Minister pours cold water on NF succession plans

The Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has responded to a letter from North Frontenac Council that requested leave to hold a referendum on pulling the township out of Frontenac County.

“Please note that subsection 1(1) of Ontario Regulation 425/00 of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 prohibits municipalities from submitting a question to electors regarding municipal restructuring,” the letter concludes.

Watson did write that he would consider a proposal to create an alternative structure for North Frontenac but cautioned that, “The decision to change municipal structures is an extremely complex and important undertaking.

Any proposal must show fiscal “self-sustainability for any proposed new municipalities, demonstrate property tax fairness,” and “be endorsed and submitted by the County of Frontenac and the 4 municipalities.”

He urged North Frontenac to “continue to work with the other Frontenac townships and the County itself to resolve the issues at hand which I believe would be best addressed at the local level.”

With Mayor Ron Maguire still away on sabbatical (he will return in December) Deputy Mayor Jim Beam said, “Part of the issue for the province seems to be the creation of a new municipality.”

Beam then pointed out that Frontenac County had just the day before “passed a change to its structure from four to nine votes. This was one of the major issues that we had. They have also given consideration to providing $80,000 to rural transportation, although it is only in the budget but the budget is not approved. Still I think we have made some headway. I was not altogether disappointed with what came back from the province.”

“Still, secession is not a dead issue,” said Councilor Fred Perry.

“For all intents and purposes, it's not happening at this time,” said Beam.

More Crown roads worries

North Frontenac Council continues to struggle with road maintenance issues on Crown and un-maintained township roads.

The latest issue to come to council (at their meeting on Thursday, November 19) concerned the road to the Mackie Lake boat access.

The road is part of a Land Use plan the township has with the Ministry of Natural Resources, which is known as the Crown Land Stewardship Plan. Money flows to the township from the MNR to cover very basic maintenance of former Crown maintained roads under this plan, and the maintenance is all contracted out.

The added wrinkle for Mackie Lake Road is that the township owns and operates the boat launch to the lake that is at the end of the road.

Council considered a proposal to remove the road from the Crown Land Stewardship Program to allow the Mackie Lake Association to make their own arrangements with the MNR over maintenance to the road. If the association is able to fund the maintenance, it is hoped the road will see an improvement over the current minimal maintenance.

“This is the only lake where there is township access to the lake” said Councilor Lonnie Watkins, “and if the MNR takes over nobody is going to look after it. It doesn't sit right for us to refuse to look after it.”

Councilor Wayne Good said, “This is not our property. It is MNR property. If we start taking care of MNR property, where will we be able to stop doing so? We can't afford to take every MNR road on, so we shouldn't take any on.”

Councilor Bob Olmstead said, “With the number of people that live in there and the amount of tax dollars we collect, we should just send a grader in there as needed.”

“It is not our road. What part of this don't you understand?” Good countered.

A vote on the plan to remove the road from the Crown Land Stewardship Program and leave it to the association and the MNR to sort out was defeated in a 3-3 tie vote.

Deputy Mayor Jim Beam said, “If we tell the Mackie Lake Association that the access is guaranteed. It will not go away, but they have to maintain the road, I think that would work for them.”

A second vote was taken on the motion, and this time five of six members supported it, with Councilor Olmstead registering the only dissenting vote.

Frontenac Shores – Council considered a proposal that would allow for the construction of eight units as part of phase 2 of the development of fractional ownership cottages on Mississagagon Lake in Barrie ward (the former Twin Pines Resort property).

The developers, Dave and Pat Storms, have completed six units, and would like to complete phase 2 (which will amount to 28 units if and when it is completed) in stages. They were seeking changes to the site plan agreement with the township in order to allow some of the costs related to phase 2 to be spread out. They were also seeking to move the location of the sewage treatment system from where it had originally been planned to go in.

The township planner said the changes were acceptable, with some revisions that were explained to the applicants, and council ratified the new agreement.

Volunteer and staff recognition – Council approved a $1,000 expenditure for the North Frontenac Fire Volunteers Christmas Dinner, and a further $1,000 for the purchase of a suitable item for all full-time employees as “a token of appreciation for their efforts throughout the year”.

The proposal included council members as recipients of the tokens of appreciation, but council decided to pull themselves off the list.

Free hall for LARC – Lennox and Addington Resources for Children (LARC) asked the township if they could use the Barrie Hall in Cloyne free of charge for the Wednesday morning pre-schoolers playgroup they hold in the hall. The playgroup is offered free to residents and LARC said in a letter of request that they are committed to keeping it free, but the $15 fee for a part-day use of the hall is an impediment.

Council decided to waive the fee.

New Shredder – There must be a lot of sensitive information in North Frontenac because the township office’s shredder, which was purchased just over a year ago for $600, has been shown to be inadequate. A suitable machine has been costed out at $2,500 and council approved the purchase. 

Editorial by Jeff Green

MP Scott Reid and MPP Randy Hillier have done something that no one else seems to have been able to do – they have created unanimity on Lanark Highlands Council over, of all things, water.

They did so by sending out a questionnaire asking whether the ratepayers would like to see a water plant built in the Village of Lanark, or would prefer support for a continued well and septic-based water system. The price tags for the two options are vastly different, and the issue itself has been festering for years and years.

What has brought about municipal agreement, even though the local council is as split on the issue as ever, is outrage over the incursion of federal and provincial politicians into a municipal matter.

Hillier and Reid were recently rebuked by Lanark County Council over their questionnaire/referendum.

The council approved a motion directing the county warden to send a letter to Ontario Conservative Party leader Tim Hudack and to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

The letter complained about “the direct intrusion of their party’s elected members in an issue which is clearly a municipal responsibility.”

While this issue has gained notoriety in Lanark County political circles, another related issue could become a major issue in the run up to the 2010 municipal election.

