One Metre Initiative seeks municipal support – 

With one exception, members of North Frontenac Council seem ready to put some municipal money towards a proposed astronomical observatory at the north-west edge of the township.

Frank Roy, the proponent behind the “One Metre Initiative”, (OMI) is advocating the construction of the “most powerful telescope in Canada (by a factor of 100)”, a visitors’ centre and a public observatory at Mallory Hill on Buckshot Lake Road, with the total price tag being estimated at $5 million.

The One Metre Scope, so named for the width of its lens, would be remotely controlled and would be devoted to scientific research, but the prospectus includes plans to construct a smaller 0.7 metre telescope, which would be accessible to the public.

While space on the one metre scope would be purchased by university departments and others, that revenue only represents 10% of the amount that Frank Roy expects the facility to take in each year. “Tourism is the main money maker, and our business plan is conservative in projecting 50,000 visitors per year. With the number of people living within a two-hour drive and the number of people at Bon Echo each year, we will easily be able to attain those numbers,” said Frank Roy, in a telephone interview on Monday.

The proposed visitors’ centre would include images captured by the OMI, as well as interactive exhibits, display areas for astronomy and cosmology, displays about the technology behind the OMI and the research it is being used for. Although the facility that is envisioned would mostly be for daytime activities, there is also a visitors’ observatory planned for night viewing, which would include a third telescope, 0.6 metre wide.

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire said to Council, “This is the kind of project other municipalities will not have a chance at. It could put North Frontenac on the map. What is being presented is a scaled-down proposal from what was being proposed last summer when there was a resort involved. The ROI [return on investment] for that proposal wasn’t good enough to attract an investor, but this is now a $4 to $5 million project as opposed to a $40 to $60 million proposal. What he is asking of us is really quite minor.”

In an email to the township, Frank Roy asked that the township include a notice about the investment opportunity in the township's first tax bill of the year, and suggests “that the township make a nominal investment, $20,000 to do a market study.”

Maguire said. “I want to know what Council thinks.”

Around the table the support ranged from cautious - “It's not a big investment if it goes ahead, but if not the money will be wasted” said Councilor Bob Olmstead, to enthusiastic - “It sounds like a great idea,” said Councilor Wayne Good, “I can only see good things. Surrounding businesses are going to benefit. It's going to be great; I can’t see anything wrong with it.”

Township Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson said that if the township does fund a market study, “We would want to make sure it was done with an RFP [request for proposal] process to comply with our own procurement bylaw.”

Deputy Mayor Jim Beam was the only member of Council who voiced clear opposition, and it was directed at the proponent, Frank Roy. “I think it is a great project and everything. I have no faith whatsoever in Frank Roy; I think he is a flake,” Beam said. “This is the third proposal I've seen from him. He has not approached any other levels of government. He does not address the high-speed needs of the project. Has he gone to Randy Hillier or Scott Reid with this?”

That said, Beam added, “I will support the project, but any commitment the township makes should be in in-kind services in lieu of cash, maybe some roadwork or something.”

“If we put our public works time into this it still costs money,” said Councilor Fred Perry, “there is not a real difference.”

Mayor Maguire said that Mr. Roy has been in contact with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Industry Canada. “For years we've been going to conferences and hearing about the 3 Ps: public, private, partnerships. I don’t think our public would be averse to supporting this. It works out to $2.50 for each ratepayer. It seems to me to be a reasonable expenditure,” Maguire said.

Roy countered some of Jim Beam's arguments when talking to the News after the meeting. He said the Internet issue would not be a problem because a service is being set up based at a TV Ontario tower that is visible from the site. “That will give us all the bandwidth we need. In fact, we will be the best customer for the service,” he said.

He also talked briefly about the journey of the last 18 months as he has sought investment for the project. “At first I thought philanthropic dollars would pay for it, but that did not work, and the resort plans, which were based at a nearby lake, required too great an investment. This proposal is different, because it is based on very conservative numbers. I have been talking to investors, mostly from the United States, who are interested. But there is also an opportunity for some local investors to make money in their own community,” he said.

Roy will have an opportunity to expand on his plans, and try and sway Jim Beam as well. Council decided to receive Frank Roy's proposal and invite him to their January 28 meeting. 

REVISED BROADBAND AGREEMENT – Council approved a revised agreement with Omniglobe to provide high-speed internet in the western portion of the township. The agreement will provide $66,000 in provincial grant money to Omniglobe, a significant drop from the $335,000 grant that was originally approved.

The overall project, originally envisioned as a $1 million initiative, now totals only $200,000.

The synopsis to the revised proposal says “... North Frontenac has decided to continue to work with Omniglobe despite this change in scope ... it is not economically viable for another service provider to provide service to only seasonal and less populated areas. This remains the best option for the Township of North Frontenac to provide broadband service to some of its residents.”

