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Feature Article - September 18, 2008 South Frontenac CouncilBy Wilma KennyMPAC’s New Assessment Process
Lyndon Johnston, a representative of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, presented a 2008 assessment update to Council on Tuesday night (September 16).
MPAC is the independent body which assesses properties, establishing the value which will be used by municipalities to determine annual property taxes. Following intense consumer dissatisfaction with MPAC in the past, the ‘new’ system has been designed with a strong focus on service and customer satisfaction.
Mr Johnston stated that the 12,500 assessment notices that will be delivered in South Frontenac around October 20 will cover a four-year cycle beginning January 09, and be based on a January 08 valuation date. While any decreases in property value will be implemented immediately, increases will be phased in equally over the next four years.
The assessment notices will be accompanied by several information sheets, with details about how the assessment was arrived at and clear information about the appeal processes. Also included will be a history of appeals, and resultant decisions. In the case of a request for reconsideration, the onus will be on MPAC to prove the assessment fairly represents the value of a property on the open market.
Previously, it was up to the property owner to provide proof to support his claim of an inappropriate assessment. Property owners will have a wider range of options for contacting MPAC for information. Council had no questions for Mr Johnston.
Proposed Enlargement of CRCA Jurisdiction
The Council of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands has passed a resolution calling for the enlargement of the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority to include the offshore area on the St Lawrence River from the mainland to the international border, which falls within that township’s bounds.
This would help coordinate service related to land use planning, fish habitat and development regulation. As most work is done on a fee-for-service basis, it is not anticipated that there will be any additional costs associated with the expansion. Councillors Hahn and McPhail will represent South Frontenac in the discussion of this proposal.
Proposed Study of Point Park Landfill Site in Sydenham
Rob McRae, manager for the Source Water Protection project, has proposed requesting funding from the Ministry of the Environment for an investigation of the old landfill at the western end of Sydenham Lake.
The three goals of the project would be to: (1) confirm the presence/absence and approximate extent of a landfill in Sydenham, (2) characterize the contents of any waste on the site, and (3) characterize the environmental effects of the landfill, if one exists, on surrounding lands and waters. Council agreed to the resolution of support necessary for the application to go forward.
New Website for South Frontenac
CAO Gord Burns thanked Angela Maddocks for her work in putting together a new website for the township, using a format based on one designed for the County. Residents are encouraged to visit the site at www.township.southfrontenac.on.ca and provide feedback on information items they would like to have added.
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Feature Article - September 18, 2008 North Frontenac Council -Sept 11/08By Jeff GreenReprieve for Ardoch Chicken Farm
Chuck Johnston and Scott Cooper will not have to remove their 40 chickens right away, or their 2 sheep and 2 goats, or any other animals in their menagerie.
Their seven-acre hobby farm in Ardoch was found to contravene a bylaw banning livestock from properties that are located within identified hamlets in the township.
According to Edward Kennedy of the Frontenac Landowners Association, and Jack McLaren of the Ontario Landowners Association, who represented the two men at a meeting of North Frontenac Council, they were facing a maximum $25,000 fine if the chickens were not gone by the next day, and $10,000 a day for every day that they were still on the property.
While Council did not waive the bylaw on the spot, they did say that Johnston and Cooper could work with township staff to seek a zoning bylaw amendment to keep animals on their property, which has been farmed continuously since 1931. The bylaw will not be enforced for the next two months while a zoning amendment is being pursued.
Edward Kennedy told Council that the location of barns on the property exceeded all setback requirements, and that the property had been zoned as agricultural when the two men bought it, which happened to be 9 days after the township zoning bylaw came into effect in 2004. “I would ask council to set aside this penalty, set aside this order, and quash this hearing right now,” he said, adding, “There are three ways to do things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Canadian way, which is to delay.”
Council chose the Canadian way.
Deputy Mayor Jim Beam said, “I'm very sympathetic to Scott and the situation. Mr. Gilpin [the township bylaw officer] responded based on a complaint. It was a complaint that came into the office. He responded to a complaint the same as he would respond to any other complaint. It is in contravention of the bylaw. I suggest you work quickly with the township to apply for an exemption to the bylaw. There will be no decision on this tonight”.
Councilor Wayne Good agreed. “I think people should be able to raise chickens, but I won't vote for it tonight. I will agree to an extension, however.”
A motion to grant an extension while relief is being pursued was unanimously approved.
A quick scan of the township bylaw maps revealed there are a large number of hamlet zones in the township that are sparsely populated, including Robertsville, Donaldson, and some shoreline on major lakes.
Review of Council Portfolios – Mayor Maguire presented the draft of a new structure for council committees, with each councilor having a different set of responsibilities, in line with their experience and Council’s stated intention of leaving Frontenac County and becoming a single-tier municipality.
“My position on these portfolios is that if we are going to maintain any position of being a single-tier municipality then we need to start operating as such; we need to start acting as one. I have juggled things from last time, and these will enhance your own individual experiences, whether or not you run again next time. Are there any comments?” he asked.
