township to do whatever it can to attract and maintain businesses.

“I’d like to see something that connects with people that live here, to improve the way things are. Are we doing anything to improve things? Up in Carleton Place the streets always have flowers in the summer. I’d like to see if we could initiate something like that here, to make our neighbourhoods appealing.”

In her view, one of the major flaws of the current council, boils down to communication.

“What I've heard from people is that they never know what's going on with the council.

That's a big thing. I would work on improving communication, actually allowing the community to have a say in decisions that will impact them,” she said.

“I will be working for the people to actually try and get the constituents more involved with their townships. There are lots of different ways of communicating. Why not ‘coffee time with the reeve’. My telephone and email address are always out there as well.”

Ward 1

Tony FritschTony Fritsch

After two terms on council, Tony Fritsch said that he “believes our township has made a lot of progress over the last 4 years, certainly there has been a lot of change, and I would like to continue to contribute in moving forward as a township.”

In addition to serving on council, he is involved in other community organisations, and feels being on council is a complement to those other efforts, and he likes to get involved in projects that help the community.

“Personally I enjoy the opportunity to take on new initiatives and that has been rewarding in my time on council thus far.”

One initiative that he has played a large role in, has been the development of the Addington Highlands Community Centre – Denbigh, which is located in the former Denbigh Public School. There has been an ongoing effort to construct a commercial kitchen in the building, after which time the township expects to close the nearby Denbigh Hall, cutting down on the facility costs and upkeep expenses that come with keeping two buildings open.

“We have run into problems because we cannot find a contractor who is willing to bid on the job. From what some local contractors have told me, they are busy, have a backlog of work and are not looking for any new work at this time.”

He said that a new council will likely try again in January to find bidders on the job, which is necessary in order for the township to be in a position to apply for a Trillium grant to fund the project.

One new possibility that he would like to pursue on behalf of the township if re-elected, is a para-medicine initiative for the Denbigh ambulance service.

“There is an opportunity to make use of the skills and training of the paramedics who work out of the Denbigh base while they are between calls. I thinks it’s something that would be of significant value to people in the community,” he said, adding that he has had some discussions with a small group of people about bringing this idea forward to Lennox and Addington County Council.

The ongoing concern about the lack of new business in Denbigh, which is making it difficult for the community to grow or even maintain its current population, is something he is keenly aware, but he does not think Council alone can reverse these trends.

“The best thing you can do is try and make it an inviting place. What was discussed at the all candidates meeting last week, was that we do need to support the businesses that are here. The township can do what it can to make businesses feel welcome, and we continue to do that. I remain optimistic, however, that over time there will be some growth in our region,” he said.

 

Royce RosenblathRoyce Rosenblath has never sought office in Addington Highlands before, for a pretty good reason. He spent 29 years working in the Public Works department of the township and its precursor. By the time he retired, a couple of years ago, he had been the manager for roads and waste management, reporting directly to Council for most of his tenure.

“I feel that I can help the community out,” he said of his motivation to run for council, “since I worked there for that many years, I kind of know what’s going on from the inside.”

He is concerned that some new costs will be downloaded from the province to the county level, which will cause an increase in taxes for Addington Highlands residents, and says while there is nothing that to local township can do about that, they do need to look at all expenditures carefully.

In the Denbigh area, he says that the concerns are about cell and broadband service, which is sporadic, and the future viability of the community, which has been struggling for many years.

“I live on a hill, so I can get hub service from the Cloyne tower, but most people are using satellite, which is expensive and limited,” he said.

He does not think anyone seeking office should be making a lot of promises, and the best that Council can do, is to seek opportunities when they present themselves, while working hard to control spending. To that end he thinks it is time to come to terms with the fact the township is maintaining two halls in Denbigh.

“I know we are waiting until we have a commercial kitchen in the community centre before closing the Denbigh Hall, and it has been a problem finding someone to do the work, but we have spent a lot of money there, and we are still paying a lot of upkeep on two buildings that are standing side by side.”