The project should provide “full coverage to Cloyne and the area around it” as well as partial coverage in the areas around Ardoch and Fernleigh.

In addition, service will be provided to properties on parts of Kashwakamak Lake, the east and south shore of Mississagagon Lake, most of Mazinaw Lake and Shabomeka Lake, as well as the southeast shore of Marble Lake.

FAMILY HEALTH TEAM – Councilor Fred Perry said that he was hoping to learn some details about the new Northbrook Family Health Team at a meeting later in the day, but that the township may be looking at an investment of $350,000 to $400,000 for a Plevna-based clinic, which was part of the Family Health Team proposal. Over time, the Ministry of Health would pay for the use of the building, so the township would eventually be compensated.

“But I will know more about this later on,” said Perry. “Hopefully this will be a first step, and eventually we will have a long-term care facility as well.”

SEPTIC APPROVAL SOLUTION? - CAO Cheryl Robson reported about a meeting she had attended at the Health Unit in Kingston. Officials with the Health Unit are planning to stop providing septic approval services for municipalities in Frontenac and Lennox & Addington townships. A manager from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) was present at the meeting, and expressed interest in taking over the service as soon as April 1 this year. RVCA, in partnership with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, already provides septic reinspection services to North Frontenac Township.

OLMLSTEAD RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION – Councilor Bob Olmstead has submitted his nomination for re-election as councilor in Ward 1, the former Township of Palmerston. 

Addington Highlands seeks provincial relief for ice storm

At Monday night’s council meeting, Stephen Seller and Warren Sleeth from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (OMMAH) discussed the possibility of the township applying to the ministry for financial relief in coping with the aftermath of an ice storm that hit the region on Boxing Day.

The storm caused power outages that lasted for several days in some parts of the township, but it is tree damage and the need to clear roads that is costing the township heavily.

Last week, Stephen Seller and Warren Sleeth toured the roads with Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath to assess the damage and advise the township whether it might qualify for funding under the Ontario Disaster Relief and Assistance Program. One way of applying is to ask the minister (who because of Monday’s cabinet shuffle is a new minister, Jim Bradley) to declare the area a disaster zone – the request would have had to be made by Monday, the day of the meeting. The other way, which does not have a specific deadline, is to write to the minister asking for funding. Seller said that the ministry uses the minimum figure of 4% of a municipality’s revenue in determining whether it needs assistance. The expenses incurred from the disaster have to be higher than 4%, which in Addington Highlands’ case, would be around $66,670.

When asked by Reeve Henry Hogg whether he thought Addington Highlands would qualify, Seller gave the opinion that based on what he had seen and the fact that one of the roads they looked at was a county road, the municipality would not need to spend more than $66,670 on the cleanup and so would not qualify. He said that some of the trees that have to be cut are not an immediate safety hazard, but fall more in the category of maintenance. He stressed, however, that the final decision would rest with the minister. He also said that OMMAH could call on other ministries such as the Ministry of Natural resources (MNR) for expert opinion in assessing the damage.

Council voted to send a letter immediately to the minister, notifying him that Addington Highlands would be applying for funding in a few weeks, when it has a better assessment of the costs.

Before Stephen Seller and Warren Sleeth left the meeting, Royce Rosenblath asked them if they could get the MNR to come in right away to assess the damage, before the cleanup is done and “there’s nothing left to see”. They agreed to the request and left.

Later on in the meeting, Rosenblath disagreed with Seller, and told council that, excluding the county road and the seasonal roads, 25 to 35 km. of full-time roads still need brushing and it’s costing around $8,000 per kilometre, so the township would easily surpass the $66,670 minimum. He said that it was impossible to say that it’s only maintenance to cut down a tree that’s further from the road but leaning on a tree that’s an immediate hazard, because it will simply fall on the road when the “hazard” tree is removed.

Council voted to donate $100 to Doctors Without Borders for Haitian earthquake relief.

The township estimates that it will cost $400,000 to repair the sidewalks and sewers in the village of Denbigh and is applying for a grant to the Community Adjustment Fund, which would fund 90% of the project.

Rumblings last year from the KFL&A Public Health Unit that it would soon cease doing septic inspections have caused major concern in local municipalities. AH’s Chief Building Inspector attended a meeting with the health unit last week, on January 13, and it now seems that the health unit will wait until next year to withdraw the service because the local building inspectors do not all have the training to take over septic inspections.

Council debated whether to adopt a 1-800 number plan for the phone at the Denbigh Hall. Currently the phone is only equipped for outgoing calls, which Denbigh Recreation Chair Janice Kerr says is a safety issue. She says the hall is used between five and six times a month and people need to be able to contact family members when they are at the hall. Council deferred a decision until they could ascertain the costs more exactly.