Councillor Elaine Gunsinger, attending her first meeting after being appointed to Council after Wayne Cole resigned, was given the social services portfolio, and will be representing the township on the Pine Meadow Nursing Home board, among other things.
“I don't think it’s too heavy a load,” she said. “In fact I've made come inquiries already, and I attended the AGM of Community Living – North Frontenac last week.”
Councilor Fred Perry will be responsible for health, and will form a communications and economic development committee with Deputy Mayor Jim Beam. He will also sit on a three member personnel and audit committee.
“It's going to be a heavy load, but those are areas that I think I can help the township,” he said.
Councilor Bob Olmstead will have the environment portfolio, which included liaison roles with various agencies, monitoring local uranium issues, and sitting on The Lanark and Mazinaw Forest Management Committee.
Councilor Wayne Good will also sit on the personnel and audit committee and was given responsibility for planning matters.
Councilor Lonnie Watkins will have responsibility for youth and recreation matters, including liaison with local schools.
Deputy Mayor Jim Beam was asked to sit on the personnel and audit committee as well as communications and economic development. It was also proposed that he be replaced on the Board of Directors of Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVC) by Bob Olmstead
Beam said, “I specifically stated that I want to remain on the MVC and I still say that. I also think that councilors are being asked to go to an almost full time role, for part time compensation, and mileage payments only for travel outside the township. These new responsibilities are premised on your statements about us becoming a single-tier municipality. This is fine to say but we have done little to move forward. I would like to wait until the feasibility study for single tier comes through and at that time the matter of compensation could be looked at”.
Maguire responded by saying mileage can be looked at “at any time, even at our next meeting. Even if we are not a single tier, we still need to mature as a municipality. As far as you staying as a member of MVC, I don’t have a problem with that. If you insist on that, I'm not going to stand in your way.”
The new portfolios were approved, with no dissenting votes.
Recycling, health care initiatives – Township Clerk/Planner Brenda deFosse attended a meeting in Renfrew in early August along with representatives from nine other townships that are considering a joint venture involving the purchase of the Beauman recycling centre for their collective use. Currently North Frontenac is hauling its own recycling to a centre in Belleville.
Councilor Fred Perry has attended a meeting of the Addington Highlands Healthcare Committee, which was established this summer and was given a presentation by the Community Health Centre in Tweed. The committee will be considering applying to the province for a family heath team in the future.
Portable for library – To deal with the ongoing lack of library services in the hamlet of Plevna the township is considering the possibility of purchasing or leasing a portable to house the library until the Clar-Mill Hall situation is resolved.
Infrastructure money lacking – Mayor Maguire reported that the province has announced infrastructure funding for municipalities.
“Unfortunately, as has happened so many times in the past, the money is being allocated on a per capita basis instead of the number of taxpayers. North Frontenac has 77% seasonal population and we get no funding for those people, who still need services,” he said.
“On a more encouraging note, our warden, Jim Vanden Hoek, has been appointed to the AMO [Association of Municipalities of Ontario] Board of Directors. I will be congratulating the warden and advising him that I'm looking forward to working with him on promoting small municipalities to AMO.
Cowardly editorial: Councilor Fred Perry took exception to a letter to the editorial that was written by Deputy Mayor Jim Beam in response to an editorial in the Frontenac News about the recent selection of a replacement councilor.
“If there was an issue, it should have been dealt with here, not in a letter like that,” said Perry.
Mayor Maguire said he thought the problem stemmed from the article in the paper itself. “The editorial itself was cowardly; it was half baked and it ignored the fact that I said to the candidates that each of them was qualified,” Maguire said. “The writer wasn't even at the meeting, but goaded us into a response which you [Jim Beam] took up.”
Tappin’s Bay dock “on probation” – Arndt Kruger from the Mazinaw Lake Property Owners’ Association (MPOA) appeared before Council. At their previous meeting Council had revoked their approval for a proposed floating dock extension to the Tappin’s Bay dock because they had approved a single dock at an earlier meeting and MPOA sought and received approval from the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority for a three piece, L shaped dock just three days later.
Kruger wrote a letter to the township in which he said “I want to send some sort of apology to Council because at the time of my presentation I was not fully briefed on the size of the floating docks.”
Kruger went on to say that the proposal as it stands is still safe and meets environmental standards. Several councillors raised concerns, but in the end the floating dock was approved for one year, at which time it will be reviewed.
MPOA will have to provide their own insurance, however.
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Feature Article - September 25, 2008 South Frontenac Council –Sept. 23/08 By Jeff GreenSouth Frontenac will decide when to set the clock on October 7
South Frontenac Council continued to grind away at their Official Plan Review at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday night, but the end is in sight.
Two issues remain. One is the so-called clock re-starting issue. When the township’s Official Plan was approved in 2001, it included a provision whereby any single property in the township can only be divided into three building lots without the owner undertaking an expensive plan of subdivision process.
Now, some councillors want the clock to be set back, so three lots can be created on any property as of the passing of the Official Plan review, effectively re-setting the clock to January of 2009.
The issue has been batted around for months and was discussed again this week. It will be bought to a final vote at the next regular council meeting on October 7.
