Project manager to help kick-start AH township office/fire hall project.

Members of Addington Highlands Council spent almost 30 minutes at their Dec. 5 meeting talking their way to a decision about how to get a major building project underway.

Thus far the township has issued two separate “Request for Proposal” (RFP) documents for architectural services related to building a combined township office and fire hall on a piece of property that the township has purchased on Hwy. 41, just south of Northbrook.

Each time the responses that came back envisioned buildings that are larger and more expensive than the township is able to finance, leaving council unsure of how to proceed.

“I think we would be better off with a design-build model where we have one single contract, rather than getting an architect to design the building and then having to go to tender to find someone to build it,” said Reeve Henry Hogg. “With a design-build RFP we would be able to choose from a number of designs, but if we hire an architect we will be stuck with a single design.”

“I think that if you hire an architectural firm to do what is their specialty, their entire business, you will get a better product in the end,” said Councilor Tony Fritsch.

“Whatever we decide, we’d better get something going if we want to get something built,” said Deputy Reeve Bill Cox.

“I don’t have the expertise to deal with this. I think we need some help,” said Councilor Helen Yanch.

“We definitely do need some expertise to move forward with this,” said Henry Hogg.

Council decided to canvas Jewell Engineering and a number of other firms to get the best price on project management services. The project manager will then prepare an RFP for architectural or design-build services.

When contacted later by phone, Reeve Hogg said that he is hoping to get this project well underway, if not completed within the next year.

The township only has limited amounts in capital reserve funds for the project, so it will have to borrow money to complete it. There are no estimates as to the final costing for the project.

Municipal Affairs delivers ‘non’ report card

Stephen Seller, who works out of the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs in Kingston, brought what he called a snapshot financial report to Addington Highlands Council.

“Ultimately you folks are responsible for making financial decisions. We do this report to give you a sense of how your numbers compare to other similar townships,” he said.

Sellers explained that, using data from 2010, which he acknowledged was dated, he looked at eight different financial categories and assigned levels of risk to the township.

In most categories, Addington Highlands is facing what Sellers called “low or minimal risk”. This includes the level of debt as compared to revenue, and total reserve funds as a percentage of expenses. In one category, however, there is some concern, and that one is the percentage of tax arrears. Expressed as percentage of taxes receivable, tax arrears now stand at 23% in the township, and that number has been increasing bit by bit over the last three years.

“Tax arrears have always been in the 20% range in your township, which is pretty high, but they have gone up a bit lately, perhaps as a reflection of the overall economy, and for that reason I put you in the high risk category,” Sellers said.

“How can we address that?” asked Bill Cox.

“Some townships get aggressive with tax sales and that tends to bring the percentage down,” Sellers said.

“I don't know if that would be a great idea for us; we might be better off to try and work with people instead,” Cox said.

Strategic Planning – Before leaving, Stephen Sellers said that the ministry is available to facilitate strategic planning exercises for municipalities, as a free service.

Council expressed interest, and will likely be setting up a one-day session in the near future.

Denbigh Community Center - A new filter bed has been installed as part of the renovations to the centre. In addition, with the help of a Trillium grant, the Library will be moving over, and council approved a proposal to move the Denbigh Food Bank to the new center from its current location in the basement of the United Church.

No volunteer for housing advisory – There was a call for council members to join the Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Housing Advisory Committee. Perhaps as a reflection of the committee's bias towards the southern end of Lennox and Addington, none of the AH councilors volunteered to join the committee.

Portland Waste Disposal Site Subject of MOE Concern

Council received a letter Nov 22 from Chris Raffael of the Ministry of the Environment, expressing some strong concerns about the Portland Waste Disposal Site (WDS), which is the largest site in the township and the one that the township is counting on to ensure the townships waste can be handled locally in the coming decades.

Raphael’s letter contains some stark language - “Sampling results from the annual reports...have shown that the landfill operation at this site is having an unacceptable impact on local ground and surface water quality...this site is not conducive to landfilling activities. Water quality at this site has been shown to be unacceptably impacted and benthic monitoring has shown that the benthic community (organisms living on the lake bottom) within the wetland is likely impacted by the landfill. Water quality within the wetland also exceeds thresholds known to be toxic to aquatic organisms. It is anticipated that landfill impacts to surface water will continue (and likely increase) if landfilling continues at this site.”

The letter concludes by asking the Township to respond by January 13 with an action plan “listing the steps that will be taken to address the ground and surface water impacts at the Portland WDS.”

In addressing the issue, Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth did not seem overly concerned.

He began by saying, “The reality is, we’re dealing with a waste disposal site on the edge of a wetland.”

He added that his department is developing a contingency plan: they have already moved the fill area back from its former location. He reminded Council that the testing shows that provincial water quality standards are being met at the property line (which was further extended by a land purchase in May ’10.)