Fire Chief Casey Cuddy has prepared a draft by-law for a Joint Operation & Management Agreement with North Frontenac Township to establish the Kaladar/Barrie Fire Department. Reeve Hogg expressed some frustration with North Frontenac Township, saying that NF was insisting that the two townships spend $6000 to have a lawyer prepare the agreement, but Addington Highlands feels that the draft by-law covers all the issues and “we’ve dug in our heels.” He said, “The other side [North Frontenac Township] is not grasping it; they seem to think it is a glorified committee.”

The draft by-law will be discussed at a joint council meeting with North Frontenac next week.

As Frontenac County Council goes through a line-by-line consideration of their 2010 budget next Monday, January 25, they will be facing a draft document that includes only a minimal 1.94% ($164,000) increase in the amount of money that is being requisitioned from its four member municipalities.

But there still may be things to discuss. Included in the budget is a decrease in costs for social services of over $720,000 because of an uploading of Ontario Disability Support Program costs by the province, and at least one of the member municipalities would like to see that money transferred, on the basis of assessment, to the member municipalities.

At their council meeting last week, North Frontenac Council passed a motion to that effect, to be forwarded to the county.

Although it will benefit from the uploading, Frontenac County is no longer the beneficiary of another provincial granting program, the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, and in 2009 money was taken from county reserve funds to cover the shortfall. The draft 2010 budget calls for an increase in allocations to reserve funds of over $400,000, partly because they were drained in 2009.

As well, there is an increase of $137,000 in the Economic Development budget and almost $200,000 to the Planning and Development budget.

In addition to their January 25 budget meeting, county council is scheduled to meet on February 1. It is anticipated the budget will be formally approved at the regular February meeting of council on the 17th.

Editorial by Jeff Green

It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Frontenac County Emergency Services Manager Paul Charbonneau and the Council of North Frontenac Township would end up at loggerheads over the location of a new ambulance base to serve people in the northern part of Frontenac County.

Lennox and Addington County has recently confirmed they will be maintaining a 24-hour ambulance based in Northbrook and a 24-hour ambulance based in Denbigh. Until recently, Charbonneau had been advising that the best option for a new Frontenac County base is the intersection of Ardoch Road and Hwy. 509 in Central Frontenac. His position was supported by a consultant’s report and statistical information about call locations, volumes, and average response times.

North Frontenac rejected Charbonneau’s position, and called his statistics into doubt. When the matter was floated at Frontenac County Council in the fall, it appeared that the council did not want to pick a fight with North Frontenac over the matter.

Now, Paul Charbonneau has come up with what appears to be a rather elegant solution to the problem, although the people in Parham and Kingston City Council may have something to say about it.

In a report that is being presented to county council this week, Charbonneau is proposing to build not one, but two new bases, one in Sharbot Lake at a cost of $750,000, and one Ompah which will be co-located with a new Ompah fire hall, and will cost $300,000. This solution would bring response times to within the 30-minute framework, the standard for rural ambulance service, throughout the county.

With a new base coming in Sydenham, moving the current ambulance base in Parham about 15 minutes to the north becomes a viable option, and politicians will be happy because there will be a shiny new base in each of the townships.

That’s something to run for re-election on.

But there are political and financial complications.

While overall response times would be improved throughout the county under this plan, the residents in the Parham and Godfrey regions are not going to be pleased because response times to them will increase. Frontenac County has also spent money upgrading the Parham base over the past few years, and they will be abandoning a perfectly adequate facility.

All of these factors may cause Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski to face some flak if she supports this plan, which is never a good thing for a mayor who is running for re-election.

Then there is the cost, and that is where the City of Kingston comes in. Ratepayers from the City of Kingston pay for 81% of the ambulance budget.

The new plan would cost over $1.05 million to bring about, more than $800,000 of which would be levied to the City of Kingston.

The original consultant’s report allocated $750,000 to a new northern base at the Ardoch Road. The new plan, allocating that amount to a new base in Sharbot Lake, is really only $300,000 more expensive, the amount necessary to co-locate a new base in Ompah with a new fire department there.

The ratepayers from the City of Kingston would pay $240,000 towards that and Frontenac County ratepayers the other $60,000.

If Frontenac County Council gets behind this plan, it will all have to be raised at the Rural Urban Liaison Committee, (RULAC) which is made up of politicians from the City of Kingston and Frontenac County.

Even though this solution is not included in the consultant’s report into ambulance service, there is some pretty good supporting evidence that it would be a good operational plan for Frontenac County, and although it involves substantial capital spending, it would have no immediate impact on the operational side of the ambulance budget.

RULAC has already approved a new 24-hour ambulance for the Sydenham base that is being built this year.

This northern solution calls for a 24-hour ambulance in Sharbot Lake and a 12-hour ambulance in Ompah, the same amount of service, and cost, as the current system. 