The other issue on the table were land designations, specifically prime agricultural and protected wetland designations which are being applied to certain lands, sometimes without the knowledge of the affected landowner.
As was pointed out by Storrington Councillor John Fillion, the map marking these lands is fraught with errors. In one case, an active quarry that is registered as such with the province is designated as a protected wetland.
“How can a quarry be a wetland?” Fillion asked.
Township planner Lindsay Mills explained that the provincial ministries will not correct the maps until the Official Plan is submitted to them.
Council decided to contact all those affected, and submit the maps with detailed notes about errors, and then hope they are fixed when they come back from the province.
“If they don’t catch everything, we’ll send them back,” said Clerk Gord Burns.
Over the next month, the township will attempt to contact all those involved and put together a comprehensive list of errors before finalising the Official Plan review on October 21.
Construction cost over-runs: Public works Manager Mark Segsworth had good news and bad news for Council concerning road construction in 2008. The good is news is that “We have, through a combination of in-house and contracted resources, delivered on an ambitious program of road work without sacrificing the quality of the work.”
The bad news is that in three of the four districts, the cost of the construction exceeded the budget. Partially due to a rise in the cost of pavement, (an oil-based product), construction in Bedford was $232,000 over budget, in Portland it was $189,000 over, and in Storrington it was $233,000. By contrast, in Loughborough it was $27,000 under budget, and on arterial roads such as Road 38 and bridges that are owned by the township itself, it was $285,000 under budget.
Overall the construction cost $400,000 more than the $4.7 million budget.
Council decided to fund the cost overruns using infrastructure grant money from the province and will work out a formula to compensate Loughborough district.
Segsworth said he would make sure to inform Council of any overruns as they occur in future years so Council can decide whether to delay projects for future years or fund them out of reserves.
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Feature Article - September 25, 2008 Frontenac County Council By Jeff GreenAt their September meeting, Frontenac County Council dealt with a few lingering issues, and refused to deal with another.
A proposal to increase the salary grid for three senior positions, which has been on the table since June, was put to rest. The three positions are: Director of Emergency Services (land ambulance), Administrator of Fairmount Home, and Treasurer.
The average pay grid for the three positions in Frontenac County is $86,244 - $102,431, which is less than the average range in neighbouring counties for the equivalent positions ($92,789 - $109,179).
According to the County Human Resources Specialist this could pose a problem of retention and recruitment for these important positions and he recommended that salaries be raised by 10%, retroactive to the beginning of 2008.
South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison said, “I don’t like the idea of a 10% raise in one year. Let's make it 5% this year and 5% next year.”
North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire reiterated a point he made earlier this year, that he did not want to get “into a bidding war and turn it into something like NHL salaries where they go up and up until they are out of sight.”
Davison's proposal was adopted in a 3-1 vote.
County governance
The mayors considered the details of a request for proposal for a consultant to look at the composition of county council.
Mayor Maguire from North Frontenac wanted the document to include references to the differences between the north and south ends of the county, and Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski said, “I do have a problem with spending money and staff time for a report that in the end will go nowhere without the poltical will to change things.”
With the assurance that by agreeing at this point the mayors are not committed to going through with the consultation, they agreed to release the request for proposal.
Broadband grant application – Council agreed to make an application for provincial funding aimed at filling any gaps in broadband service in Central and South Frontenac and the Frontenac Islands. The county intends to put forward a grant proposal for North Frontenac, which is severely lacking in broadband coverage, in February of 2009.
Bratina leaving – Dianna Bratina, the County Manager for Economic Development, leaves next week for Sault Ste. Marie, where she is taking a job with the federal government. Bratina has been with the county for three years. Under her the county has undertaken a series of background studies which will be of use to her successor. She leaves behind a detailed three-year economic development plan.
South Frontenac Chief Administrative Officer Gord Burns thanked her for her efforts on behalf of the chief administrators of the four townships. He made specific mention of her work in developing a north south trail in the county over the past year.
Council refuses to consider motion from Central Frontenac – A resolution from Central Frontenac Township requesting that the County of Frontenac “Distribute its portion of gas tax revenue to lower tier county municipalities, ...” was one of 39 pieces of correspondence which were brought to Council as correspondence to be received and filed.
Mayor Ron Maguire proposed moving it to another category, correspondence which require action, whereby it would have been the subject of debate.
Central Frontenac Mayor Gutowski agreed, but the proposal was defeated in a 2-2 vote because Mayor Davison and Warden Vanden Hoek voted against it.
(At a subsequent meeting of Central Frontenac Council on Tuesday, September 23, Councilor Gary Smith took issue with the way this matter had been dealt with at the County. “In terms of procedure, if a lower tier government passes a resolution I would have hoped that the county would bring it to the active agenda rather than receive it for information, as happened in this case.”)
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Feature Article - September 25, 2008 Central Frontenac Council –Sept. 23/08 By Jeff GreenRail line purchase
Councilor Gary Smith, the township’s representative to the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance, reported that the purchase of the east - west CPR line by the townships through which it runs should be completed within the month.