Segsworth says that he believes the township is managing the site to the best of their ability, adding that his department will continue to work closely in cooperation with the MOE.

Councillor McPhail pointed out that the letter had sounded speculative in the phrase “is likely impacted.”

Councillor Bill Robinson attributed the problems with the ministry to the decision to bring in waste from regions other than Portland, an issue that he fought against several yeas ago.

Council’s response to the MOE will be discussed at the January 10 meeting.

Approved Budget Comes in at 2.98%

Council will be levying $12,170,752 from ratepayers (up from $10.9 million last year) to cover costs this year. Of that, $7,579,254 will be spent on Capital projects.

Because of the more than 8% increase in the township’s tax base, due mainly to new development in the township (6%), along with MPAC’s 2% rise in overall property values, the budget impact on the average residence will be an increase of only 2.98%. Although Council can proceed to implement this operating budget in January, approval of the total budget will have to wait until final information is in from the County and the Board of Education. That is expected in February.

McDougall Appointed

John McDougall was sworn in as Deputy Mayor for 2012. As is the custom, the deputy mayor’s position rotates over the four-year term of Council between the councilors from each district who received the greatest number of votes in the municipal election.

John McDougall replaces Mark Tinlin from Bedford District.

Committee Meeting Minutes Late in Arriving

Council received a year’s worth of minutes from the South Frontenac Recreation Committee, and the Public Works Services Committee’s minutes from May’11. When asked why such a backlog, CAO Orr replied, “There was a failure to communicate.”

Holiday and January Township Schedules

Township offices will be closed from noon Dec 23, to January 03. For non-statutory holidays during this time, staff will be using vacation or lieu time.

There will be no Council meeting Jan 3: the schedule will be shifted forward by one week, eg. Council: January 10&24, Committee of the Whole: Jan 17&31.

Waste management report may be based on inaccurate numbers:

A final report from Cambium Environmental on Addington Highlands’ Waste Recycling Strategy, which was presented to council two weeks earlier, was the subject of criticism at this week’s council meeting in Denbigh.

Several items in the report caused Reeve Henry Hogg to wonder if Dave Bucholtz, the Cambium consultant who prepared the report, “had ever visited the waste sites”.

Hogg noted that one of the items in the report was public access to the recycling bins; however, in order to ensure that only clean recyclables are shipped out, the township has a policy that only staff can place recyclables in the bins.

He also noted that Cambium had never consulted with the waste management supervisor, Royce Rosenblath. Also, there was a comment in the report that front-end loaders could be used to reduce the labour of moving materials. However, the township does not have loaders at all its waste sites.

The report was based on 2009 data, and concluded that Addington Highlands’ recycling costs are considerably higher than the recycling costs of other municipalities in the same category - $1,660 per ton for AH, as opposed to an average cost of $565 for similar municipalities.

However, Reeve Hogg said he suspects that those figures may be based on inaccurate numbers. Royce Rosenblath is presently investigating the figures and the township hopes to have some answers soon.

In the meantime, Councilor Tony Fritsch said that the council should express their dissatisfaction with the report to Cambium, as the township paid for 50% of it. Council agreed and will send their comments to the company.

Demolished Kaladar Home: An ongoing matter has been a request for free dumping for the remains of a Kaladar area house once owned by Winnie Gutsell, which is now owned by Marie Jeffries. Andy Anderson had attended the Nov. 7 council meeting in Flinton to make the request again. A part of the house was demolished using funding provided by Lennox and Addington County.

Reeve Hogg has contacted the Lennox and Addington Social Services department and although the details are confidential, he has ascertained that the township has no contractual liability whatsoever in the matter. Councilor Fritsch commented that the township had nevertheless offered a helping hand in the form of waiving $150 in dumping fees, but the offer has not been utilized.

Joint Fire Board: Addington Highlands and North Frontenac Townships share a joint fire board for the Kaladar / Barrie Fire Department.

At its November 14 meeting, North Frontenac Council accepted two 16-year-olds into the Ompah and Plevna fire departments, though they will not be allowed to attend incidents until they are 19.

Although the Ompah and Plevna fire departments are not part of the joint fire board, the motion that North Frontenac passed said that the policy would apply to all fire departments funded by the township. This has caused Addington Highlands to bristle because of its possible application to Barrie as well, and Reeve Hogg said that the matter should have been brought to the joint board before it was dealt with by North Frontenac Council.

Reeve Hogg also said that there have been similar problems in the past with North Frontenac not consulting with Addington Highlands on the joint board. He commented on Monday night, “..What would be the implications if the Joint Fire Board were disbanded? It shouldn’t come to that, but I’ve asked them before - what part of ‘joint’ do they not understand…”

South Frontenac Council convened with coffee and doughnuts last Saturday morning, to work through their 2012 draft budget.