Editorial by Jeff Green

It's now been several years since federal gas tax money started flowing to Frontenac County. That money is a rebate from gas tax that we all pay whenever we fill up, and municipalities wanted some of it to deal with what they called an “infrastructure deficit”. Almost by accident, Frontenac County got some of that money even though the county had none of what municipalities traditionally call infrastructure (roads, bridges, water treatment and sewage plants, etc).

When the money came in, Frontenac County staff was reluctant to let the money be released to the townships, which have the responsibility for infrastructure, and the members of Frontenac County Council have accepted delay after delay.

Years later, most of that money has yet to be spent, and the bulk of what is going to be spent is on things like mapping, a transportation management plan, population development studies, and other similar projects.

Current members of County Council have more or less given up on any of that money flowing to their townships.

Now there is another $750,000 in savings that have come from provincial uploading of costs for the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

County Council members have seen that this money is included in the County budget, and they have seen that it is being absorbed into that budget. If that money is not freed up this year and sent to the municipalities, which after all is the level of government in Frontenac County that delivers municipal services and is responsible for roads and bridges etc., it will remain with the county forever.

If that happens, it will be as the result of lack of political will on the part of county council.

And sooner or later, Frontenac ratepayers will see a resulting increase in taxes or cuts in service.

RURAL PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT: John McDougall, speaking on behalf of the Verona Community Association, described their extensive and creative search for a physician to replace Dr. Dempsey, who will be retiring soon. At present, the association is considering purchasing the local clinic, with the plan of offering it for rent. Although the community is prepared to put up “the lion's share” of the necessary funding, McDougall said he would like to come to council at a later date, to discuss ways the township might become involved in the project. Council offered to write a letter to the provincial government in support of continuing incentive funding for Verona, which will no longer qualify under the revised provincial definitions of underserviced communities.

5-YEAR ROADS PLAN: Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth distributed information relating to the 5-year Road Construction Plan. He emphasised that this is updated regularly as needed: e.g. the recent heavy rains have shown where there are drainage issues to be addressed. Segsworth noted that while roads are continually being upgraded, it is also essential to protect the township's investment in improved roads by regular maintenance. For example, the life of Sydenham Road is being extended by pavement rehabilitation, rather than reconstruction: this spring, the final step of crack-sealing will lead to a much smoother surface. The addition of a paved shoulder has paid off by providing a safer driving surface, without need of frequent grading. Although the gap between township road needs and actual construction is narrowing, Segsworth reminded council that taxation does not support the full roads budget: much has depended on grants from the provincial government and City of Kingston, which may dry up in the next few years. However, continued city funding can be justified, on the grounds that South Frontenac provides accommodation for many Kingston workers, and holiday areas for Kingston residents.

BUILDING PERMIT FEES FOR ALL: Chief Building Inspector Alan Revill brought forward a letter from the Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church asking that a portion of the building inspection fees for their addition be waived, on the grounds that they contribute a range of services to the community. Revill asked for Council's guidance, both in regard to this project, and to the Greek Orthodox summer camp, which is to be constructed near Perth Road this year. Also, he asked whether non-profit or charitable groups' building projects should be exempt. A lively discussion followed: all agreed that every building project had to be inspected at various stages of construction, and the building department's work was expected to be paid for by fees charged, not property taxes; i.e. tax dollars are not intended to subsidize development. Also, the township has a policy of not donating to charitable organizations. The mayor admitted the township had not charged building fees for the Sydenham water plant, but said in future, all local government building projects, such as the library/township offices and the ambulance station, should pay. There was strong agreement that the present policy of no exceptions should continue.

WASTE COLLECTION PROCESS: Mark Segsworth advised council that the RFP proposal document for township-wide waste collection (to begin in September) will be brought to Council at the Feb 9 COW meeting for their consideration. He said that the sustainability committee has had two recent meetings, which have "pretty much covered the full spectrum of perspectives,"  and whatever Council decides, it will be important they support the process they choose. Deputy Mayor Ron Vandewal said that he agreed that they needed to "get this right," keeping it as uncomplicated as possible. Councilor Bill Robinson said he felt the community, non-council members of the sustainability committee didn't know what was going on. Councilor McPhail felt the process was 'going too fast - like a ferris wheel". Councilor  Hahn spoke in defense of the sustainability committee, saying he felt the committee had reached a good deal of consensus in their last meeting. Segsworth said that the staff was presently compiling numbers of seasonal and permanent residents on lanes, to get as accurate as possible picture of the amount of waste from these off-road areas: an enormous task.

SYDENHAM LIBRARY: CAO Orr said that there might be need to call a brief council meeting on Feb 9, to present the final project cost estimates for council's approval. He said the architect was recommending all bidding construction contractors should be pre-qualified: the county disagreed, on the grounds that this would possibly raise the bids. The county was asking council's direction. Council agreed not to ask for pre-qualification.