The line is part of the Trans Canada trail, and its purchase could break the log jam that has kept Central Frontenac from developing the land in Sharbot Lake where the train station was once located, although it is still not clear if that will be the case.
The Central Frontenac Railway Museum Committeee has wanted to develop a museum at that location for several years.
Councillor Bob Harvey said, “If the land does come open, I think it should be used for seniors housing rather than a rail museum”.
Garrison Shores hearing averted – Planning coordinator Cathy MacMunn said that the appellant has withdrawn his appeal to the OMB over the Garrison Shores zoning. “A conference call is scheduled for Monday to finalise everything,” she said.
Property owners on the shores of Garrison Lake have been caught in a bureaucratic bind ever since the ill-fated development was sold to them almost 25 years ago.
They have not been able to get deeds to their property in all that time, until a zoning bylaw amendment was passed by the township earlier this year. The OMB appeal was the final hurdle in the way of resolving the situation, which has been before Central Frontenac Council ever since the township was created in 1998.
Snow removal plan to come to next meeting – Pubilc Works Manager John Simcock said that he is meeting this week with contractors who remove snow from smaller township roads, and he will have a proposal before Council for changes he would like to see in how snow is removed from township roads next winter.
“What I'm gong to do is brainstorm with the contractors and staff, and I'll bring a plan back to Council and you will make the decision,” Simcock told Council. “It will involve the full removal of snow within 8-9 hours. I will bring Council the option to stay the same as before, and a couple of options for change.”
“Will you bring costing for keeping the contractors and for taking everything in house?” asked Councilor Philip Smith.
“Yes,” said Simcock.
Warden's development fund gets another cool response – Mayor Gutowski said that Frontenac County Warden Jim Vanden Hoek's proposal to establish a development fund at the county as seed money for a project that may come up in the future was not supported by Central Frontenac Council.
“It is seed money if there is a project that comes up, but nothing more specific than that. It is not entirely clear to me what this money would do; that's why I’m bringing it here”.
“It seems a little inappropriate to put money to an unknown purpose,” said Councilor Normand Guntensperger.
“I agree. I'd put it on the side burner,” said Councilor John Purdon.
I'll bring that message back, “ said Mayor Gutowski
(North Frontenac Council took a similar tack when discussing this matter in August)
Coming and going – Newly hired township CAO Mark Hall presided over this first council meeting.
Chris Matheson, the township’s Information Technology coordinator, will be leaving after next week for a job in Kingston.
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Feature Article - September 4, 2008 Addington Highlands Council -Sept 2/08By Jule Koch BrisonProperty issues create roadblock for Flinton Bridge
Last fall the Flinton bridge, which is located on the Deer Rock Lake Road, was found to have serious problems and was closed. An alternate route allows access to the Deer Rock Lake Road but a new bridge has not yet been built.
At Tuesday’s council meeting in Flinton, Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch said, “People are upset and wondering when we’re going to get at it… they don’t want to have to go through another year.”
Reeve Henry Hogg explained that the delay is caused by the fact that the property beside the bridge is not crown land, as was the case when the township recently built a new Hartsmere bridge, but is privately owned.
He said, “I’ve met with the property owner to try to work out the property issues... It is a difficult situation to try to resolve”. Hogg said that the township had hoped to build a two-lane bridge, but the property issues seem to preclude that option
The township has directed Jewell Engineering, the company that built the Hartsmere Bridge, to develop options for the bridge. An environmental assessment will have to be done and public meetings will be held in the fall.
SHELDRAKE LAKE RFP: The Sheldrake Development Committee, was recently struck in the Skootamatta District Ratepayers Association (SDRA) because of concerns over a Request for Proposal (RPF) regarding 20 acres of crown land off Sheldrake Lake Road. A delegation from the committee, consisting of Bill Garnish, Laurie Hitchcock, and Derek Mendham, attended the council meeting. “We’re not against development per se,” said Bill Garnish, “we want to be part of the decision making”.
Several years ago the township started to investigate whether it would be feasible for a developer to build a four-season resort in Addington Highlands. Several sites were looked at, but much of the crown land in AH falls within the Algonquin Land Claim territory.
In consultation with the Ministry of Natural Resources, the township eventually found a 77 acre piece of Crown land on Sheldrake Lake, outside of claim territory, that was made available for development, and this April an RPF was posted on the Lennox and Addington County website.
The original 77 acres has since been dropped to 20 acres because the MNR only intended to lease part of it, and it was difficult to interest anyone in developing property that they would not own.
Presently, an appraiser has been hired by the MNR to set a value for the property.
Deputy Reeve Yanch invited the Sheldrake Development Committee to have a member sit on the Addington Highlands Economic Advisory Development (AHEAD) Committee, and the delegation agreed to look into the possibility.
NORTHBROOK SKATEPARK: The township presently leases the land on which the Northbrook skatepark sits from the Land o’ Lakes Lions, but the organization has asked the township to take over ownership of the property because of insurance concerns. The township already bears all the liability from the skatepark.
Council decided to refer the request to the Rec Committee for discussion with the Lions.