CAO Wayne Orr opened proceedings with a brief review of the factors that contribute to determining the final tax rate. The township’s tax base has increased 8.2%, due largely to development and phased-in assessment increases.

The clerk’s report addressed several items that Council had directed should be included in the preliminary budget for consideration. None of these directions were to be construed as a financial commitment. They were:

Inflation, which affects wages, benefits, insurance, fuel, heat and hydro.Roads construction: an increase of $250,000 in planned construction (total roads budget $6,165,653.)Introduction of a 1% Asset Investment Reserve ($114,149).Creation of new position to manage solid waste and township facilities, as recommended by the Corporate Services Committee. Police Services Board: $5,000 to publish a community report.Grant of $3,000 to Southern Frontenac Community Services to support their increased program costs. (Council cannot legally waive property taxes on Grace Centre.)

These additional items total $613,847. However, savings were achieved in other areas of the budget. The overall budget for general government - the treasury and clerk’s office - is down from last year by $159,290, helping offset increased expenses in other areas. In summary, the draft budget showed an increase over last year’s budget of $606,316, or 5.55%.

Also, in order to develop the budget, staff made assumptions in the following three areas:

Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund: the township’s share will be determined by the province in the new year, but based on patterns to date, staff have predicted police funding will be reduced by $63,900.OPP Budget: although there will be no salary increase this year, the staff sergeant has confirmed that the new contract will include a change in the formula for policing costs that will likely result in a 10-15% increase. $75,000 was added as a reserve to the police budget to help toward this jump.County Gas Tax Funds: in 2011, the township received $293,869 from the county, and staff has assumed this level of funding will continue in 2012.

Council then reviewed the budget page by page. Some of the details:

In discussion of the County gas tax funds, Councilor Vandewal suggested it might be prudent to project a lower amount, perhaps $100,000. Councilors Stowe, Naish and McPhail agreed.

The $5,000 for the police board’s publication was taken from reserves.

A review of the building department’s budget underlined the need to hire a third building inspector as soon as possible, in order to be more prompt with inspections and occupancy permits.

Councilor Robinson said that the Colebrooke Road in Harrowsmith needed a sidewalk for the safety of children walking to school. This raised discussion of the three-year roads plan, and concerns about ‘micromanaging’.

Mayor Davison suggested this issue be carried over to Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole, when the public works manager could be present.

The township presently has a set $100 waste management fee on the tax bill for all properties, regardless of assessment. CAO Wayne Orr recommended this be moved into the overall tax bill, pointing out that a fixed charge is regressive, for it is proportionally higher for those with lower taxes. As well, it does not accurately reflect the actual cost of waste management.

Council rejected this suggestion, discussing instead whether the charge should be raised by $10.

When Council asked why income from user charges was so low in the recreation budget, it was noted that fees for various facilities were inconsistent across the township, and one facility (the football field) was used by a private program that paid no user fees.

Deputy Mayor Tinlin asked why Bedford was budgeted so much less than the other districts for Canada Day. Mayor Davison replied that that was the amount requested by the Bedford Recreation Committee.

Last year’s budget put $275,000 into asset/infrastructure reserves: the 2012 proposed budget does not. Councilor Vandewal expressed concern that Council was drawing a lot more from reserves than they were aware of.

“Infrastructure needs are huge,” he said, pointing out that community halls and fire halls are deteriorating.

By the end of the morning, after making some cuts to the budget, and basing their estimates on the assumption that county gas tax contribution will drop to $60,00 this year and that $275,000 will be added to reserve funds, the local tax increase would come to 2.2%.

Some on council felt that an increase as high as 3% would be acceptable.

Council members then went to Visionsoup for lunch, before returning to make the following decisions:

They would meet Tuesday night to further review the road budget with Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth. (This was done, with Segsworth giving details as to how roadwork priorities were established. He agreed that safety improvements along Colebrooke Road could be done next year.)

They passed a motion to receive the preliminary 2012 budget for information.

Next week at their regular meeting, Council will receive a full report on the state of the township reserves from the Corporate Services Committee, along with the committee’s recommendations for managing the reserves, before finalizing the budget.

Passing the overall budget will have to wait until the township learns how much South Frontenac ratepayers will have to pay in Education and Frontenac County taxes, but this will be the first time in the history of South Frontenac Township that council will have completed their budget work before the start of the year they are budgeting for.

Frontenac County approves Ompah base construction agreement; Parham move put on back burner

After confirming that North Frontenac Council had already approved a cost-sharing plan for the construction of an ambulance base/fire hall in Ompah, Frontenac County Council authorized Paul Charbonneau, the Chief of Paramedic Services, to oversee the hiring of a project manager for the construction project.