The Ontario Landowners Association announced recently that it is planning to run candidates in next year’s municipal election throughout Lanark County, which would be something new for municipal politics in Eastern Ontario.

The Ontario Landowners are an offshoot of the Lanark Landowners Association, which was founded by none other than Randy Hillier. It came about as the result of a rural caucus that then rookie MP Scott Reid held at his home in Carleton Place.

Notwithstanding these connections, the Landowners have always been a political entity. They have made a name for themselves as an advocacy group in response to government.

When Randy Hillier resigned from the Landowners and ran for the Ontario Conservatives, he did have another option. If his candidacy had not been accepted by the Conservatives, there was a very really possibility that an Ontario Landowners Party could have been formed, with potentially devastating implications for the Conservatives.

Hillier was accepted by the Conservatives, and the Landowners remain an advocacy group, but putting together a slate of candidates would make them some sort of municipal party, which is something that has never been seen in this part of the province.

Although municipal politicians are often party members of one of the mainline parties, they run and serve on municipal councils as independent ratepayers.

If the Landowners can run candidates, other political parties might follow.

Municipal councils are often full of disagreements and disputes, and water treatment plants have been a prime example in a rural setting of how difficult it can be to move forward, as in the case of the Village of Lanark, and recently, the hamlet of Sydenham.

But compared to Queen's Park or Parliament Hill, there is a refreshing openness to municipal debate, openness that is brought about because the politicians are elected on an independent basis. They have no one to answer to. They are free to agree or disagree with each other, and are not beholden to a party leader or leader's office.

Adding party ideology, from the right-wing, left-wing or libertarian quarters, would be a detriment to municipal decision making

Reid and Hillier's interventions into the Lanark water and sewer issue pale in comparison to that possibility. 

The 5-Year Trailer by-law, four years later:CAO Wayne Orr brought the trailer by-law to Committee of the Whole, to determine council's direction with regard to the current resolution, which will expire December 31, 2010. Although the present Council did not set the by-law, nor will it be the council in session when the by-law expires, it was deemed important to give trailer owners some advance warning of the township's intent, well before the present arrangement expires.

Under the Zoning by-law of January 2005, trailers are permitted only in special Recreational Resort Commercial zones. The exceptions are for legal non-conforming use and accessory uses.

By-law 2004-93 is about licensing trailers, and is intended to discourage the use and keeping of a trailer on any property except in an established trailer park. For those trailers situated prior to the old district by-laws, an annually renewed licence ($220/year) is required, and they had to comply with KFL&A regulations regarding sewage by 2006. Stored trailers and trailers used during the building of a single-family unit were the only exceptions. No new trailers would be permitted.

Initially, 169 trailers paid licensing fees totalling $37,220. By 2009, 110 trailers are paying $24,200. The reduction in licenses is attributed to several factors: a number of owners had their trailers assessed by MPAC and now pay property taxes, some have been removed, and the few who failed to obtain a license had the fees charged to their property taxes. Some of the options facing council are: to choose to have the zoning by-law enforced, and all trailers removed at the end of next year, or to extend or change the licensing by-law. Councilor John Fillion led off the discussion by saying he was totally not in favour of the zoning by-law: "What about the farmer taking off hay?" Several, including Councilor Del Stowe, spoke in favour of maintaining some version of the licensing by-law. Councilor Bill Robinson said the ratepayers were already upset about the waste management program, and those he had spoken with didn't object to the licensing fee. Councilor Ron Vandewal suggested the licensing by-law be extended, but that the fee should be raised. Councilors Stowe, Hahn and York agreed. All agreed that trailers could not be replaced as they wore out. Mayor Gary Davison noted that many existing trailers were on undersized waterfront lots: Vandewal said that where these are lots of record, the Committee of Adjustment is usually able to work with them toward a satisfactory solution.

SOME BUDGET SHORTFALLS: A treasurer's report comparing year-to-date expenditures to the 2009 budget showed most departments were coming in on budget with three exceptions:

A shortfall of $137,000 in investment income due to lower than anticipated interest rates,Planning/Committee of Adjustment was down $35,624, due to a combination of reduced revenues from fewer applications, and an unusually high number of appeals to the OMB and associated legal costs, $80,000 for removal of tires from Portland dump as required by the provincial Tire Stewardship Program. In regard to the last item, Vandewal noted that perhaps Portland shouldn't have been so quick to criticise other departments, such as recreation, for being over budget. Hicks denied that recreation ran over budget, but Mayor Davison reminded him that Portland recreation had had to draw more than $40,000 from reserves this year. Davison went on to ask why the Portland dumpsite had had $80,000 worth of tires left on the site: "Portland got fees when people dropped them off, and now the township has to pay to remove them?"

Robinson took umbrage, saying that he resented being attacked by his fellow councilor: "Portland dump's not my business – the roads department runs the dumps."

The treasurer's report said there was adequate funds in the township reserves to cover the projected shortfalls: this led to a discussion of taxes, reserves, and mill rates, which will continue in the new year, during the budget deliberations.

To end on a cheerful note: The Sydenham Santa parade will start at 10:00 am this Saturday. The Harrowsmith parade is on the following Saturday, December 5 at 10am.

County resolves governance issue

Frontenac County Council has ended an 18-month-long process by selecting a new governance model.

An eight-member council, with the mayor of South Frontenac carrying two votes, will be in place after municipal elections next November, pending ratification of the proposal by lower-tier councils in the county.

Currently there are four members of Frontenac County Council - the four Frontenac townships (North, South, Central, and Frontenac Islands), and each township will be adding an additional member after the municipal election next November.

The extra councilors will be chosen by the member councils for a four-year term

By allocating two votes to the mayor of South Frontenac there will be nine votes on the council, ensuring majority votes on contentious issues and providing extra weight to South Frontenac, whose ratepayers contribute 58% of municipally derived funds to the county budget.