OPP REPORT: Detachment Commander Pat Finnegan and Sgt. Greg MacLellan presented their report for May, June and July 2008. The good news was that calls for service were down, which Det. Commander Finnegan said is part of an overall 3-year trend.
One major issue is emerging problems with ATVs.
Police have received numerous complaints, and Sgt. MacLellan said that documentation, e.g. proper insurance and licences, has not been found to be the problem; the problems are: too many people on the machines, letting children operate adult ATVs (sometimes with only bike helmets on), drinking and driving, and having open liquor. He also pointed out that there are many law-abiding ATV operators.
Councilor Louise Scott said, “Whenever I see ATVs there are always two people on them.”
Deputy Reeve Yanch said she doesn’t complain because she feels it wouldn’t help.
Det. Commander Finnegan said, “Don’t be afraid to complain.” He also said that the problems are developing everywhere in Ontario as municipalities “are persuaded and allow ATV use on their roads”.
Councilor Janice Kerr also questioned the officers about an incident in Denbigh that she had heard about, which she described as “serious”. She said that a woman had called police about two men who were revving chainsaws by her building and threatening to burn things down, but was told by the dispatcher that there was only one officer in the area and he was not available.
Det. Commander Finnegan said he would investigate what had gone wrong. He said that for a serious incident such as Kerr described, “We would never just say, ‘there’s no one available’. We would bring in people from other detachments if we needed to…. We would always find a way no matter how busy we are.”
CLOYNE 150 YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Council approved funding of $500 for the Cloyne Historical Society’s celebration of the 150 year anniversary of the village of Cloyne, to be held in August 2009.
ST. PAUL’S CHURCH: Council agreed to waive a $200 tipping fee for disposing of insulation that had to be removed from the basement of St. Paul’s Church because of flooding. The church said that the flooding was caused by road work, which council determined was done by the county. Council will take up the matter with the county.
BELL LINES CAUSE PROBLEMS; Roads Supervisor Royce Rosenblath reported that because of problems locating Bell Telephone lines, construction that they’ve started in Northbrook has become a “real nightmare”. He said they’ve found lines “strung along roads … within 3 inches of the pavement .. there’s no logic to it.”. He said that paying to locate the lines has become an added expense and in some places they won’t be able to do proper ditches because of the lines.
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Letters - September 4,2008 Letters: Sept 4Re: Cowardly Council, Jim Beam
Re: Rubbing Salt inTheir Wounds, Candace Bertrim
Re: Council Position Filled, Leo Ladouceur
Re: Highway Signs Stolen, Clayton Fleury
Re: Cowardly CouncilThank you for recognizing the factthat councillors, not only in North Frontenac but in all municipalities, put in long hours and are hard working in an often thankless job.
I was upset at the unlikely turn of events at the last North Frontenac Council meeting and, as you pointed out, the problem may have been avoided had Council made a decision at the July meeting. It would not necessarily have happened that way though! Mayor Maguire clearly did not want to have his adversary, Betty Hunter, appointed as replacement councillor even though she was experienced and lived in Ward 2. In the event that a vote was taken, I am certain that the vote would have been split 3-3 with the mayor, and Councillors Perry and Good voting against Betty, and Councillors Watkins,Olmstead and me voting for her. That motion would have been defeated as a tie. What then? At the time there was no procedure established byCouncil to deal with a situation like this.
I reluctantly agreed to add 2 weeks to the deadline and, by doing so, we got into the situation that developed on August 21. What I find a bit bizarre is that the mayor would nominate two candidateswho had no experienceon North Frontenac Council when there were two people available thatwould be able to step right in to the position and further the work of the township without having to go through a learning curve. Was he that worried about the possibility of Betty Hunterbeing elected that he nominated the other candidates in an attempt to increase the chance of her not being elected, as he knew, or was quite sure, that Betty would get 3 votes, Gleva 3, and there would be no clear winner?
I am not, in any way, suggesting that either of the other candidates would not have been good Councillors but why not go for an experienced person who lives in theWard and would require no time to learn the ways of municipal government?
I welcome Elaine to North Frontenac Council and will work with her to help her become an effective councillor in as short a time as possible.
Jim Beam,Deputy Mayor and Ward 3 Councillor, Township of North Frontenac
Re:Rubbing Salt in Their WoundsMy support and empathy go out to my salt wounded neighbours. I am a property owner and neighbour to the Lowerys, Clows and Hickeys, awaiting my invitation to view their fancy new in-ground pools!!
What a joke!
Where is the compensation to these families? Is the township going to change all the plumbing in the two adjacent homes that have been destroyed by their negligence?
Is the township going to compensate the landowners/farmers for destroying their property? Where cattle can no longer graze nor can it be cut for hay. What about the building lot just south of the works yard? Where is the resale value in a property that cannot produce potable water?
As a property owner I would be thoroughly disgusted and furious with my township (to whom we pay taxes and take for granted that they are employed to better our community) for doing the very minimal damage control possible.