He said that “when I got the voters list and saw that there are fewer than 500 permanent residents in the ward, and 1,600 seasonals, it brought home the difficulties that we face. It will not be easy to reverse that, but we need to try. But it will be slow. We need to keep what we have here and make sure that we don’t lose anymore.”

 

Kirby ThompsonKirby Thompson

When he ran for Council in 2014, Kirby Thompson did not have a lot of municipal experience, and he has spent four years sort of learning the ropes.

“The first term it was all new to me, I feel I have a lot more experience now. We have worked pretty well together over the last four years. I think we can keep on the same pace that we are going, we have such a small tax base that we can’t do that much, but we do what we can with what we have.

Since I know more, I can contribute more over the next four years.”

At the start of the last term, the wind turbine issue came rushing at him, as it did to the rest of council, but as a councillor from Denbigh he felt a lot of pressure.

“People were very concerned, they were angry, and I felt the pressure for sure. I wondered what possessed me to run for council, to be honest. But when it was over I have been impressed by the fact that whatever divisions we had among members of council over the turbines, it did not stop us from working together. There doesn’t seem to have been any hard feelings at all,” he said.

In the next term of council, building an addition to the township office will be a major issue, in his view.

“There is not doubt we need it. We have a top-notch staff and they need a reasonable place to work out of, and we need space to store documents. But it will be contentious for sure,” he said.

The Denbigh dump site is another difficult issue.

“We do everything that the government asks and they come back and ask us to do it again. It is frustrating for Council and for the community in Denbigh, but we can only keep trying. One other thing that we might be able to expand is the Vennachar site, which would help us,” he said. “But the biggest thing that is going to happen in this term will be the closure of the Kaladar dump, which will happen.

The other issues at the north end of the township that are of concern continue to be the completion of the community centre, the need for better cell and Internet coverage, and maintaining local business.

Ward 2

Bill CoxBill Cox

With the exception of four years on the sidelines after he ran for reeve and lost in 2006. Bill Cox has been a fixture on Addington Highlands Council for 15 years, first being elected in 2003. He has served on Lennox and Addington County Council as well, and has been involved in a number of projects during that time. He played a role in the townships purchase and renovation of the building in Northbrook that houses the Lakelands Family Health Team.

He has also served for several years on the Joint Fire Board with North Frontenac that oversees the Kaladar-Barrie fire service, one of the few instances of a service that is operated by townships from different counties, He has chaired that board on several occasions, establishing a collegial working relationship with the councilors from North Frontenac on the board.

“The fire department is important to both townships. We are both so small that it helps for us to work together and save on administration costs,” he said.

He said that he is running for council again because he is “interested in what happens in the township. I think that for one more term I can do a good job for the people.”

One of the upcoming projects that interests him is the planned addition to the Flinton Recreation Centre to house a township office.

“The office is not nearly sufficient for our staff.” he said. “There are 4 people sharing one space and the CBO [Chief Building Official] is in an office that is no bigger than a postage stamp. Plus, we need to be accessible. We will try to rent out the basement space in the Flinton Hall where they are located now, or maybe we will use it for storage.”

One of the other pieces of business he would like the township to try to address, even it is only a matter of lobbying, is the lack of cell and Internet service in the middle and north ends of the township.

“There is a gap between the Harlowe Road and 506 and then from above Smart’s Marina all the way to Denbigh. That’s way too many people to be without service in these times. I know that EORN [Eastern Ontario Regional Network] is trying for another build out, but we need to work on them to pay attention to this area,” he said.

Finally, he thinks that Council needs to watch L&A County carefully to protect the Denbigh ambulance base.

“I don’t know why the county is so intent on closing it down, they don’t want us to have it. I have heard the voices against it but I have never heard any good reasons.”

 

David MylesDavid Myles was working in Nanticoke back in the mid nineteen nineties when he put in for a transfer to a remote supervisor job based in Kingston that offered him the opportunity to live in a rural setting and spend more time at home.