Charbonneau anticipated that it will take a few weeks to prepare a request for proposal for the hiring, and expects that someone will be in place by the New Year, for anticipated construction beginning as early as May, 2012.

Before that happens, however, the project manager will have to do a detailed costing of the project, which will need to be approved by both parties. Frontenac County has $300,000 set aside to cover its anticipated costs, and North Frontenac has $400,000. Preliminary estimates for the project that were done over a year ago pegged it at $850,000 so there might be a shortfall for one or both of the participants. Final approval for the construction will have to come from each council, and the project will not move forward until that happens.

In debating a resolution confirming the cost sharing agreement that staff at the county and the township worked out last month (which was detailed in the Frontenac News last week) members of Frontenac County Council returned to their concerns about the long-term implications of locating an ambulance base at Ompah.

“The assumption is that when the ambulance base is built in Ompah, the Parham base would then go to Sharbot Lake. That is what the original motion, approved by the previous council, says. And that is unacceptable. It is my opinion that the northern sections of South Frontenac will be poorly served if the Parham base moves and I for one campaigned last year on a promise of maintaining service for my constituents. I'm not feeling good about this decision. I don't think it is the right decision,” said County Council member John McDougall from South Frontenac.

“I have to echo the comments of Councilor McDougall, with no disrespect to the representatives from North Frontenac,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski. “I understand the sensitivity of the issues, and I don't know that there is the political will that the move from Parham to Sharbot Lake will happen should this ambulance/garage come to fruition. However I don't accept that we will reach agreement; I'm not sure that the numbers and the challenges around building the fire hall along with the base can be overcome … I echo all of your concerns, John, but I will be supporting this motion as it is presented. But for the next three years I will strongly oppose moving that Parham base.”

“I agree there is a by-law on the books that says Parham will move,” said Paul Charbonneau, “but it was always to be done with additional review. Once we have established the North Frontenac project we will look again at population growth numbers. The move from Parham is not something that is going to happen during this term of council.”

The current council will remain in place until December of 2014.

Clayton concerned about Fairmount auditorium re-build.

Normally, accepting minutes from previous meetings is one of the housekeeping agenda items that causes little fuss at council meetings, with concerns being limited to grammatical and spelling errors.

But North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton expressed concerns about one of the clauses in a motion receiving a staff report about a particular fund-raising initiative.

In accepting a staff report on the fledgling fund-raising campaign for the redevelopment of the Fairmount Home auditorium, there was a clause “supporting the establishment of a committee to launch a fundraising campaign ... “

“If we have a committee and it starts to raise funds for redevelopment then we are bound to redevelop the auditorium. I said at the last meeting that we should have a debate about whether we want to go ahead with the redevelopment,” said Clayton.

Susan Beckel, the deputy clerk of the county, who prepares meeting minutes and agendas, said that no amendments had been made to the original motion, which included the clause about supporting a committee.

“I've learned a very important lesson from this,” said Clayton, “I must make sure to formally propose amendments instead of just giving direction to staff.”

“I would respectfully disagree with you about this,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski to Clayton. “I know of a lot of groups that have raised money for things that for one reason or another didn't come to fruition. It's not the best way to go about it, but it happens.”

“The motion was passed as it was written,” said Warden Gary Davison, “but I do understand what you are saying, Bud, as we have not decided whether to do this renovation or not.”

The estimated cost of a full-scale redevelopment of the auditorium, which was prepared in September of 2010, was $1.5 million.

Meeting date changed – Council meetings are normally scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month, which would put the December meeting on the 21st. Since that date is close to the Christmas holiday, council decided to meet one week earlier, on the 14th. One of the agenda items will be the selection of a new warden, as the tradition is for the sitting warden to step down at the end of each year. Warden Davison has been in place for two years, the final year of the previous term of council, and the inaugural year of this term.

(Editorial Note – The public is welcome to all council meetings, at the county and township level. Township meetings, and the county meeting in Lennox and Addington, are all held in readily accessible halls.

At Frontenac County, however, one of the internal doors to the meeting room is locked. To get through the door, one needs to find a member of the county staff to open the door by swiping a card. The council meetings take place in a room that is surrounded by the headquarters of the Frontenac Paramedic Services, which is apparently why security is necessary.

Two reporters normally attend these meetings. As members of the press, we are aware of the security system and we know our way around the offices so we can usually find someone to let us in pretty quickly. However, a member of the public who decides they would like to attend would not have that advantage. There is no signage indicating a meeting is in progress or what to do to get through the locked door.