The proposal is similar to ones that have been put forward by the member councils, although the specifics of the weighted vote provision was put into the final proposal by Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski.

Gutowski's one-year term as county warden ended after the November 18 meeting at which the council made the governance decision that had been lingering on their agenda for over a year.

“There is a clear indication that there needs to be change,” Gutowski said in framing the final debate. “We've got some very weighty issues at the county table. I think the discussion can be deepened, and I do feel it can be enhanced by adding new bodies. The job is getting bigger and we need more hands on deck.”

Although she said she is not completely comfortable with the second township representative being selected by the councils rather than by an election by the entire electorate, as the mayor is, “I am prepared to let the townships make that selection,” she said.

Gutowski's insistence that the extra vote for South Frontenac be held by the mayor reflects her concern about representation. “I think the directly elected representatives must have a majority of the votes on the council,” she said.

Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek, who initiated the debate about governance during his second term as county warden in 2008, was reluctant to support the change.

“Can we get a sense of how much it will cost to add four more members, in terms of salary, staff time, everything? Will it require an extra staff position?” he asked.

After taking a short break to consider that question, County Treasurer Marion VanBruinessen said the cost would be around $70,000 per year. She began to break down the estimated figures, noting that the salary for a councilor is $7,000.

Then Vanden Hoek said, “We don't need the detail. If it is $70,000, that's quite a bit of money. If you agree to this, the eight or nine-person council will be around for a long time. There may be an interim step. I'm going to suggest a couple of things for a term that would avoid us spending the $70,000. What if we transfer any net surpluses at the end of the year back to the townships on a pro-rated basis? That would put the county and the townships on the same operating level as the city and the health unit. We may also turn around and establish a finance committee, with township representation, that works with the county on the budget.”

“You are putting a new proposal on the table at 2 in the afternoon [the Council meeting had started at 10 am with a two hour in camera session] after we have discussed this for 12 months,” Warden Gutowski replied.

“We are dealing in apples and oranges,” added North Frontenac Deputy Mayor Jim Beam, sitting in for Mayor Ron Maguire, “if you want to take back the surpluses, I don't think that will satisfy the desire for more input from the townships.”

“There has been a lot of discussion and it is time for a vote,” said Warden Gutowski. “There is one proposal on the table.”

Neither Mayors Vanden Hoek nor Davison would move or second a motion based on Gutowski's proposal, forcing her to relinquish her chair in order to make a motion, which was seconded by Jim Beam.

The motion was approved by a 4 – 0 vote.

A bylaw was passed later in the meeting, and the proposal will go to a public meeting on November 30 at the Sydenham Town Hall.

In order to come into effect in time for the 2010 municipal election, it will need to be ratified by at least three of the four member councils, representing at least 50% of the population, by the end of the year.

Because South Frontenac has 58% of the population, the change must be ratified by their council and at least two others. 

County still uneasy with transportation plan

Frontenac County Council continued to express concerns about a proposal to establish an independent not-for-profit corporation for transportation in South, Central and North Frontenac townships.

Susan Leslie, the CEO of Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) and Deborah Andrews, CEO of Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS) along with Jane Drew, the Manager of Rural Routes and Dean Walsh from Community Living-North Frontenac, came to Frontenac County Council last week to answer questions about a business plan they have submitted.

The plan calls for Rural Routes, which is currently a project of NFCS, to become an independent corporation that will co-ordinate rides to medical appointments and other services throughout mainland Frontenac County for needy clients of SFCS, NFCS, and others.

The plan calls for Frontenac County to provide $80,000 each year towards transportation. Of that money, Rural Routes would receive $45,000 towards its administrative budget, and each of the agencies would receive $17,500 to help pay for rides.

Rural Routes will have driven about 400,000 kilometres in 2009, mostly for NFCS clients, and SFCS will have arranged for 100,000 kilometres in rides for its own clients.

The Rural Routes business plan envisions revenue of $244,000 per year from fees charged to customers, along with the $80,000 in county money and $15,000 in fundraising dollars.

Most of the clients' fees are funded by external agencies, such as Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, Children's Aid, and fundraising by the two agencies.

In introducing the plan, Deborah Andrews mentioned some of the clients that use the transportation service her agency provides. “We received a call recently from the hospital in Kingston, about a young mom who was being discharged with a new baby and had no transportation home. Another couple had lost their house, but were able to secure work and needed help getting there,” she said.

Susan Leslie attempted to reassure council that Rural Routes does not intend to fold itself into county operations. “My key point is this is not a request for the county to become a transportation provider. We are asking for the county to support transportation, not provide it. As well, almost half the money we are asking for from the county is for rides we cannot subsidize in any other way,” she said.

“I've been lukewarm about transportation in rural areas. I've always had difficulties with it. I'm probably still lukewarm, but first I want to give credit for the work you have done to bring your agencies together on this, and to the volunteers who provide the service,” said Frontenac Islands Mayor Vanden Hoek. “I want to go back to something you’ve heard before. There is a significant risk to the county going forward. One of the risks is the volunteer model. The cost would double if there were no volunteers.”

Vanden Hoek also expressed a concern about the potential to ramp up demand by offering subsidy, creating a programme that costs more and more to operate, eventually costing the county more money.

“I would be more comfortable if you had a sustainable business plan,” he said.

South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison said, “The only thing I hear from you is about efficiencies in dispatch by setting this up, but nothing about making sure there are savings on the ground. I too have fears about the cost. I commend you people but this is not an open chequebook.”

North Frontenac Deputy Mayor Jim Beam said, “Thank you very much for the plan. You were asked to do this and you did. You asked the county for support and I think you should get it.”

Warden Janet Gutowski said, “I look at the business plan and I see there is a lot that is not spoken of in it. There is a lot that is not clarified, but I think we should go forward and open the door on this. It is a recognised need in the county.”