Candace Bertrim
Re:Council Position FilledOn reading the front page about North Frontenac’s selection of a replacement councilor a few words came to mind. They included gutless, fixed, convoluted, leaderless, dysfunctional, unfair, silly and embarrassing. Getting to the second page I found the editor’s descriptive word “Cowardly” to be very appropriate.
Firstly, I congratulate Elaine Gunsinger for having the will and the interest to offer her services as a councilor. Those of us who know her have confidence that she will represent Ward 2 very well. Her selection has the benefit that she owes no allegiance to current councilors, who insultingly said she and other candidates were not suitable for the job. Her decisions can be based on what is best for her constituents and the whole township.
Secondly I wish to suggest to Mayor Maguire that rather than making important township decisions by drawing pieces of paper from a hat, he should move to the “Management by Dart Board” approach. Ron and I are both ex-federal government senior managers and I’m sure he knows the concept very well.
The process is simple and inexpensive. No councilors are needed, so we can save taxes there. Install a dart board in the mayor’s office. Each day the mayor gets to personally load the 20 spaces or targets on the dart board with decisions that would suit him for that day. These could include items such as “raise the tax rate today”, “raise the mayor’s salary”, “pave roads where there is high voter concentration”, “reduce township services to Ward 1”, “buy a few more trucks”, “ignore volunteer committee recommendations”, “hire more consultants”, “reduce township support to local businesses”, and “pick another fight with County Council”. Let’s not forget decisions to “blame the library board”, “publicly insult the county, provincial ministries and federal agencies” and “request more funding from the county, provincial ministries and federal agencies”. Finally we need an entry that will “delay all decisions for another meeting, another month, another budget, another study, another year or another election”. One simple toss of the dart each day and the mayor’s management decisions are made.
Sounds foolish and ridiculous? How is it different than the way our cowardly council does not function today? Just read the Frontenac News. When was the last time an item from council was good news, a logical decision, showed real leadership, or something our ratepayers could be pleased and proud about? Poor Elaine has a lot to overcome so let’s support her and her efforts.
Leo L. Ladouceur
Re: Highway Signs Stolen on 509I lost the back window out of my van, also a side window, plus many stone chips due to the high speed of stupid drivers. Much of the stone on these roads ended up in the ditches and many windshields were pock-marked, as was the paint on many nice vehicles. Tar & stone is not the cheap way to go. Hot asphalt would stop this nonsense. The township may save a few bucks but the tourists and locals have to pay through the nose to have their vehicles repaired. Windows are over $300 and paint jobs $600 & up. Is there any recourse from the toownship?
Clayton Fleury
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Feature Article - September 4, 2008 South Frontenac CouncilBy Jeff GreenSydenham water bylaw approved – bills to be sent out
South Frontenac Council has approved a bylaw which will enable the township to send out bills to ratepayers in Sydenham village for their share of the Sydenham water system.
The township had been on the verge of passing such a bylaw back in July, but at the last minute council decided that estimates about the amount of money that it can reasonably expect to raise through expansion of the water system was too low at $385,000.
The new bylaw is based on the assumption that the township will be able to gain an extra $258,000 in addition to the estimated $385,000 by charging fees for new housing units in the vicinity of the village to hook up to the system. This is based on revised estimates of the projected water use by Sydenham residents in relation to the capacity of the system.
In the end, the residents of Sydenham will collectively pay $1.39 million towards the water system. The total cost to build the system was $7.76 million, but the cost to the villagers was mitigated by provincial and federal grants of about $2.5 million, by $700,000 from the Limestone School Board for the two schools in the village, by the $643,000 in projected growth-related revenues and by $125,000 in costs for road repairs that was assumed by the township.
Council debated about what kinds of rules would be set out for future development, but did agree that each new house that comes into the system will pay $6,000.
The bills to cover the $1.39 million, divided up according to a formula based on road frontage and the dwelling size, will be in the mail shortly.
Burns to retire in '09 - “I don't like the content of this report,” said Mayor Davison in reference to a letter to Council from Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Gord Burns, which said he intends to retire in July of next year.
The letter was written at this time for two reasons, Davison said. “There has been talk of when Gord will retire, so this puts that to rest”. As well, it will give plenty of time for an orderly transition to a new individual in the job.
“I thought it only fair to provide this information to council so that they can give consideration to the process of selecting my replacement while there are still several months before my actual retirement,” said Burns.
The township intends to provide some overlap between the start date for the new CAO and Burns' retirement date. Gord Burns has been the CAO of South Frontenac since December of 2001.
$500 to Biosphere reserve – The township has renewed their membership in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve with a donation of $500. As well, the township is joining with a regional trail initiative being undertaken by the reserve.
$300,000 rescue vehicle – In line with the 2008 budget, Council approved the purchase of a new fire rescue vehicle for station 5 (Loughborough) at a cost of $265,000 from Fort Garry Fire Trucks. Once the truck is fitted with extrication equipment and a communication radio, the total cost will be over $297,000, which is still within the amount budgeted for it.