Central Frontenac cool to ambulance plan

With several council members expressing anger about the plan, and none supporting it, Mayor Gutowski will not be supporting a plan to move the Parham Ambulance base to Sharbot Lake at Frontenac County Council any time soon.

In a presentation to Central Frontenac Council at a meeting on Tuesday, January 26, Frontenac County Director of Emergency Services Paul Charbonneau said, “Up until now the rural ambulance review has been peripheral to Central Frontenac”.

All of that changed on November 16, Charbonneau added, when a staff proposal to build a new ambulance base at the junction of Highway 509 and Ardoch Road was not accepted by Frontenac County Council and direction was given to Charbonneau to look more closely at putting a new base in Ompah,

The plan that he came up with would put new bases in Sharbot Lake and Ompah and see the Parham base close.

“This would provide service within 30 minutes, which is the accepted standard for rural ambulance, to 97% of the township,” Charbonneau said.

“I was just totally angry when I heard about this,” said Councilor Bill Snyder. “The Parham base has worked wonderfully for many years. I can’t see any sense at all in moving it to Sharbot Lake.”

Councilor Norm Guntensperger saw a connection between the ambulance recommendation and recent news from the local school board. “The coincidences just seem to build up. It looks like the small villages are doomed and everything will go to Sharbot Lake,” he said.

“We had a consulting group that recommended leaving the base where it is. We’ve got another case where we hire a consultant and then the study is put aside,” said Deputy Mayor Gary Smith.

Mayor Gutowski said, “North Frontenac refuses to accept a station anywhere but Ompah. They are still resolved, and perhaps Ardoch Road is not an ideal location. At this point I’m not prepared to accept this recommendation. I think it’s premature to make a decision. We need to study this some more.”

Council passed a resolution to send to County Council, which said it cannot support the proposed relocation of the Parham base at this time based on the information that has been provided to date.

NO 0.4% SOLUTION: Central Frontenac Council has routinely adjusted the employee salary grid to reflect changes in the Consumer Price index, which led to a 2.5 % increase in wages last year. The consumer price index for the year ending on January 1 has just been released, and this year it is only 0.4%.

When the matter was raised during the Committee of the Whole section of the meeting, there was no consensus among the six members of council who were present. Three favoured a 0.4% increase and three thought it was too low.

“It’s too low,” said Norm Guntensperger “I think we should treat our staff with respect and dignity. Other contracts reflect a 3-4% increase.”

“You’re not a farmer,” said Bill Snyder

EARLY BUDGET NUMBERS ARE SKY HIGH 

“This budget includes some wish lists,” said Chief Administrative Officer John Duchene as he handed out a thick budget binder. The preliminary budget, which was presented to Council for information purposes only, included an increase in the levy to ratepayers of $1.4 million, or 19.3%.

In order to bring the budget to a 2% increase to ratepayers, $1.25 million will have to be cut from the budget.

Public Works Manager Mike Richardson said that his budget, which makes up a large part of the overall budget, includes a number of projects that he put in for Council’s consideration and he expects Council will set their own priorities as the budget process moves forward.

SEPTIC REINSPECTION – Council considered an innovative septic re-inspection bylaw as a Committee of the Whole. The bylaw puts the onus on property owners to have their systems inspected every five years, and to present proof of that inspection to the township. Council approved the bylaw in principle and it will come forward to the next Council meeting.

$5,000 TO EOTA – A proposal to donate $5,000 to the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance was warmly received, and will be brought forward as part of the budget.

Five months after receiving the final report from a Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) into the future of the Sharbot Lake Family of Schools, the senior staff of the Limestone District School Board have released their response.

Both reports call for the building of a new Kindergarten to grade 12 school and the closure of Sharbot Lake Public and High Schools as well as Hinchinbrooke Public School in Parham, but under the PARC report Land O'Lakes Public School would remain open. Under the recommended option of the senior staff report, Land O'Lakes would be closing as well. Of the current schools in the family, only Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna would remain open.

As well, while the PARC report left open the possibility of an alternate location for the new school, the senior staff report recommends that the school be built in Sharbot Lake, on the site of the current Sharbot Lake High School.

During the PARC process, a compelling case for locating the new school in Parham was made by a parent member of the committee, Lesley Pickard, and the report left open the possibility of locating the school there.

The PARC report and the senior staff report will both be presented at a public meeting on March 2 at 7:00 p.m. at Sharbot Lake High School. Subsequently, a final decision will be made by the Limestone School Board's trustees.

“I'm certainly disappointed with the senior staff report,” said Jaime Riddell, one of the co-chairs of the Parent Council at Land O'Lakes. “I think that after going through the whole process it's quite evident that from the get go they were in favour of closing schools, and building one mega school. Their proposal does not guarantee that a new school will offer more programs, so I see no reason to support it.”