He jumped at the chance, and with his wife Debbie and their children, he moved to a hobby farm near Flinton. That was 24 years ago. David and Debbie now have five children, all living and working in Addington Highlands and vicinity.

Now that he is retired, he has some time available and he decided to put his name forward for Council.

As he said at the All candidates meeting in Flinton, he is not running as an opposition candidate.

“I think I’ve voted for every one at this table,” he said, looking around to the other candidates who were sitting around the table.

That being said, he said that from talking to some of his neighbours and some of the members of the road crews that people feel disconnected to some of the decisions that council makes.

“The township might benefit from a more bottom up approach rather than a controlling approach,” he said. “when someone comes up with an idea I don’t want to say ‘we can’t do it’, I’d rather say ‘how can we do it’,” he said.

He is a member of the Flinton Recreation Club, and has been involved with youth for a number of years, even running a boys club when his sons were younger. While doing that he was involved with operating a Zamboni that the Rec. club owned.

“Eventually the township made us stop using it because of liability to do with the rink, which is their property, and that was not a good outcome. With the limited number of volunteers we have, I would like to see the townships and local clubs working together better,” he said.

From the vantage point of his own property, he is aware of an issue that is just now coming to the attention of the township, the cannabis issue. There are at least two marijuana growing operations in the township that may have been approved by the federal government. But the government did not inform the township about them and they are just being revealed by neighbouring residents.

“I think there are some challenges from grow ops in the area, and if that becomes a trend they are definitely going to bring some change. I’d love to work on council on preserving the community that we in the face of this,” he said

 

Helen YanchHelen Yanch has served on council for the last twelve years, and is seeking a fourth term.

“It really is an interesting job, there is always something going on something new and different going on, along with the regular township services; roads and waste, fire services, libraries and maintaining our buildings. Over the past several years, council has made significant investments with the construction of the Northbrook Fire Hall, the purchase of the medical centre, and financial support for Pine Meadow Nursing Home. We try to get the best value for our tax dollars.

Over the past four years, along with her council role, she has also been deputy reeve and a member of Lennox and Addington County Council, a role she has enjoyed but which adds a significant extra responsibility and time commitment.

She is currently the chair of the accessibility committee at L&A Council, and that has given her a different perspective on a proposed renovation to the Flinton Recreation Centre in order to expand and update the township office, which is located in the bottom floor of the building.

“Our staff need better office space, not because we are planning to increase our numbers, but in order to give our people the space they need to do their jobs properly,” she said. “Also, from an accessibility point of view, we need our office to be fully accessible to the public.

Another initiative coming from the county that she is involved with, as member of the L&A Economic Development Committee, is a proposal for bike trails in the county forest, which is accessible from the Flinton Road, not far from Highway 41.

“Interesting bike trails are popular with cyclists from all over and this could be a help to our tourist industry, which is already very important to our business community,” she said. “I’m excited about this possibility.”

She said that one thing that the new council will have to deal with is the cannabis issue.

“Not only will the township be facing a decision, shortly after the new council takes office, about permitting a cannabis retail operation(s) to set up in Addington Highlands, but we are also trying to find out more about some of the growing operations that have already been established here without our knowledge or input. It is very difficult to get the information but we are working on it. As well, we need to develop our social media profile both on Facebook and Twitter to keep our residents informed of upcoming happenings within the township. There are always challenges to deal with as a member of council, and that makes it interesting.

 

Central Frontenac

Kennebec

Tom DeweyTom Dewey is seeking re-election in Kennebec for a third term because he enjoys being busy and contributing to the township and also because there are a couple of projects that he would like to see through to completion.

One of those is the septic rep-inspection program that has been a township priority and a priority for some of the lake associations that Dewey has been working with in Kennebec.

“The program is now established for certain lakes and I would like to see it get on the ground and running. I think we will be able to find a good balance between protecting the environment and not creating regulations that are difficult and expensive for some of our residents to deal with,” he said.

He is also keen to see the township develop a road needs study in order to priorities major roadwork on the townships extensive road network.