Later in their meeting, county council received the first of the budget estimates for 2010. Included among them is $80,000 under the heading “Grants to service providers” that is earmarked for Rural Routes.

The budget estimates will all be on the county agenda for approval in the new year.

Council defers web-casting proposal

The next time you are home alone on a Saturday night, thinking that there are a billion websites out there and nothing to watch, you might curse Central Frontenac Council for deciding not to post their council meetings on the web.

The township’s information technologist Charlene Godfrey prepared information about two live streaming and web archiving services that are available so that people within the township and beyond would be able to view council as they carry out township business at their twice monthly 5-hour sessions.

The cost estimate from one service provider is $7,500 per year plus a one-time camera purchase of $600. Another company offers the service for a $9,000 up front cost and a $3100 annual service fee.

“Do we have any idea of how much use others have made of this?” asked Councilor John Purdon.

“There are some municipalities that are slightly larger than ours, but since we have so many people from outside the region who cannot get to meetings, we are making this proposal,” Godfrey said.

“My own view is that this might be a bridge too far at this point,” said Deputy Mayor Gary Smith.

“I think we should defer this until we get some information about the demand for it,” said Councilor Frances Smith.

The motion to defer was approved.

Municipality lines up behind seniors housing proposal

The proposal to build a four-plex low-income seniors’ housing townhouse on Clement Road in Central Frontenac is facing a hearing of the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

Neighbours of the proposed development have taken Central Frontenac Township and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to the OMB over the process they used to approve zoning and land severance for the proposed development.

While it is the developer, in most cases, who must pay all legal costs defending the approvals to the board, the developer in this case, North Frontenac Non-Profit Housing, has no budget for legal representation.

Last week, Frontenac County Council agreed to pay half of the legal costs for the housing corporation, to an upset limit of $10,000.

At their own council meeting on Tuesday night (November 24) Central Frontenac made the same commitment, providing a $20,000 cushion for the cash-strapped housing corporation.

“So often we go to the OMB to defend the integrity of our official plan when we say no to people who want to do things, and it is just a cost, but here we are defending a seniors housing project and we will be creating new assessment. It is fitting that we provide the support, especially when seniors’ housing is recognised in our Official Plan,” said Mayor Gutowski

The OMB hearing is expected sometime in January. 

Infrastructure Ontario – Council received a presentation by Bob Keene of Infrastructure Ontario, an agency that offers loans to municipalities for building projects and large capital purchases.

Keen said that Infrastructure Ontario provides interest rates that are similar to what banks offer to municipalities, but they are able to guarantee rates for the life of a loan, even a 15, 20, or 30-year loan, whereas banks’ interest rates usually have to be renegotiated every five years.

Keene also said that the application procedure at Infrastructure Ontario has been streamlined

Treasurer Judy Gay said she has looked at Infrastructure Ontario in the past, and “the interest rates were similar to the banks. The only difference was the onerous application process.”

She said that the guaranteed interest rate is something the township might take advantage of in the future.

Septic system maintenance program – A draft septic system maintenance program was presented to council by the chief building official, Ian Trickett.

The proposal includes stipulations that property owners pump out their systems every five years and provide a certificate of inspection to the township to that effect.

There was talk of a township subsidy for the certificate program, and Ian Trickett said “The proposal is to target the most sensitive area first, waterfront residential in phase 1, general residential in phase 2, etc.”

The details of the plan are still to be worked out, and CAO John Duchene said, “We are asking that this be sent to our lawyer for an opinion at this time, and there is no point us working out the details unless the lawyer says we can go ahead with it.”

“I think the integrity of our environment is important,” said Mayor Gutowski. “I think we should take the next step.”

“We have neighbours that are already doing this,” said Deputy Mayor Gary Smith, “we are behind the eight ball.”

A legal opinion is being sought on the proposal.

Building figures down – For the second year in a row, Central Frontenac has seen a decrease in residential construction activity. Permits for 26 new homes had been taken out by the end of October, and 128 permits in all, for a construction value of $5,185,000.

At the same time last year permits for 30 new homes had been taken out, and 152 in all, for a value of $6,342,000.

By the end of October in 2007, permits for 35 homes had been taken out, and 176 permits in all, for a construction value of $7,083,000

Piccadilly Hall – Ian Trickett reported that plans to construct a handicapped accessible washroom at the rear of the Piccadilly Hall have run into a snag because of structural issues at the rear of the hall. He suggested, for the second time, that the rear should probably be rebuilt instead of renovated.

Councilor Bill Snyder disputed this, saying the hall might be off square, but it is in good shape.

Trickett recommended that a request for proposal be set up to allow contractors to consider either a renovation or a rebuild proposal, and this was accepted.

Rideau Valley Conservation Authority – Del Hallet, general manager of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, made a short presentation to council.

Hallet outlined the authority’s mandate to protect water quality, reduce hazards, consider shoreline conditions, improve watershed habitats, and work on public access and education.

Hallett said, “We are quite blessed when it comes to the area in which we work; our watershed is in better shape than others across the province.”

He also referred to council’s earlier discussion about septic maintenance, and said Rideau Valley, in conjunction with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, “conducts septic re-inspections in five municipalities” including Tay Valley and North Frontenac.

“We also understand the Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington Health Unit is shifting focus away from approving septic permits for new construction. This might be an opportunity to for us to help out as well,” he said.

Deputy Mayor commends mayor over county governance – Gary Smith attended the most recent meeting of Frontenac County Council where an agreement over governance was reached.

“I commend the mayor for an excellent presentation. I think it will lead to better governance for the county and improved relations between the townships and the county,” he said. 

Threatened Species vs Roadwork? 