The senior staff report recommends that “the Limestone District School Board consider the new school as a possible site for a Choices at Seven program or an extended French program”.

The PARC recommendation calls for a school with a capacity of 488, while the senior staff recommendation calls for a school with a capacity of 652 students.

Each project foresees a funding shortfall for the board, as they will cost more than the province has committed towards the project. The board is hopeful that the province will provide $1.6 million in additional funding to fully cover the demolition of the current Sharbot Lake High School, but even so, if they follow the PARC recommendation the board will need to find $2.47 million for the project, and if they follow the senior staff recommendation it will cost them $2.36 million.

Operating costs are also comparable under the two models.

One advantage to the senior staff proposal would be that the cost of upgrading the older schools to current standards, which is on the school board’s ledger with the province, would be greatly diminished because the schools would be closed.

But these monies, which are called RECAPP costs in the educational jargon, have no effect on the annual budget of the school board.

The senior staff report has been posted on the board website, Limestone.on.ca, under the Accommodation banner.

The report will be considered by the Parent Council at Land O'Lakes Public School, and Jamie Riddell said he is hoping council will encourage community members in Mountain Grove and the surrounding region to attend the March 1 meeting. 

Another year, another request from Pine Meadow; same result

Bud Clayton, the Chair of the Management Committee for Pine Meadow Nursing Home, which is owned and operated by Land O'Lakes Community Services, made a presentation to Frontenac County last week (January 20)

Each year for several years, a board member from Pine Meadow has made the trip down to Glenburnie to ask for support from Frontenac County towards upgrades to the home.

The logic behind the request, as Clayton pointed out, is that although Pine Meadow is located in Lennox and Addington and is not part of the municipally-run long-term care sector, 21 of the 60 beds in the home are currently occupied by residents of Frontenac County.

“On behalf of those 21 folks in Frontenac County, I am here making a modest request to help us complete some of the necessary upgrades to the home. We would like to truly fulfill our partnership with Frontenac County,” said Clayton.

Clayton asked for a commitment of $25,000 per year for 10 years, the same amount that has been committed to the home by Lennox and Addington County.

Clayton pointed out that Pine Meadow is waiting to hear from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care through the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) about expansion and upgrade plans for the home, which would make it larger and bring it up to the provincial “A” standard for nursing homes.

Currently Pine Meadow has a number of four-bed, ward-style rooms, while the “A” standard calls for one and two-bedroom suites for residents.

Pine Meadow is also preparing to take a larger role in providing service to the general public by establishing dialysis and physiotherapy services for residents and the general public, all overseen by a nurse practitioner who has joined the Pine Meadow staff.

“There are three families in Ardoch that travel to KGH for dialysis treatments. This is inconvenient and costly. Our dialysis unit will be an asset to Frontenac County,” Clayton said.

“I think Council knows my feelings on this subject,” said North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire after Clayton's presentation. “The amount requested is the same amount I am requesting. I think given the vastness of Frontenac County we need to support a home that serves such a large portion of our population.

While none of the other members of the four-member county council said much after Bud Clayton's presentation, there was more of a response at a county budget meeting this past Monday, January 25 when Ron Maguire attempted to have the $25,000 request added to the Frontenac County budget.

Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski said she had “mixed feelings about the request. I recognise the emotions and the affection for the Pine Meadow. I hesitate, however. We are deciding whether people are being taxed for it. I know it is a not-for-profit but it is not a government facility. They hire a company to manage it, to do the books and the accounting. I don't have the same level of comfort for the facility that I do with Fairmount Home. I also have a concern that we really need additional facilities within our own county. We are looking at $250,000 over 10 years. If that money could be put towards a feasibility study to look at population and development statistics and demographics to see if we could attract a private investor for that kind of project.”

Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek said, “I’m not taking away from projects that people would like to support, but I’m concentrating my efforts on trying to decrease the county levy to the member municipalities. That would free up money for them to make investments in projects like this.”

County Warden Gary Davison said, “At this point I don't feel I can support this.”

County staff were not directed to add $25,000 for Pine Meadow to the 2010 budget, which will be the subject of a further meeting on February 1. 

Planned Public Health pull out from septic inspections questioned

Members of Frontenac County Council took advantage of a visit by Doctor Ian Gemmill, the medical officer of health for Frontenac and Lennox and Addington County to question the direction of the KFL&A Public Health in terms of septic inspections and approvals.

“I have concerns about septic inspection,” Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek told Ian Gemmill.

Frontenac Islands Council passed a resolution in December, which asked Public Health “to postpone any decision on vacating the septic approvals process until we assess any implications to [our] municipality”.

This resolution has since been supported by the other three Frontenac County townships.