“Everybody knows about the roads in their own neighborhood that need work but not those in other corners of the township. If we get some good information and make a plan then everyone will know that we are doing the best we can with the money that we have available.”

Sitting on Council is one of the many activities that Tom, and his wife Shirley, are involved in. He is active with his lake association, his church, and the Arden Legion, and Shirley is an active volunteer at the Treasure Trunk among other things.

“I have always enjoyed being busy and working and I still feel good being active and involved,” he said, but he is still planning to cut back on his political responsibilities in the coming term, should he be re-elected.

“I don’t think I will return to Frontenac County Council,” he said, “unless there is no one who is willing to take it on. It has been an interesting job for four years, but it does take up a lot of time, and it is a long drive to the meetings.”

He is confident that the township is in good financial shape and that it has a more stable senior staff in place than it has in the recent past.

“We have a good staff and we got a lot done in the last four years of council. We’ve had a good run,” he said.

 

Isaac HaleIsaac Hale was born and raised in Arden. He left to work with youth, for a number of years, and then returned with his wife Sue. They live in Arden with Isaac’s mother Sarah, of Arden Batik.

With Sue, he runs a market garden enterprise, Learning Curve, which sells locally and at the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market. He is a member of the executive of the Frontenac Addington Trappers Council.

He traces his interest in running for council to becoming a volunteer firefighter with the Arden Station of the Central Frontenac Fire Department five years ago.

“The fire service was my first experience working for the community as a whole, and I have learned a couple of things through that commitment,” he said. “One is that I really appreciate the community that I live in and see how worthwhile it is to be involved in keeping it going. Then other is that I think I have some skills and assets that may be of value.”

He decided to run for council because he thinks he can make a difference, and bring a new perspective.

“I think there are a lot of under-represented members of our community whose voices are not heard at the council table,” he said, and “I also think that council decision making is not as transparent as it could be.”

Still, he says that he would have a lot to learn about the way council operates, if elected.

“I know a lot about the township and the issues that matter to people from living here, and I bring that with me, but I have a lot to learn about the way council operates, but that is part of the appeal of running, to learn about what municipal government can and cannot do.”

One perspective that he does bring to the table is the sense that Central Frontenac should be looking at internally to solve its problems.

“There are elders in this community, I’m speaking of Arden, who bring a depth of knowledge that you can’t find elsewhere. Similarly, the township could be looking at promoting from within to fill management roles instead of always looking outside which has led to some problems for us. It starts with encouraging staff to think in those terms, to take on the training that is required, but in the long term it might solve some of the revolving door issues we have seen at the top in recent years.”

 

Cindy KelseyCindy Kelsey

When Cindy Kelsey ran for Council 4 years ago, she saw it as being part of her other involvements in the local community.

She has been a fixture in the Kennebec community all her life. She helped her mother at the post office when she was a child, and later began working for Canada Post herself. For the past 10 years she has been the Post Master at the Arden Post Office, which is the hub of the local community on a day to day basis.

Cindy has also lived in all parts of Kennebec. Born and raised in Arden, she later bought a home in Elm Tree after getting married. The Kelseys have since moved to Henderson where her husband was raised. They have lived in Henderson for the past five years.

She said that she is running for second term in 2018 because she enjoys working with the council and the township staff and because there are a number of projects that are under development that she would like to see come to fruition.

“One of them is the septic-reinspection program. I think it is an important program, particularly for our lakes, and making sure it is done right and does not burden those who have limited resources is important as well,” she said.

She is also very keen to see that a road needs study is completed this coming year, and continues to be concerned about the state of the Henderson Road, which was something that she was concerned about when she came on council.

“I brought that road issue forward a number of times during the last term, and if I have to bring it up again I certainly will, because it remains a hazard for local residents. I’m confident that the roads need study will back that up,” she said.

The other big issue in front of council is the Official Plan update.

“We have started the process and it would be nice to see it through to the finish. It gives us more of a guideline about where we are headed as the township continues to grow,” she said.