Buck Bay bridge – The tender for the rehabilitation of the Buck Bay bridge off of Westport Road has been awarded to Baltimore Development Services for $45,000. Along with the costs for engineering, which was awarded to McIntosh Perry for about $8,000, the total cost of the project is around $53,000, well under the $85,000 that was budgeted for the project.
“We had the same company do work on Rutlege Road, I was concerned that they were new to us when we awarded that tender, but they did a great job on that project, so I'm very comfortable with them now. And they were the lowest bid,” said Councillor Ron Vandewal
Building permits down – The number and value of building permits taken out in the first 7 months of 2008 are down in the township, as compared to 2007, which was the strongest year of the past five. This year 196 permits, including 44 for new houses, were taken out between January and the end of July, for a total construction value of $13.4 million. Last year, 26 more permits were taken out in the same period, including 58 for new houses, for a construction value of almost $18.5 million.
2008 figures are higher than those in 2006, when the value was $12.8 million for the same period. In 2005 the figure was $14.9 million.
Chief Building Officer Alan Revill said, in a written report, that the building department remains busy in spite of the slowdown. “At this time, I see no difficulty in fully utilising all department staff,” he wrote.
Controversy over road closing – Council received a letter from Flora Svendsen and Pam Freeman expressing concerns about the concert planned for Sydenham village on September 13 and its impact on traffic flow, business interruption, and the potential safety hazards that may result.
“We will be much more satisfied if the township will agree in writing to accept all reponsibility for crowd control and any liability arising from their permit for a public performance in the village business district especially as it will likely attract a crowd of undetermined size and responsibility,” they wrote.
Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth said that he has talked to all of the business owners involved, and the area had be configured to try to ensure that all businesses will remain accessible during the event.
“We are going to try to work with everyone,” said Mark Segsworth.
“It kind of sickens me to hear these complaints because everything is going to charity and it will raise the profile of the village,” said Mayor Davison.
Syd_water_08-31
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Feature Article - August 7, 2008 Sydenham Residents Gain Concession on Water LevyAt the July 15 Committee of the Whole meeting, Council had rejected CAO Gord Burns’ proposal to pass Sydenham water levy bylaw, which was accompanied by a schedule of payment for all of he affected properties in the village. Costs were slated to average between $6,000 and $8,000 for most households, depending on their road frontage and other factors.
See South Frontenac Water Debate Dribbles On
At the time, Council was divided over whether the plant was overbuilt or not, and debated whether current residents should pay for water that they are unlikely to use, instead of charging those costs to new developments that could spring upon the edges of the village over the next 20 years.
As requested, Burns submitted a second report, outlining three options and asking council’s direction.
His first option reiterated his earlier recommendation that there was "no significant justification for the township absorbing additional costs for the added capacity of the plant." In support, he said the Ministry of the Environment "is certain that once more people are hooked into the system and people become more comfortable with the use of the system (the volume of water use) will climb." Burns noted that if present use should rise, council could not claw back an adjustment, if one were made.
The second, more political option would be for the township to pick up the additional capacity costs, based on an estimation by the engineering firm Tottenham Sims Hubiki that if the plant had been designed for half the present capacity, the cost saving would amount to approximately $775,000. The residents’ share of this would be $258,000. Should council decide to support this option, Burns, though not in agreement, would recommend that the township delete $258,000 from the total capital costs being charged to residents, pay that amount out of reserves, and recover it through future development.
His third option addressed a development fund created by adding a levy to property taxes throughout the township. Such a fund could become available to assist all township residents with drinking water issues. However, Burns said that the development and administration of such a fund would be complicated, time-consuming and expensive in terms of staffing required.
There was general agreement that setting up a development fund was a separate issue from the question of whether or not Sydenham residents were being asked to fund the capital costs of a water plant with up to 50% excess capacity.
Councillor Hahn said he found the argument that the plant had an overlarge capacity persuasive, and questioned who should fairly pay for the excess capacity: the present residents, or new development as it accesses the water system? Robinson agreed, saying, "If [residents] are only using 33% [of the plant’s capacity], the long and the short of it is that they’re being overcharged and it’s our job to help them."
A motion was made by David Hahn, seconded by Councilor John Fillion, to accept Burns’ report, with option #2 being the preferred one It passed 5 to 4, supported by Fillion, Robinson, McPhail, Hahn and York.
The impact of this decision on individual Sydenham ratepayers will be calculated in the coming weeks and a new levy bylaw will be prepared.
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Feature Article - August 7, 2008 South Frontenac Township Council Aug 5, 2008By Wilma KennyBEDFORD BLOW-UP: An already edgy South Frontenac Council meeting erupted into disarray when council defeated a motion to "not withdraw from the Automatic Aid Agreement with Rideau Lakes Township to service a portion of Bedford District."
Fifteen Bedford residents stormed to their feet when this happened, ignoring Mayor Gary Davison’s reminder that this was not a public meeting. They demanded that their concerns be heard, either immediately or at a public meeting. Their unofficial spokesperson, Marty Humphrey, asked what had become of a petition with 150 signatures demanding that the agreement be maintained, and insisted that at no time had council held an open meeting so residents could express their concerns to all councilors.