This means that in practical terms the Frontenac County Council meetings are not as open to the public as are the other municipal meetings that we cover. It would not be accurate to say that these meetings make very gripping entertainment, but they do conduct public business.

Recycling rates average, cost through the roof in AH

Addington Highlands Council received a presentation by Cambium Environmental of Peterborough concerning their recycling program.

Dave Bucholtz from Cambium said that the diversion rate at Addington Highlands Landfill sites is a little better than average for its category at 22%, but that because of hauling costs the cost of recycling is about triple the average in its category.

All information used in the report came from 2009 data.

Each ton of recyclables cost $1,660 to dispose of in AH, as opposed to an average cost of $565 in its category (Addington Highlands is compared to rural municipalities in Southern Ontario that do not have curb-side pickup service). That amounts to an average cost of $99 per household for recycling in Addington Highlands.

A reasonable goal for the township, according to Bucholtz, would be to increase the recycling percentage to 25% by the end of 2013 while keeping the costs per tonnage flat, and not let them go up with the rate of inflation.

The Cambium report pointed to a significant potential increase in the number of tonnage of recycling. In 2009 there were 218 tons of material that was “available for diversion” and only 131 tons (60%) was diverted, leaving 86 tons (40%) as a potential increase in diverted material in future years.

Bucholtz recommended a few initiatives that are designed to improve the system.

“You have a very robust recycling program in Addington Highlands. A plan moving forward could include improved public education and training, and perhaps an enhancement of recycling centres,” he said.

Included in his recommendations are a $10,000 public education program, about $1,000 in training programs for staff, and $7,000 for enhancement of recycling depots.

There are opportunities for matching funding from Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) for the initiatives that Bucholtz pointed to, just as 50% of the Cambium report itself was paid for by WDO.

“You talk about public education initiatives. I run across people all the time who say they do not understand how the program works. And this is after we have conducted education campaigns, on our website, in tax bills, at the sites themselves,” said Councilor Tony Fritsch, one of only two councilors attending this week's council meeting.

“We brought in the $2 bag and a rebate for every bag of recycling as an incentive to recycling, but Tony is right; there are people who do not want to know how recycling works,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.

Dave Bucholtz said that he hopes the report will be referred to and that a follow up report should be completed in about four years’ time.

One more request for free dumping – Andy Anderson appeared before Council requesting free dumping for the remains of a house once owned by Winnie Gutsell, which is now owned by Marie Jeffries. A part of the house was taken down, using funding provided by Lennox and Addington County, but the material is lying in a pile at the rear of the property, quite close to the Kaladar dump site. The new owner of the property asked for free dumping of the material and the township has offered $150 off of the dumping costs.

“It would be better off for everyone if the township simply removed the material and was done with it,” Anderson said.

“We received a sarcastic letter in response to our offer of a $150 break, which is not the best way to make us want to sweeten the offer,” said Henry Hogg. “I ask you, was the material there when she bought the property?”

“That is very hard nosed,” said Anderson.

“Sometimes you have to be,” said Hogg.

“There are other property owners with material that has been acquired through peculiar circumstances who would appreciate waiving tipping fees,” said Deputy Mayor Bill Cox.

Henry Hogg said Council would consider the renewed request at their next meeting.

RFP rescinded: A request for proposal (RFP) concerning the preliminary design for a combined township office and fire hall on a lot on Hwy. 41 just south of Northbrook (next to Addison's Restaurant) was rescinded by Council. Potential bidders said the RFP was too vague. A new RFP will be released after Council meets for a special session next Tuesday, (November 15) at 9:00 in Flinton.

Denbigh Community Centre update -

Tony Fritsch presented an update into the ongoing renovations to the former Denbigh Schoolhouse as it transitions into a new life as a community centre.

Ninety-nine percent of the work has been completed on the clinic area for the Lakelands Family Health Team.

Work is proceeding on a number of other fronts, including the septic system, which needs to be altered to accommodate a parking lot, and the heating system.

It will cost $5,900 for a new controller, which is $1,400 over budget, but Fritsch assured council there are savings coming in on other items that will compensate.

A number of jobs will include a volunteer labour component, with savings being invested in other aspects of the project.

Council approved the $5,900 expenditure and received Fritsch's report for information.

OMB to hear appeal of Bridgen’s Island zoning

With Mayor Gutowski off in Australia visiting her grand-daughter, Central Frontenac Council whipped through a light agenda back in Sharbot Lake on Tuesday Nov. 8.