In her first term on council, she attended a number of ROMA [Rural Ontario Municipal Association] conferences where she learned a lot about municipal matters and has been sitting on the policing committee as well. She thinks that in general, Central Frontenac is in good hands.

“I think we work very well together, the team that we have right now on council. There has been a good mix of experienced and newer members on council.”

Hinchinbrooke

Brent CameronBrent Cameron is seeking a second term on Council. He said that after one term he feel there is some “unfinished business that I would like to see through to its conclusion.”

One of his goals is items is to “foster the establishment a Central Frontenac Chamber of Commerce, run for and by local business. I think that if the business community spoke with a unified voice it would be helpful to both council and the businesses themselves.”

At the council table, he also wants to pursue changes in the way tenders are worded.

“I would like us to put performance qualifications in all our outside contracts. We need to be specific about what we expect done and we need to put penalties in place in case the job that is done does not meet those specifications.”

He would also like to see changes in the way planning processes are implemented for those who want to build in Central Frontenac.

“You know when you go to CAA, you can get a triptych, a map that had all the directions you need, all the detours along the route that you will be faced with, so you know what you are going to see and how long it will take you to get from point A to point B. I’d like to see along that for development services. If you are planning to sever off a lot, build a house or open a business, the entire process should be outlined in a check list. Not only would it streamline the process, it would also help our staff because a more informed applicant would result in a shorter, cheaper application process.”

There are also a number of roads in Hinchinbrooke ward that he thinks should be at or near the top of any list for roadwork when the townships undertakes a road needs study next year.

“Our section of the Westport Road, Echo Lake Road, and Raymo road all need work sooner than later,” he said.

He continues to be interested in the proposals coming from the committee that is trying to develop the former Hinchinbrooke Public School into a community centre.

“I can se it working well with a mix of public and private used. To my mind it is imperative that running a centre does not affect the tax rate in Central Frontenac. Any worthwhile, well considered proposal from a business or private group would be looked upon with great interest. Parham desperately needs it right now,” he said.

 

Niki Gowdy

(Editors note - An incorrect version of this profile was published in the print version of the Frontenac News. The correct verson is below)

Nicki Gowdy has never sat on municipal council but it just might be in her blood. Her grandfather Bruce Kennedy was a council member, Deputy Reeve and Reeve of Hinchinbrooke Township and her Uncle Bill Snyder served on Council both in Hinchinbrooke and Central Frontenac for many years.

Although she has always followed township politics, Nicki has maintained a focus on the school system, as an active parent council member at Prince Charles Public School and Sydenham High School.

Until last year, that is, when she became aware of changes to the local fire service. Nicki began attending council meetings regularly. While attending meetings she felt there was a need for change around the horseshoe, deciding to run for council.

“There seems to be a pattern,” she said. “Council asks staff to do some research and bring back a report. No report comes back and Council doesn’t follow up,” she said.

She is also concerned about the impact of township spending on the tax rate that residents pay.

“I would like to see staff made accountable for tax dollars allocated in the budget. For example, we spent all this money on fire equipment over the last year or so in order to comply with legislation that, in the end, the provincial government is pulling back on. I think we need to do some more research before spending money that even some firefighters don’t want us to spend.”

She said that although she would be bringing a fresh outlook to the issues on council, “I also like the idea that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. If I don’t understand something, I’m willing to learn and change my mind if necessary,” she said.

She cites the septic re-inspection program as an example.

“I was against it and the more I learned about it and educated myself, I realized it’s not a bad thing, we just need to ensure that it is well implemented and reviewed regularly,” she said.

Philip SmithPhilip Smith has served on council three times, experienced both victory and defeat at the polls, as well as an appointment tinged with sadness. He was elected in 2006, and then lost to Heather Fox and Bill Snyder in 2010, only to be appointed to serve out the last eight months of the term after Bill Snyder died while in office in early 2014. Smith was then re-elected to council in the 2014 election.

After serving as Hinchinbrooke Councillor for 9 years, he said that he was motivated to run again because “once you get in it for a while, and have the opportunity to help people, there continues to be a draw to serve.”