As Dr. Gemmill pointed out, septic approvals have been done by Public Health for member municipalities on a contract basis ever since municipal amalgamation in 1998. “Before 1998 septic inspections were governed under the Ministry of the Environment and it was within the mandate of Public Health to do them, but in 1998 they became part of the building code. My predecessor was very clear that he wanted this program to continue to make sure septic inspections were done well,” Dr. Gemmill said. “We've done this with fees that are lower than the provincial average.”

But after 11 years Public Health is reconsidering its role. “We had a retirement last year, and our new manager wanted to have a look at this,” he said.

One of the issues that was looked at was cost. Although the inspections are a cost recovery program, “We were concerned that there is some subsidy of this program, and we like to see our budgets kept clean,” Gemmill said. He also pointed out that Public Health faces added responsibilities under the Safe Drinking Water Act and would like to focus their attention in that direction.

Of 34 public health organizations that have the option of offering septic inspections or not, only six offer the service, Gemmill said.

Ed Gardiner, a Public Health Manager, has approached the municipalities that use the service, and according to Dr. Gemmill, “The feedback was not to do this in too fast a way.”

A meeting with municipal officials was held a couple of weeks ago and according to Gemmill, “around the table all parties agreed that if this were phased out by the end of 2010 it would be satisfactory to them.”

He also said that local conservation authorities are prepared to offer the service for those municipalities that do not want to take the service in house.

“This is the most visible service that our residents see from your agency,” Vanden Hoek responded. “We have trouble maintaining a building inspector as it is. We do not believe Public Health has the authority to do this. This is going to take some time, more than 2010.”

Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski has represented Frontenac County on the Board of KFL&A Public Health for the past two years. She pointed out that while Public Health staff have been in communication with the townships about plans to pull out of the service, the Public Health board has received no formal report on it.

“There is a report in our agenda package for the meeting we have scheduled this week,” she said, “ I do not think it includes enough background. It does not refer to the correspondence that has come in from the municipalities on this, and the question of the municipal capacity is not considered either. If a resolution on this comes forward at this time, I certainly will not support it.

I'd also like to suggest that although some of the background to this touches on financials, I have never seen any financial detail attached to it.”

“Thank you very much for the vote of confidence about the job we've been doing on the inspections,” said Doctor Gemmill. “It's not that our agency wants to leave people high and dry. If this is not done in 2010, so be it.” 

County makes little progress on budget

The budget process at Frontenac County in recent years has been a matter of moving through the various departmental budgets, which are each on a separate page, flagging those that need to be debated and crossing off those pages where there are no problems.

In this way the budget debate ends up focusing in on narrower issues over time, leaving a couple of loose ends to be mulled over or argued over.

And then the budget is finalised.

It's been a different case this year.

Not only have there been questions about several of the planned expenditures, there has also been a preliminary question that has not been resolved. It has to do with $793,000, a windfall for the county that came from the provincial uploading of costs for the Ontario Disability Support Program.

The way the budget that had been presented to county council is set up, that money is noted, but it is offset by other expenditures. Included in those expenditures is a $350,000 payment to a reserve fund to offset money that was used to balance the 2008 budget.

The resulting budget calls for an increase in taxes of only 2%, but an increase in county spending of over 13%.

The problem, at least in the view of county councilors Jim Vanden Hoek from Frontenac Islands and Ron Maguire from North Frontenac, is they would like to have seen that $793,000 transferred to the local municipalities to be used on road and bridge projects. Vanden Hoek sits on the board of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. “I know that when AMO argued that the province should take back those ODSP costs, the money was to go to roads and bridges. Somehow in this discussion, that $793,000 has to go to roads and bridges, and that would have to be through a flow through to the lower-tier municipalities,” Vanden Hoek said.

North Frontenac Township had already requested, in the form of a resolution to county council, that the money be transferred to the townships.

In spite of Vanden Hoek's comments, no direction was given to county staff to make changes to the budget as the result of the ODSP savings.

Instead, several items in the budget were flagged for further debate. Those include a $40,000 increase in the budget for staff training, $100,000 that is earmarked for a comprehensive review of social services within the county, $25,000 for a “business continuity plan” for the Emergency Services department, and $25,000 for upgrades to the Frontenac Room, where council meetings are held.

A report recommending that county staff receive a 2% cost of living salary increase in 2010 was also deferred, pending budget debate.

County Council has one more budget debate scheduled, on February 1.

(See  Editorial – A lack of Political Direction)

Central Frontenac Council stands up for LOLPS

On the eve of the final public meeting before trustees from the Limestone District School Board will decide the fate of all of the schools in Central Frontenac, Central Frontenac Council has taken a stand in favour of keeping Land O’Lakes Public School (LOLPS) in Mountain Grove open.