Cathy MacMunn, the planning co-ordinator for the township, reported that the Ontario Municipal Board will hear an appeal of a controversial zoning decision that established lots on Bridgen’s Island on Eagle Lake. The island, which was owned co-operatively for 30 years, needed to come into compliance with Central Frontenac’s Zoning bylaw in order for new building permits to be issued. However, just before the application for a plan of subdivision was received, Eagle Lake was designated as a trout sensitive lake by the provincial government. Therefore, no new building was permitted. The planning solution was to approve only the lots that already have dwellings in place, and create four permanently vacant lots. One of those four lot owners has launched an appeal, which may ultimately place the province’s restrictions for trout sensitive lakes under legal scrutiny.

Another zoning decision, this one prohibiting a Mr. Keen from building a boat house on Big Clear Lake, will be heard on December 1 at the Oso (District 3) Fire Hall on Road 38 and Wagner Road.

Garrison Shores condominium to be finalised

Final approval for the Plan of Condominium for the Garrison Shores properties near Arden, which have been in legal limbo for at least 25 years, was set for November 16 at the next Frontenac County Council meeting.

County staff were concerned, however, that payments for legal fees from the Garrison Shores Association have not been made to Central Frontenac Township yet. Although the association has been contacted and say they will pay the money in time, County staff have pulled the item from the November 16 agenda.

“Why didn’t they just put it on the agenda?” asked Councilor Frances Smith, “they could always defer it if the money is not received in time.”

“They didn’t want to do that,” said MacMunn, “I told them I would let them know if the money arrived, but they need everything in writing, so it has been put off until December.”

Public Works

Public Works Manager Mike Richardson reported about roads crew activities, which have included applying gravel to Brown, MacDonnnell and Brebis Roads and grading all gravel roads in the township before freeze up.

Elizabeth Street - A public meeting was held this week for comment on plans for the reconstruction of Elizabeth Street in Sharbot Lake. Richardson said that about 20 people attended and the plan received a generally positive hearing. Proposed changes will be incorporated into the final plan, which will come to Council.

Waste – A written report from the township’s waste manager Kyle Labbett was presented to Council. Labett said that North Frontenac Pet Supply has small clear bags available that can be placed inside the clear bags the township is selling for dumping purposes. “We are still looking for local businesses that can get larger clear bags,” Labbett wrote.

A request was made to Council to change dump hours to winter hours (closing at 5 pm) as of the time change to Standard Time – the first Sunday in November - instead of December 1 as it had been.

Council approved the new hours. Winter hours now coincide with Standard Time, which ends on the 2nd Sunday in March.

Community Improvement Plan –

Council passed a motion authorizing the Frontenac County-initiated Community Improvement Plan for Sharbot Lake. The county will pay $25,000 to cover all consultations, public meetings, and the creation of the plan. The county staff will also request $70,000 from the 2012 county budget to implement the plan, and the township is expected to kick in another $10,000. The township will control the spending of all grants and loans that result from the program.

A schedule for the development of the CIP calls for a first public meeting before Christmas and a final plan to be developed by April of next year.

County Discusses Planning Updates

Joe Galllivan, planner for the County of Frontenac, reported that his department was interested in working more closely with the Townships, by contracting out the County’s planning services on a cost-recovery, non-profit basis. Recognizing that South Frontenac already has its own planner, Lindsay Mills, on staff, Gallivan said they would be available to consult with Mills if needed.

He said that the upcoming County budget discussions will include consideration of developing an official plan for the County. He introduced Mike Elms, local planning representative for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, who explained that such a plan would in no way replace the Townships’ plans, but would deal with broader issues relating, for example, to economic development, environmental issues and cultural heritage. One perceived advantage would be that if approval of Official Plan amendments and updates were to be done by the County, rather than the Ministry, processing time could be greatly reduced without affecting day-to-day planning issues and local decisions. By removing the Ministry from the lower-level decision-making process, “The three-legged stool becomes a two-legged stool.” No one commented on this somewhat wobbly metaphor.

Southern Frontenac Community Services

David Townsend and Joan Cameron reported on the progress of the development of Grace Centre and the programs their agency provides to the community. Currently there are fifteen different programs for seniors: this year alone,they expect to help almost 1,000 different seniors in South Frontenac. In the area of Family Services, SFCS has served 100 individuals and families with housing assistance, food bank services and counseling. They asked for whatever support Council could provide,either in kind, or financial, and referred to the fact that Grace Centre would be subject to property taxes for the first time. Councillor Vandewal summed up the sentiments expressed by several others by saying, “If we can find a solution that works without opening the floodgates, we want to do it.” Councillor Stowe offered to talk further with SFCS staff to get more information about what help might be needed, before budget planning day (Nov 19).

Potentially Hazardous Ditch

In regard to recent ditching across the unopened road allowance south of Rutledge Road at the foot of Boundary Road, Council directed that the ditch should be filled, and a checkerboard sign erected to prevent traffic.

When is a Dog Like a Car?