He works in Sharbot Lake as the manager, Mortgage and Administrative Systems with Pillar Financial and is (once again) an officer with the Parham Fair committee, serving as treasurer for 2019.

Although he has been a critic of the controversial mandatory septic inspection program in Central Frontenac, he voted in favour of the bylaw enacting the program when it came to council last week.

“The program is focusing, at first, on the trout sensitive lakes, and there is an opportunity to continue to work on protections for residents who could face hardships from the program down the road. I see my role as continuing to bring those concerns to council,” he said.

One of the long-term issues that he thinks Council should start to consider in this term, is seeking a long term solution to waste management issues.

“Pretty soon, we will have only the Olden Site for all the township’s waste, and although there is life in that site [up to 30 years] we need to start planning for that now. We don’t want to end up 5 years from the end of that site with no plan in place except to pay whatever rate we can get from the commercial market to haul it somewhere,” he said.

He also sees the Official Plan update, which is about a year from completion, as something that the new council needs to focus on in the first year of its mandate. If elected once again, he is not likely to seek the second Central Frontenac position on Frontenac County Council.

“Council is a large commitment of time on its own, for me. I prefer to focus on the services that we need to provide in Central Frontenac,” he said.

 

Elwyn BurkeElwyn Burke

Except for ten years when he lived in Westport, Elwyn Burke has spent all of his life in what is now Central Frontenac. Back in the 1990’s he served on the Olden Township Council, and was Reeve of that township for the last six years of its existence, ending in 1998.

He worked as a farmer for many years, and had owned a number of farms. He also hauled lumber to Mennonite country for 25 years. Now that he is retired, he said that he “has some time on his hands and is ready to provide my experience and knowledge on Central Frontenac Council.” He said that although he has been living on Clement Road for a few years he is running in Olden “because that is where I was before and I know many people who live there and it seemed like common sense to run there again.”

One of the concerns he has for the township is the state of the roads and he thinks the problems they face, especially the gravel roads, are pretty basic.

“The roads in Central Frontenac are not in the greatest shape. As I said at the all candidates meeting it’s pretty hard to grade the roads if you don’t have any gravel on them in the first place,” he said.

He is an old school election campaigner and said he has knocked on about 300 doors during this campaign, not only to be seen but also to hear the concerns of the residents.

“I can tell you something that is not a surprise to me, everybody complains about taxes,” he said. “A lot of those people are very unhappy about those school purchases. It looks as though there may be some more problems down the road with them since they are talking about tearing down and rebuilding them, and people are not happy about that either,” he said

He said that he is keeping an open mind about the direction the township is taking because he has been away from politics from a time, but that he is ready to look at the information that comes to council and will offer his opinion when he knows the facts.

“We just need to make sure that we don’t do things that the people don’t want us to do and don’t want to pay for,” he said.

He would like to see each ward get fair representation in dollars and cents.

 

Dan CunninghamDan Cunningham has been a resident of Central Frontenac for about 10 years, when he moved to a house on the Thompson Road.

I’ve lived in most of Ontario and this is a jewel. I love living in the country he said.

He decided to run for council after being approached by some people who knew about his background as environment manager at Stanley Tools. After leaving Stanley Tools, Cunningham ran a furniture business in Glenburnie for 8 years.

“After meeting with some people, I realised there are some common concerns. I think I can help council a little bit with how they do business,” he said.

In his view, the township needs some shaking up in the way operations are organised.

“I have a vision for the township which I’m not sure is being respected. We can build a thriving community where environmental efforts work with and foster growth by promoting enviro-tourism.

“As far as waste management goes, we need to reduce waste streams that go into our waste sites. We need to do better and more diversion. There is a Real Deal store in Smiths Falls, where tons of construction and demolition stuff, doors and much more, are diverted from the waste stream and are available for a second use. That’s where I would like to see our energy spent, instead of on the mandatory inspection program. I would rather see us do something that is more helpful to our residents. And that store in Smiths Falls employs local people. It would help us, but the inspection program, which is not even a program at this point, will hurt us, for no good purpose.”