Councillor Stowe spoke to a report from the South Frontenac Natural Environment Committee with respect to the Blandings Turtle, which is protected under the Endangered Species Act. This creature, which can berecognized by its high domed shell and bright yellow throat, although rare enough to be listed as threatened, is frequently seen in parts of South Frontenac. Although its chief habitat is wetlands, it is highly mobile,traveling up to seven kilometres or more, especially during its mating and egg-laying season in June and July.One of the options suggested by the MNR was to suspend all summer roadwork in areas where the Blandings turtle had been identified. This promptedsome discussion. Fillion: "There are people out there who would stop a subdivision for a turtle." Mayor Davison: "It's not meant to be a roadblock. We can't stop development, they (the turtles) are all over theplace." On the other hand, fines of $25,000 and jail terms of 9 months have already been laid under the Endangered Species Act. Staff was directed to draw up wording for Council to consider adding toroad-building contracts requiring contractors to brief their workers about issues related to endangered species. Public Works Manager Segsworth askedthe township to arrange an information session for his road workers.

Building Report

With $3.4 million of construction in October, it appears the 2009 total will come close to 2008's $23 million. (2007's spike of $29 million can be attributed to the installation of Sydenham's water system.)

Councillor Fillion admitted the late-year totals were less disastrous than he had expected.

Closing of Prison Farms

Frontenac County had asked Council for endorsement of their resolution concerning the closing of prison farms across Canada. Councillors York and Vandewal both emphasized the need to support prison farms in our area, but not necessarily country-wide. Mayor Davison reminded them that a letter opposing prison farm closures was sent to the federal government earlier this year. Council endorsed the County resolution, and agreed to draft another separate letter concerning the agricultural importance of the over 2,000 acres of prime land presently being farmed by area prisons.

Replacement of Pumper Truck

In keeping with the fire department's 25-year replacement program, Chief Chesebrough recommended Council initiate the RFP for a pumper replacement for station 4. This needs a long lead time as delivery will take six to twelve months. There is $100,000 in reserve: the rest will be paid from the 2010 fire budget.

Designation of Wetlands

Council agreed to support a resolution made by the Township of Wainfleet, objecting to the Ministry of Natural Resources' designation of Provincially Significant Wetlands in that area without public input.

Councillor Vandewal had asked that this be brought forward for attention, asking whether this was a single incident, or something that was happening province-wide?

Community Profile

Statistics released by Employment Ontario, based on numbers from 2006 show South Frontenac to have a higher growth rate than the rest of the province (11% vs 6.6%), a "significantly higher" income level for all-private households, and a higher rate of people remaining at the same address for 5 or more years.

Overheard:Our new CAO being initiated to the finer points of rural pronunciation: "It's Charlais: you can't go around making up words for cows."

The rumour that a photo of a cougar seen on a farm in Elginburg met with scepticism from the MNR, who asked for footprints or scat.

"So who's gonna look after (the farmer) if he gets all scratched up trying to collect scat?"

Artden Should Be First in Line for 2010 Budget, Patrick Maloney

Re: KFL&A Public Health Unit & Septic Inspections, Gary Evans

Memory Lane, Sydenham, Joannne Ankers

Arden Should Be First in Line for 210 Budget

The quote from Mayor Gutowski at the end of your article about the Arden refurbishment delegation (Central Frontenac Council, Nov.12/09) pretty much sums up the absurd disconnect that we are battling.

Arden is dying the death of a thousand cuts. First the railway, then the school, then the seat of local government, then the roads department, then the last store and the ongoing neglect by the new amalgamated township as upgrades go first to Sharbot Lake then dribble out everywhere else, but not to Arden and Kennebec.

“A new road will not make Arden sustainable. A new school or a new grocery store will do that,” Gutowski is quoted as saying.

Arden and surrounds pay enough local taxes to “sustain” Arden quite nicely, as it did pre-amalgamation, if those funds ever made it back from Sharbot Lake. The vital infrastructure repairs highlighted by the Arden delegation, which should have been addressed long before now, will allow Arden to once again present a respectable face to any prospective entrepreneurs who would consider re-establishing a village store. Gutowski’s mention of a school is remarkably silly and trivializes the issue, which was perhaps her intent.

Nobody who lives here expects to return Arden to its heydays of the last century or the one before that. People continue to live here; there is a thriving seniors’ group, a famous choir, a well-respected artisan group (two of whom have been producing their craft in Arden to wide acclaim for over 30 years), the Legion, two churches, a library, a post office and a busy community centre that provides space for a broad range of activities.

Mayor Gutowski wants to focus upon increasing assessment (like a pyramid sales scheme with Sharbot Lake at the top) but can’t quite figure out the connection between selling something that looks like crap and selling something that’s got a new coat of paint. Here’s a tip, Madame Mayor: the dilapidated roads and sidewalks and bridge guardrails are the “crap” part.

All we’re asking for is our fair share of the pie that we have been paying into for the last 10 years. Kennebec joined amalgamation debt free and with reserves in the bank. We are not now, nor have ever been, the poor cousin at the table. The same cannot be said for all of the other 3 townships. Council has spent at least $1.5 million on capital improvements everywhere else but we can’t even get our sidewalks and pavement fixed.

We presented a list of necessities that would bring Arden back to the 20th century, then we included a few ideas, such as solar pv panels on the community hall (that not only pays for itself in 10 years but then pays the building’s ongoing operating costs) which would bring us into the 21st century. Value-added with no depreciation for a guaranteed 20 years.

We pay our share and we want our share: value-retained and value-added. We’ll start with value-retained. Barring that, we’ll be active during the election next November.

Patrick Maloney

Re: KFL&A Public Health Unit & Septic non-inspections 

News that the Kingston & Frontenac Health Unit intends to no longer provide its expertise and resources to properly review and issue permits for new septic system installations in Addington Highlands Township (Addington Highlands Council, Oct 22/09 and Addington Highlands Council, Nov 5/09) is a very real concern. Is the Health Unit really that short-staffed, or, is it positioning itself to get out of all septic system related work, (given the apparent desire by the Frontenac townships to press ahead with re-inspections of existing septic systems, with the very dubious claim that the Ontario Building Code provides the authority for such programs too)?