In August, Councillor Naish had raised the question of whether it was appropriate to continue having the bylaw officers going door-to-door in Loughborough and Storrington in search of unlicensed dogs. In September, the issue was referred to the Corporate Services Committee, which considered it in the light of how a driver’s license works: late renewals still have to pay a full year, as well as a penalty. The committee felt that not enforcing the dog licensing by-law near the end of the year would only encourage dog owners to try to get away without paying. Councillor Naish said he didn’t think it was fair to compare licensing a dog to licensing a car, but agreed that it seemed the wish of Council to continue seeking unlicensed dogs. CAO Orr’s report noted that the door-to door review was being conducted in order to create a database of current dog owners: a similar review will be conducted in the other two districts next year. The program is structured to be self financing: there is no cost to the township.

New Staff Position Proposed

Council received the recommendation of the Corporate Services Committee, to include a permanent full time position in the 2012 operating budget to fulfill the responsibilities of facility and solid waste management.

Harrowsmith crosswalk debate could lead to traffic light

By Jeff Green

Harrowsmith residents were surprised to find that the markings for a crosswalk across Road 38, which used to serve the former Harrowsmith school, had been removed by township crews in early September.

According to Harrowsmith resident Laura Ritchie, when asked about it a member of the township roads crew said that since the school is no longer in use there is no longer a need for the crosswalk.

This led Ritchie and some other Harrowsmith residents to draft a petition asking for a new crosswalk to be established in Harrowsmith. Ritchie also sent a letter to Mayor Davison on October 4 outlining why a crosswalk is necessary.

The letter and the petition were received by Council on Tuesday night.

In the letter, Ritchie points out that both the 'new' Harrowsmith Public School (the old school closed about 20 years ago) and St. Patrick's Catholic School are located to the east of Harrowsmith and students living to the west of Road 38 still have to cross over the road to get to school each morning.

As well, Ritchie talks about the needs of other members of the community in the letter.

“The children of the community are not the only ones who must be considered. Harrowsmith has a diverse demographic and the crosswalk was used daily by many – people crossing to make their way up to the park, to frequent local businesses or the post office, or just out for a walk,” she wrote.

Ritchie added that the crosswalk, which was located near to the junction of several roads at the foot of the village, “was perhaps not in the best location” but said a suitable location should be found.

“I am requesting the crosswalk be reconsidered, reinstated, and more reinforced. This can be provided by locating the safest location for a crosswalk, ‘crosswalk signs/signals’ clearly indicating the presence of the crosswalk, crosswalk lines restored, and a public notice stating the crosswalk has been re-established, which will enhance the safety of all,” she wrote.

The News contacted South Frontenac Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth earlier in October. He said that his concern about the crosswalk came down to a legal issue. The way Road 38 is classed it is not legal to have a crosswalk located on it.

A similar issue arose in Northbrook, which is located on a provincial road (Hwy. 41) several years ago, and in that case a request for a new crosswalk ended up leading to a traffic light being constructed in Northbrook.

Even though Road 38 is a municipal road, Segsworth said the same rules apply.

The South Frontenac Public Works department has expressed concerns about driver safety at the location where the crosswalk used to be, which is where Road 38 meets Colebrooke, Ottawa, Wilton and Harrowsmith Roads.

In 2009 year a staff request for a $36,000 study into that very intersection was rejected by Council.

At the time, Mark Segsworth told Council he “had an open mind” about whether the study would recommend that a stop light being constructed at that location. He said, “The reality is that 38 is our most heavily travelled road, and this is the most dangerous spot on the road.”

Those Rubber chickens are Bouncing Back!

by Wilma Kenney

Further to Councillor McDougall’s September 6 notice of motion to reconsider the Backyard Hen decision, coun-cil agreed unanimously to defeat the original motion (which permitted up to ten hens to be kept on a lot between two and three acres in size), thus restoring the zoning bylaw to its pre-hen-debate state. McDougall’s one-page proposal has been referred to staff so they can develop an appropriate by-law and bring it back to Council for a vote. Planner Mills noted that, like any zoning bylaw amendment, this will require a public meeting.

Community Living Hopes to Relocate

Council authorized Ashley Belanger, the Recreation Coordinator,to begin negotiations with Community Living to lease space recently vacated by Kingston Literacy in the Princess Anne Building in Hartington. The non-profit organization has been in operation since 1981 in the old stone school in Hartington, providing used clothing and household goods for sale, and using the proceeds to assist families in need, as well as donating to various community organiza-tions, such as Southern Frontenac Community Services and KGH. Belanger mentioned there had been some discussion of turning the old school into a Township museum.