Part of the problem he sees with council, is a lack of engagement with the residents.

“Engagement does not come from have open council meetings and publishing agendas. You can do it by surveys, by putting out flyers, you can do it by telephone. There are many ways, but the key is to actively go out and try to do it, which this council hasn’t done,” he said.

He also believes that the principles of project management need to be implemented in the township in order to make it run efficiently.

“This is what I did at Stanley Tools and we saved a million dollars each year by using these principles,” he said.

He said that he is not political, but “I think there is room for improvement in the way Central Frontenac is run.”

 

Bill EverettBill Everett has done a lot of things in his life, including serving in the Canadian military, but he is best known in Central Frontenac as the project manager of B.E.E. Sanitation, a company that offers garbage and recycling pickup in the township.

He first came to the area in 1983 and in 1995 he moved to a property on Bolton LAkes, off of the Bell Line Road in Olden District. He has run B.E.E. Sanitation for 15 years, and was a member of the township’s waste management committee that developed the recycling and clear bag waste protocols, a few years ago.

He decided to run for council earlier this year, and he wants to be clear that he is not running “out of any disrespect for anyone else, but sometimes new ideas are required. I think there are different things that might be done by the township.”

Not surprisingly, he has some ideas about the operation of the waste sites in the township, since, as he says, “he has been involved with the waste sites longer than anybody else in Central Frontenac.

“In general, we need to come up with measures that will extend the longevity of the two remaining sites, which will pretty soon be down to one,” he said.

Although he said he believes in the value of septic inspections, he said that as far he has seen, the septic pumpers tend to do an inspection when they do pump outs, “and they let their customers know what they need to do in order to save money down the road. I don’t mind the township getting involved, but I have problems if they want to make it a kind of whip-crack thing.”

He also knows that the township will be considering whether to permit cannabis sales early in its mandate, and said he was guardedly in favour, at the Olden District All Candidates meeting, but now he is not sure.

“I received a letter from Opseu President Warren (Smokey) Thomas that says that if a township says yes, they cannot say no in the future, but if they say no they can say yes later on, which is something to think about. Of course, OPSEU is the union for the LCBO employees so he may be saying that to make townships less likely to permit competition for their stores. Hopefully the Province will provide the townships with some good information before the decision needs to be made.”

 

Victor HeeseVictor Heese

In his 4 years on Council Victor Heese has learned a lot about the township and the way council operates.

“The past four years was very interesting for me, I enjoyed myself and it has been fun to find out how the township works. I have also really enjoyed meeting people,” he said.

He adds that he was able, as part of the 9 members of council, to get a few things done in the first four years.

“I thought I could go again and get a few more things done,” he says of his decision to seek re-election.

One thing that he worked on I hits first term which has not yet come together is a re-use centre which would logically be located at the Olden dump site, which will be the only township site in a few years.

“We set up a committee to look at it, but we have not been able to move forward because of the turnover of public works managers,” he said. “Each Public Works Manager comes in with different ideas, and it takes time for them the get into the job. Then they have a chance to start looking at a new project like this, and then they have been leaving, and we have to start all over again with someone new.”

He is planning to keep working on the re-use centre if re-elected, making sure that any re-use centre that is developed is designed as a complement to the Treasure Trunk, and that it has the volunteer support it needs to be able to operate on an ongoing basis.

“If a re-use centre hinders the Treasure Trunk in any way, I wouldn’t support it,” he said.

He has also been working on the septic re-inspection file as the committee chair. Council did not adopt the committee’s recommendations and came up with an alternative system.

“The system has been adopted, but it starts on only 5 lakes, and the future implementation is vague. I think we still have work to do informing the public that the re-inspections will not harm them, will not put them out of their homes,” he said.

This next term will be a challenge, he thinks, because there may be a shakeup coming from the provincial government.

“We need to be ready to deal with whatever comes our way from the province. It is clear that they hold all the power and we can only react, but we need to do what we can to be ready for what might be coming, which might be added costs.”

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