The KFHU website points out that their installation inspection service has been historically provided to eight municipalities, (including AH), each of which contribute a portion of the health unit operating costs, (shared with the province).

Is Addington Highlands the only loser? Why now, and without prior consultation? The area is thinly populated, with virtually no commercial tax base and sits smack on the Canadian Shield – providing a real challenge to find any suitable area for a suitable septic leeching bed, especially on waterfront properties, (of which there are many – owned by seasonal residents, like our family). Tax revenue is derived in large part from recreational land use – exactly the resource at risk if improperly designed or installed septic systems become the ‘new norm’.

Sure, all levels of government and their agencies are struggling to provide mandated services, but public health is not a ‘frill’. There should be no doubt after the Walkerton tragedy, that the installation and operation of septic systems are, indeed, a matter of public health. Regulations under the Ontario Building Code set out the criteria for installation of a proper septic system, but any regulations are subject to interpretation. As an autonomous body, with the training, skills and legal authority under the Ontario Health Protection Act, a local health unit is the obvious choice to issue septic system permits.

What will happen if the Health Unit does pull out? The township has indicated they will ask the local building inspector to do the job. Sorry. No joy here. Like many rural townships, AH can only afford a part-time individual, who is already overworked trying to cover an existing workload that spans hundreds of square kilometers. Small wonder that the local council continues to be tempted to ‘turn a blind eye’ to any type of development that could bring in much needed tax dollars – just to provide basic services that most urban dwellers take for granted.

I hope Dr. Gemmill, the Medical Officer of Health, will take up this issue with his provincial masters before making a final decision that will further disadvantage the already under-serviced residents of Addington Highlands.

Gary Evans

Re: “Bear Shock”, Frontenac News, Nov. 5/09

I just wanted to clarify my position after reading the responses (Letters, Nov 12/09) to my letter to the Editor from November 5th. I appreciated all the heartfelt responses and opinions on bear hunting, and found the variety of opinions very informative. I wanted to make it clear that I am not against hunting -- in fact, I grew up in Northern Ontario in a "hunting family" - our main source of protein throughout the winter months was moose meat.  Seeing that hanging, dead, gutted bear did 'shock' me, because I have never seen that before- I don't think it means I have to move to "another part of the country"!  I honestly thought that a bear hanging out in the sun for 7 or 8 days in those very warm temperatures would not be edible, and it was therefore strung up on the highway for the travelling public to see as a trophy. 

Andrea Dickinson

Arden wants to be first in line for 2010 Central Frontenac budget

“We certainly can squeak,” said Ardenite Patrick Maloney when Central Frontenac Councilor Bob Harvey said the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Maloney was heading a delegation from the Village of Arden to a Committee of the Whole Meeting of Central Frontenac Council on Tuesday afternoon, November 9.

The delegation brought along a detailed written list of improvements they would like to see made to Arden to halt what they called a “serious decline”.

“Arden lost its remaining grocery store last year, a cornerstone business, and with the crumbling sidewalks and the roads in the state they are in now, it is unlikely to attract a new one,” Maloney said.

In their letter to council, a group of 16 residents, many of whom were in attendance at the meeting, noted that Kennebec district is the largest source of tax revenue for Central Frontenac, and said, “Whether it is a fair assessment or not, perception is reality, and the shabby, run-down look of a community like Arden with its crumbling sidewalks and crazy-quilt road repairs sets the tone for the surrounding area and adversely influences vacationers as well as potential year-round residents and entrepreneurs alike.”

“We lost our township and our roads department with amalgamation, and now we have lost just about everything else,” Maloney added.

In addition to rebuilding the sidewalks and resurfacing village roads, the list of requests includes repairing or replacing the guardrail on the bridge in the middle of the village, re-instating yearly street cleaning and brushing, improving signage, refurbishing the recreation field, installing solar panels at the Kennebec hall, and retrofitting the street lights with energy-efficient bulbs.

In their 2009 budget, council did consider a proposal, put forward by Deputy Mayor Gary Smith, to do some paving and sidewalk repair in Arden, and several thousand dollars was put in the budget for that purpose. In the final budgeting meeting that money was removed from the budget in order to mitigate against other expenses.

“Your timing is very good,” Mayor Gutowski said to the Arden delegates, “because we will be looking at our 2010 budget soon and your request will be on the table from the start.”

Gutowski then said that there might be some opportunities through Frontenac County and its Integrated Community Sustainability Plan for community development projects to be funded.

Deputy Mayor Gary Smith countered that, “All of the things listed here are our responsibility and we don’t have to wait for the county. We have it in our means to take the lead in all of this. I look forward to hearing the costing from our public works manager.”

Kennebec Councilor Jeff Matson said, “When it comes time to do the budget it will be our job to squeeze this in there somehow.”

“If we need to we will be back to remind you about it,” said Maloney.

Much later in the meeting, the subject of Arden came up again.

During a debate between Mayor Gutowski and Deputy Mayor Smith over the County Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, Smith lamented that too much money was being devoted to consultants’ reports.

“We should get off the consultants and get onto the hard pavement,” Smith said.

Gutowski responded by saying, “A new road will not make Arden sustainable. A new school or a new grocery store will do that. The planning to improve assessment is what will help to sustain the village. We need to identify areas of growth and do the work to promote them. That is what places like Arden need.” 

E-waste recycling is coming back – A meeting is scheduled for Friday of this week concerning establishing an e-waste disposal bin at the Elbow Lake transfer site south of Parham.

Once Public Works Manager Mike Richardson is brought up to speed on what procedures the township needs to put in place for storing the material and delivering it to a provincial depot, the program will be able to be up and running.