Change of Policy for funding of Play structures

Council agreed with Belanger’s request that they rescind their policy requiring the community to raise 50% of the cost of playground structures in municipal parks. She said that the South Frontenac Recreation Committee felt that members of the community “have been maxed out in terms of their ability to fundraise for items such as play structures.” This year’s safety inspection found two structures that had to be removed, two more needing extensive repair, and ten sites requiring protective surfacing. From now on, the Township will pay for 100% of the purchase and enhancement of all play structures which will be funded from both the operating and capital budgets.

Glendower/Bedford Hall to be fully Assessed

Belanger presented Council a letter from the Bedford Energy Efficiency Project Committee, which asked Council’s cooperation in making the hall a more environmentally safe place. This is an independent group of community members and musicians who have raised $2,000 to go toward hall im-provement. Deputy Mayor Tinlin distributed a report under lining his concerns about the deterioration of the hall, which is the only active community hall in Bedford district. Not only is there an obvious mould problem, but he also listed: leaking roof, poor quality drinking water, uneven floor, loose windows, inadequate lighting and a well inside the basement. Council agreed to defer any decisions about Bedford Hall until it has been “properly assessed, with regard to the letter of November 1.”

By Jeff Green & Wilma Kenny

Road construction plan dominates south frontenac budget debate

South Frontenac devoted a meeting of their Committee of the Whole this week to a discussion of their 2012 capital budget.

In his background report, township Chief Administrative Officer Wayne Orr talked about how maintaining roads and bridges has become a central concern for South Frontenac.

“The largest part of the capital budget is attributed to construction. Construction includes roads, sidewalks, bridges, culverts, storm sewers, guide rails, etc. Council has heard repeatedly that the condition of these assets is deteriorating at a rate faster than we are investing in them. The gap between what we should be doing and what we have been doing has been widening. Cumulatively this infrastructure deficit is a significant liability and risk for the township.”

In order to address this deficit, township staff are recommending that council consider a three-year construction plan, with incremental increases in the financial commitment each year to account for inflation. The preliminary budget is for $4.3 million in construction in 2012; $4.55 million in 2013; and $4.8 million in 2014.

In order to finance this aggressive plan in 2012, staff recommend using just under $3 million from 2012 taxes and some money from reserve funds. In addition, they would like to allocate 1% of the total budget into an Asset Investment Reserve Fund. This would buffer the township from the monies being taken from current reserves for road work.

The proposed capital budget for 2012 is split into three sections: Villages, Local Roads, and Arterial Roads. In the Villages section, work is proposed on the Harrowsmith intersection ($25,000), on the Perth Road Crescent ($450,000), and on Railway Street in Harrowsmith ($40,000). Under Local Roads are Arena Boundary Road (($150,000), Bradford Road ($150,000), Canoe Lake Road ($230,000), Clark Road ($60,000), McConnnel Road ($200,000), Opinicon Road ($800,000), Ritchie Road ($100,000), White Lake Road ($100,000), and various roads to be determined ($90,000). Under Arterial Roads and Bridges are Bellrock Road ($700,000), Perth Road ($450,000), Hardwood Creek Bridge ($350,000), Maynard Bridge ($350,000), and various roads ($55,000).

Wayne Orr also noted that this year there is a change in what items the capital budget will cover: Historically, any one-time purchase regardless of value, if it was funded from reserves, was considered a capital budget item. Now, while road construction has been added to the capital budget, many smaller items, such as the bathrooms at Centennial Park, Harrowsmith, and the contribution to the Cataraqui Trail have been shifted to the operating budget.

The township holds a total of almost $15 million in reserves, in three general categories. The largest, committed reserves, are reserves set by Council, and include winter road control, working funds, fire equipment and sanitation.

Obligatory reserves, such as: development charges and gas tax reserves, are established by statute. A third group is for accessibility, election expenses, landfill closures, etc. In all, there are presently more than 30 categories of reserve funds.

Council agreed to refer a review of the reserve policy to the Corporate Services Committee (Councilors York, Vandewal, and Deputy Mayor Tinlin) for recommendations on condensing the categories, setting optimal maximum amounts of each reserve fund, and a clear description of what each reserve can be used for.

There was agreement with the proposed creation of a 1% Asset Investment Reserve.

There was some concern that the recreation budget should address needs, not wants, but Orr also noted that because recreation is funded from the parkland reserve, it has no direct impact on annual taxation.

$90,000 is being budgeted for upgrades to the Glendower Hall, under the recreation section. However, Council agreed that no improvements will be made without first getting a full assessment of the building’s underlying mold and structural issues.

Council will also have to look at options for funding the township’s portion of the costs of upgrading the Sydenham water system and the Frontenac Arena.

Council has set the goal of having the 2012 budget ready for approval by December 6. They will meet all day on Saturday November 19, beginning at 9am, to discuss the operating budget.