The issue of concern is that at present the Rideau Lakes fire department has an agreement to respond to South Frontenac’s emergency calls along that portion of Bedford Road closest to Westport.
The arrangement is unusual, in that it amounts to a purchase of service, whereby the fire hall in Westport is the first responder for calls in a portion of Bedford, and South Frontenac pays a fee each year of a few thousand dollars.
The agreement differs from standard mutual aid agreements where fire departments along municipal borders help each other out for free.
Council had discussed withdrawing from the agreement at a Comiteee of the Whole meeting in June but at Councilor Hahn’s recommendation, the issue was referred to the fire marshall and the township fire committee for further discussion.
In his notes to council, CAO Burns stated that the Committee of the Whole had recommended that council not withdraw from the agreement at this time.
However, on Tuesday night, Councilors Hahn, McPhail, and Stowe, and Mayor Robinson voted not to withdraw from the agreement while Councilors Fillion, Hicks, York and Deputy Mayor Robinson voted "no; they voted not to not withdraw. Councilor Ron Vandewal abstained, as he had been on the fire committee and in these kinds of votes an abstention is equivalent to a no vote.
Councilor Hahn vociferously questioned the legality of reducing a service on what he interpreted as a tie vote on a negative option and he asked that the township seek their solicitor’s opinion on the wording of the motion.
Bedford Councillor Del Stowe noted that Bedford’s complement of firefighters is low: down from 30 to only 13. Councilor Ron Vandewal said that the Bedford firefighters have complained to him about never having any firefighting to do.
Mayor Davison assured the Bedford residents that council would revisit the issue at a Committee of the Whole meeting, though he could not promise a public meeting. He said that the present agreement will remain in place for several months yet. The Bedford residents thanked their two representatives and expressed their unhappiness with the rest of council before leaving the meeting.
PROPOSED WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN
Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth brought a proposal that council approve the Sustainability Committee’s recommendation to "accept the Public Information Program (developed by Totten Sims Hubicki), with the inclusion of the $2.00/bag household garbage user pay charge and the remaining costs funded from the general tax rate effective September 1, 2009 for presentation to the public."
In support of this, Segsworth stated: "We have an inconsistent program: six active waste sites are too many for a township this size, blue box requirements vary from district to district, and Bedford’s waste disposal leaves much to be desired. South Frontenac is managing solid waste in four different ways. A standardized system would be in the township’s best interests."
He noted that a user-pay system could finance up to half of the waste disposal system, thus reducing taxes, while also providing a strong incentive to divert more solid waste by recycling.
Councilor John Fillion said "I wasn’t at the last committee meeting: you see what happens when the cat’s away." Fillion disagrees with the user-pay system, and he outlined a scenario whereby ditches would be filling with garbage, farm dumps would re-open, and seasonal residents would not be contributing their share to the costs of running the township.
Councilor Ron Vandewal noted that the Sustainability Committee’s vote on bag tags had not been close and Fillion’s opposition would not have changed the outcome.
Deputy Mayor Bill Robinson expressed concerns that a more amalgamated waste management program might mean the rest of the township would use the Portland waste site, and Portland might lose their hard-earned reserves.
Mayor Davison commented, "Last week you seemed very willing to pump water out of Sydenham, but this week you’re not willing to share waste disposal resources."
Mark Segsworth assured Robinson that this was a 20-year plan, which would be brought into effect in stages.
David Hahn said this was a big report that addressed complex issues. He noted that the Sustainability Committee had three engineers on it, and a community member who worked for Kingston Area Recycling, as well as council and community representatives.
The motion to accept the proposal passed, supported by Hahn, McPhail, Stowe, Vandewal and Davison.
Public information centres will be :
Bedford District Community Hall (Glendower)- 9:00 am Saturday, August 23Storrington Centre, Sunbury - 7:00 pm, Tuesday Sept 9Lions Hall, Verona -7:00 pm Wed, Sept 10Town Hall, Sydenham - 7:00 pm, Sept 11Coyote kills up, housing starts down
Eight coyote kills of cattle were recorded in July, at a total cost of just over $3,000 to the province. Construction starts in the township have been somewhat lower for the first half of 2008, compared to last year. There is no indication this latter fact is in any way connected to coyote predation.
Library Advisory Committee
Council established a committee to advise on plans for a new library and enlarged municipal office space. Public representatives are: Stephanie Hook, Steve Lapp, John McDougall and Wilma Kenny; Council representatives are: Fillion, Vandewal, Hahn and Robinson.
Township employees praised for excellent work
Lorrie Ann Lane of Verona wrote to thank Assistant Clerk Angela Maddox "for going above and beyond the call of duty" to assist in finding a temporary replacement for crossing guard at Prince Charles School during a time of family illness. "Residents should know there are still good people in the world we live in."
Ron Maguire, Mayor of North Frontenac, thanked the mayor and council for sharing South Frontenac’s Chief Building Officer, Alan Revill, on a part-time temporary basis, until a replacement could be found. "We could not have been better cared for. Courteous, knowledgeable and professional, he has provided guidance and assistance to every one of us here in North Frontenac."