Waste site hours changing – At the request of dump site attendants, winter dump hours are coming back. Between early November and mid-March, while Eastern Standard Time is in effect, waste sites will be open from 8 am to 5 pm. During Daylight Savings Time, the hours will revert to 9 am to 6 pm. This is being done to eliminate the after dark dump hours that are currently in place. The change will take effect on December 1.

Fire department needs $10 Grand extra – Fire Chief Mark MacDonald, flanked by his two new deputy chiefs, Art Cowdy (administration) and Bill Young (operations), made a presentation to the Committee of the Whole on the recent activities of the department.

MacDonald reported that the Live Fire training centre near the Olden Fire Hall has been used twice this fall, and will be used again this month. So far, 48 firefighters have attended training there.

He also reported that 214 homes were visited under the smoke alarm program. Fifty-six new smoke alarms were installed and 12 batteries were replaced as part of the program.

MacDonald also wanted to let the public know that although fire permits are not required for outdoor burning between November 1 and March 31, burning is only permitted from two hours before sunset until two hours after sunrise.

Finally, MacDonald reported that vehicle repairs have gone way over budget this year, a situation he attributes to faulty inspections by the repair shop that the department has been using for the past couple of years. A more thorough inspection from a repair shop that the township used several years ago has shown that many pieces of equipment had faulty brakes and steering columns. “I’m happy we found these problems before anything happened,” MacDonald said, “but it has put us $10,000 over budget, which we would like to take from reserve funds.

Deputy Mayor Gary Smith said “I think you should be able to find some money from elsewhere in your budget to cover this.”

“We have looked but all of our budget lines are pretty tight,” said MacDonald.

“I think this is a reasonable request,” said Mayor Gutowski. “In the time Mark MacDonald has been fire chief there has never been a request like this. I think it is clear this is a special case, and with all the department has accomplished this year, I have no problem with this request.”

“I agree. I have no problem with this,” said Councilor Norm Guntensperger, “I am comfortable with what the department is doing.”

A motion to transfer the money from reserves was approved, with Deputy Mayor Smith and Councilor Bill Snider voting against it.

Crow Lake sign – After a long debate, council approved a new sign for the Crow Lake schoolhouse, using $700 in grant money that was left over after siding was put on the building. Council put one stipulation on their approval: that the township logo and name be included on the sign.

Slip lane or slippery slope – Robinson argues for rebate

Bill Robinson is one angry councilor and he doesn’t mind letting people know about it.

“It’s so close to discrimination, as far as I’m concerned, that it is discrimination,” he said in an interview on Tuesday afternoon.

What has the long-time Portland District councillor in South Frontenac so steamed is the fact that two commercial proponents on Road 38 within the village of Harrowsmith have faced different requirements from the township, with one of them facing a $25,000 fee for the construction of an extra lane on the highway to control traffic entering their proposed business. The proponent facing the $25,000 fee intends to open a greenhouse business at the south end of the village on the west side.

The other business is going to be a meat shop/bakery at the northern edge of the village on the east side. When it applied for a zoning amendment, it faced a series of requirements, including a site plan agreement, and there were significant costs, but no slip lane was required.

“The two proposals came in at the same time; they were both within the boundaries of the hamlet, and the one to the north will likely have more traffic than the one to the south, but no one said anything to them about a slip lane,” said Robinson.

The News contacted Township Planner Lindsay Mills about the two properties. In his view, it might be more a case of the property owner at the north end being lucky than the one to the south being hard done by.

Mills said that the slip lane requirement came about because five years ago an applicant came forward to put in a commercial operation very close to where the greenhouse operation is planned, and the township required a slip lane at that time but the proposal was eventually dropped. When the new application came forward this year, Mills said that he remembered the 2004 case, and in consultation with the roads department, decided that a traffic study should be done.

The study showed that a slip lane was required, and the applicant was ordered to pay for it before getting a building permit for the new construction.

For the property at the northern end of the village, no such history existed and the question of a slip lane never came up. “In retrospect,” Mills said, “we probably should have ordered a traffic study for the one at the north end of the hamlet as well.”

For the future, the township might consider making a change to its Official Plan that traffic studies will need to be done for all commercial applications on Road 38 and Perth Road, Mills added.

This still doesn’t sit well with Bill Robinson. “Fair is fair,” he said, “what one person had to pay for should be the same as another.”

Robinson brought a notice of motion to council about the matter, asking that the $25,000 cost of the slip lane be reimbursed to the applicant. That motion was dealt with at this week’s council meeting on Tuesday night.

A report by Clerk Administrator Wayne Orr that accompanied Bill Robinson’s motion pointed out that the applicant at the south end of the village did receive an indirect benefit because the township was already doing work on that part of Road 38 this fall, and were able to add the slip lane to the project. “It is estimated that this joint project saved the property owner 50% of the cost of the work,” Orr said in his report.

Orr also pointed out that refunding the $25,000 could put the township at odds with the Ontario Municipal Act, which says that a township may not assist a commercial enterprise “through the granting of bonuses” or by “giving a total or partial exemption from any levy, charge or fee.” Orr also pointed out that the $25,000 would have to be found elsewhere should the refund be granted because the work has already been done. 

South Frontenac says yes and no to township integration proposals

At a meeting of their Committee of the Whole on October 27, South Frontenac Council discussed the seven recommendations that came from a joint meeting of township councils from all of Frontenac County, which took place on October 1 in Sharbot Lake.

South Frontenac Council’s response to the recommendations was mixed. While they agreed that they would participate in future meetings and that it is worthwhile to consider joint emergency management co-ordination, and establishing a regional roads network, council was less enthusiastic about other proposals.

They rejected out of hand the idea of a common economic development committee, preferring to see economic development handled internally by the townships though consultation with the Frontenac County Manager for Economic Development.