In a letter to the trustees, which was drafted by township CAO John Duchene, endorsed by council at their meeting on Tuesday night, February 23, and signed by Mayor Janet Gutowski, the township took a stand in favour of the option that was proposed by the publicly constituted Program and Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) last August, and against the option that was proposed by senior school board staff on January 27, 2010.

Under the PARC option, Hinchinbrooke Public School in Parham, and Sharbot Lake Public and High Schools would close, to be replaced by a comprehensive school in Sharbot Lake or another location. LOLPS and Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna would remain open.

Under the senior staff option, LOLPS would close as well, in addition to the others, and the new school would be built at the site of the current Sharbot Lake High School. Clarendon Central would still remain open.

Both options require some added support from the province in addition to the monies that have already been committed for a new school in the area.

In their letter, Council says “ ... We must disagree with the notion that the school consolidation approach is cheaper and will result in a better teaching and learning model.”

The letter goes on to challenge some of the numbers used in the senior staff report, including the construction cost for the school that is recommended in the PARC option, which the township’s calculations, based on figures supplied by school board staff, show to be $213,000 less than the senior staff report claims they would be.

But the crux of the township’s argument is summed up in a bullet at the bottom of the first page of the letter: “It may also be noted that Land O’Lakes has the largest enrolment of all public schools in Central/North Frontenac, sits on the largest property of any school, is the newest and is in the best condition …. Why closure?”

The letter also talks of the investments the township has made in the vicinity of Land O’Lakes Public School, including bringing in high speed internet in conjunction with the City of Kingston, upgrading lighting and change rooms at the outdoor rink that is located near the entrance to the school, and making major repairs to the road that joins the school with major roadways to the north and southeast.

Also, a project is in the planning stages to establish a new recreation facility, including a ball field, a playground and extensive trail development, on lands that abut the school.

In discussing the letter around the township table, Councilor Gary Smith, who is the township representative to the Program Accommodation Review Process and worked on the letter, said, “It is important that we make our position known at this time. We now have a Minister of Education, Leona Dombrowsky, who knows Sharbot Lake High School, and there have been a lot of questions raised about the school closing process”.

Councilor Frances Smith said, “I agree we should send the letter but I’m afraid it is too late. I think the decision has already been made and the meeting is really all about telling the public what has been decided by the school board staff.”

“It is the trustees, who are elected officials, who will make the decision in the end,” said Mayor Janet Gutowski. “I strongly support this letter.”

The only objection to the letter came from Philip Smith from Hinchinbrooke District, with support from the other Hinchinbrooke representative, Bill Snyder.

“You all are suddenly jumping up and supporting Mountain Grove, but why was it to hell with Parham? It seems to me this is a constant theme that runs through everything right now.”

Gary Smith said, “When we made our initial letter last June we defended all the schools, but the situation has moved. While we can’t save two schools there is a possibility we can save one.”

The mayor and three councilors, (Smith, Smith, and Purdon) supported sending the letter, while Bill Snyder and Philip Smith did not support it. Councilor Norm Guntensperger, who teaches at LOLPS, had declared a conflict of interest and did not take part in the debate or the vote. Councilors Harvey and Matson were absent.

The mayor will attend the meeting, which will be held on Tuesday March 3, 7pm at Sharbot Lake High School, and she is expected to read out the letter at that time.

Parents and community members from Mountain Grove and Arden are expected to attend as well. 

Fire Master Plan – Fire Chief Mark MacDonald, along with Deputies Art Cowdy and Bill Young, brought the long-awaited Fire Master Plan to council on Tuesday, February 23. “The good news,” said MacDonald “is that we are on the right track. We’ve put ourselves in good shape in terms of equipment, training and buildings.”

The fire plan includes maps and charts showing the 8km and 13km radii from the fire halls, which are important in terms of meeting standards, and talks of the department’s plans for “superior water shuttle accreditation” which could bring insurance savings to those residents who live where the fire crews can deliver lots of water quickly.

The plan also talks about the fire halls. MacDonald said that three of the four stations are good, but the Hinchinbrooke station is “at the end of life” and should be replaced over the next few years. In order to alleviate the problems that can be caused by the train tracks in Parham and Tichborne if trains are blocking the intersection when crews are on a call, MacDonald said that a new station should be built on the other side of the tracks.

The Henderson station, which is now out of commission, could be bought back if fire fighters could be found in the vicinity.

Council received the plan for information, and will consider its implications and get back to the fire chiefs.

The 2010 proposed fire budget was discussed as well. It is up over 2009 because of the inclusion of a new pumper for $240,000+. Council will consider that purchase when they work through the budget later this month and into April.

Marine storage building rejected – An application by John Keen for a zoning amendment to permit a marine storage building on an undersized lot on Big Clear Lake was rejected, based on the opinion of the planner and the conservation authority.