They also rejected the idea of a common waste management system, and were lukewarm at best on the idea of joint purchasing by the townships.

In terms of county council composition, South Frontenac Council has decided to re-state the position they took back in May, when they called for a nine-member county council, with three of the members coming from South Frontenac Council.

Frontenac County Council is expected to decide on the future makeup of the council on November 18.

By Wilma Kenny

Fire Chief Chesborough Honoured

Mayor Davison opened the November meeting by presenting Fire Chief Rick Chesborough with the Governor General's medal for exemplary service,recognizing more than 20 years of exemplary service to the community.

Sydenham Library Project Update

Wayne Orr, CAO, presented a progress report on the new library, noting that it was beginning to move at a quicker pace. At the October 22 meeting of the library committee, architect Gerry Shoalts submitted a revised drawing of the new library, reflecting feedback from the recent public meeting. The angle of the building had been shifted to provide a better view of the lake, and the meeting room and washrooms were placed so that they could more easily be used by the public when the library is closed, without concern about unsupervised access to the main body of the library itself. The building will be constructed to LEED silver standards. The committee identified several more possible revisions: the revised drawings and preliminary costing review will be completed by Nov 19: the goal is to have the tender call ready to come before Council in December for endorsement.

The committee requests direction from Council re extending the coverage of the drainage ditch to Wheatley Street: it is not in the library budget, but something of a cosmetic issue. Council agreed to consider the question.

Council opted to have a full presentation of the final library design by the architect prior to endorsing the tender call, rather than accept the committee's recommendation.

Frontenac ISCP - Warden Gutowski, in introducing the final bound copies of Frontenac County's Integrated Community Sustainability Project, noted that duringthe process of developing the project, it had become much more than merely an exercise to spend gas tax money.   "These are projects we can be proud of," she said, "and you'd better hold our feet to the fire: I hope this will become a well-used document over the next few years."

Rideau Corridor - The Rideau Corridor Landscape Strategy steering committee is asking for a representative from South Frontenac: Mayor Davison has already been to several meetings. David Hahn nominated Alan McPhail, and Ron Vandewal nominated John Fillion.

The secret ballot vote went to Fillion.

Fermoy Hall - Mark Segsworth, Public Works Manager, reporting on renovations to Fermoy Hall, said only one bid, from Shelley Home Improvements, had been received. Since the bid tendered, another window at the back of thebuilding needs replacement. This was added to the contract.

Sue Leslie, Jane Drew, Deborah Andrews, and Dean Walsh slipped quietly into the back of the room at a Frontenac Council meeting a week or so ago (October 27).

They were a bit nervous, and they had every reason to be. Sue Leslie, Executive Director of Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS), and Deborah Andrews, Executive Director of Southern Frontenac Community Services (SFCS), represent social service agencies that have stretched their finances to the limit in 2009 by funding transportation costs for clients. Jane Drew is the director of Rural Routes Transportation Services, and Dean Walsh works for Community Living – North Frontenac.

The 2009 Frontenac County budget included $80,000 for transportation, but the money had been held back until the two agencies, along with partners such as Community Living - North Frontenac could come up with a business plan to provide integrated transportation services throughout the county.

With the business plan having been submitted earlier in the month, it was a mere formality for the 2009 funds to be released, and when that happened a collective sigh of relief could be heard from the back of the hall.

But the future of transportation in Frontenac County is by no means secure.

The Frontenac Transportation Collaborative Business plan, which includes an $80,000 annual contribution from Frontenac County, has been received but not accepted by county council, and on November 18, Leslie, Andrews et al will be front and centre as council considers formally accepting the plan.

Essentially, the business plan involves spinning off Rural Routes Transportation Services, which is currently the part of NFCS that provides rides for agency clients and others for a fee, into an independent entity that will serve North, South, and Central Frontenac.

SFCS, which is based in Sydenham, will drive clients over 100,000 kilometres this year and Rural Routes about 400,000. Most of those ½ million kilometres constitute rides for children or adults to medical services or services provided by the two agencies. The rides are funded in most cases by social service agencies such as Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Services, and are delivered by volunteer drivers who receive payment for mileage.

But the task of putting drivers together with clients is as onerous and expensive as it is necessary.

“In order to provide a range of services in a rural context we need to help people get to them,” said Sue Leslie, “so whether we like it or not we are in the transportation business.”

This led NFCS to set up Rural Routes three years ago, and while a Trillium grant helped get the agency up and running, ongoing operations required municipal support, leading to an appeal to Frontenac County.

While the county has supported Rural Routes for the past three years, it has always been as a project, and county councilors have been careful not to commit any funds for future years.

South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison has been particularly wary of the potential costs of a transportation program, and he has been pushing for a program that covers the entire county. Rural Routes has been primarily covering the region from Verona to the north, the catchment area for NFCS, while SFCS provides their own, more limited service, for clients in the south. Putting the two services together has been a condition for ongoing county support.

The Frontenac Transportation Services Collaborative Business Plan is an attempt to do just that. It calls for Rural Routes to be spun off from NFCS and for the SFCS transportation to be dispatched through Rural Routes. Driver training, safety procedures, and the cost of transportation will be the same throughout the county, and in time a seamless service is to be developed.

For 2010, the plan calls for an $80,000 grant from the county, to cover about 27% of the costs of the service. $17,500 is slated for NFCS and SFCS - $15,000 to cover fees for rides that each agency funds, and $2,500 for their administrative costs - and $55,000 is slated to go directly to Rural Routes for operating costs, training and dispatch.

The business plan outlines several steps that will need to be completed in order for Rural Routes (or a re-named entity) to become an independent transportation service.

The county will likely have a presence on the Rural Routes Board, as will SFCS and NFCS, along with client representatives and other county agencies.

The reception the business plan receives at Frontenac county council on November 18 will likely determine the future prospects for Rural Routes.