Companies sweeten offers as Addington Highlands set to vote on wind farm support motion

Addington Highlands Council met in special session on Tuesday morning (June 30) to respond to information that had been provided to them by RES-Canada regarding a wind farm proposal in the township. Included in the information package is a proposal for a Community Vibrancy Fund. The fund includes payments to the township if the township supports their project and the project ends up winning in a province-wide procurement process to supply wind power to the electrical grid.

RES has made it public that they have offered $2,000 per Megawatt of generating capacity each year for 20 years. According to the web information about the project, it will generate between 100 and 170 MW, depending on its final configuration. Before discussing the details of their offer and hearing a counter offer from the township, Stephen Cookson from RES addressed some concerns of residents who were at the meeting as observers. He said that RES will adhere to a 750 metre setback between their turbines and any “noise receptors” such as homes or campgrounds, which is 200 metres greater than the provincial standard. He also said that in cases where turbines are installed on private land under lease from private land owners, they would make payments to the neighbouring property owners as well.

As well Cookson said the company has made some changes to their proposal in response to concerns from local residents. One of them is to move the turbines that were to be located on the north side of Ashby Lake further back, and away from the north side.

“There are a cluster of cottages on the south shore of the lake and this will remove the turbines from their sight lines,” he said. He added that the company is prepared to make changes right through the approval and fine tuning process if they end up winning the bid.

The township has consulted their lawyer after receiving the preliminary offers from both RES and NextEra, the other company that has a project proposal in the township. Cookson said RES is prepared to adapt their offer to respond favourably to the “15 or 20 items raised” by the lawyer.

Reeve Henry Hogg asked if the payments could be made as a lump sum when the project is competed and begins generating power instead of over 20 years.

“Look at Greece today. You never know what the value of Canadian money will be in 20 years,” said Hogg.

Cookson responded that RES is willing to go some distance towards front-loading the payments, and the details will be included in their up-dated offer, which will be in the township's hands by Thursday. The offer will also include an offer of payment during the two-year construction period, earlier than the norm, when payments are not made until the turbines are up and running.

Councilor Tony Fritsch proposed that the township make a counter offer to the RES $2,000 per MW. His proposal was for $3,500 per MW and an additional $3,500 for every linear kilometre of township land that is used for transmission lines, the same counter offer that the township made to NextEra at the beginning of June. He made a motion to that effect, which was supported by a vote of 3-1, with Deputy Mayor Cox voting against it.

NextEra was also on hand at the meeting, in the person of Ben Greenhouse, the project manager. He came to confirm that NextEra has submitted a new offer to the township in response to the counter-offer that the township had made. He said that, like RES, his company has incorporated the concerns of the township's lawyer into their offer.

The NorthPoint 2 project, which NextEra had been proposing to build in both North Frontenac and Addington Highlands, has been altered, however. It is now located entirely in Addington Highlands, and will include up to 100 turbines, with transmission lines running along Hwy. 41 in much the same manner as the RES proposal. The change seems to be a direct result of the North Frontenac Council's decision to declare the township an “unwilling host” for wind projects. Greenhouse said that the increased size of the project reflects, in part, the fact that when the final bid is submitted in September, projects can be smaller than presented at public meetings, but not larger.

“It gives us the greatest number of options,” he said.

He also said, after the meeting, that the offer includes a $3,500 per MW Community Vibrancy Fund. He also said that North Point1, which is located entirely in North Frontenac, will also be proceeding to the bid stage.

RES Canada held their formal public meeting on Thursday, July 2 in Denbigh. NextEra will be holding public meetings on August 6 (North Frontenac) and August 8 (Addington Highlands)

Addington Highlands will make a decision whether to support one, both, or neither proposal at their July meeting in Flinton, which starts at 1:00 on Monday, July 6.

As the first of 11 listed delegations relating to solar projects, Utilia Amaral of SunEdison said her company was not planning to proceed with the Groenewegen and Freeman Road projects at this time. She attributed this decision to the high degree of concern at last week’s community meeting about the connection lines from these projects running through heavily populated areas. She said her company would look at alternate routes, in the hope of submitting these projects at a later date.

Amaral went on to address other concerns, including impacts on property values, visual buffering and noise during installation. In regard to stray voltage, she said SunEdison was prepared to fund an independent engineer appointed by the community, who would establish baseline levels and investigate any concerns about stray voltage that might be identified, “providing resolution if related to the project.” She also described how the company planned to address issues related to environment, endangered species, groundwater/wells monitoring and future decommissioning of the facility.

Councilors Revill and Sutherland asked about buffer plantings, and were told that the Ministry of Environment required that all buffer plantings should reach 90% of capacity growth in five years. Amaral said a landscaping firm would be contracted to provide maintenance of buffer plantings and all on site growth, including grass cutting. Sutherland asked if there was any likelihood of shared use, such as grazing sheep or goats, or bee-friendly plants. Amaral said that plantings to attract honey bees and other pollinators would be a possibility. However although grazing animals are used in some countries, provisions for this are not in place in Ontario.

Of the remaining delegations, seven were speaking in particular reference to the Groenewegen proposal and two to the Freeman one. They questioned the management of other SunEdison projects in the Kingston area, said that all the profits would be going to the US, raised the issues of stray voltage, threats to wildlife, and damage to property values. They asked what benefit the South Frontenac would gain from solar farms. Mayor Vandewal said that Council was still in negotiations with SunEdison as to amounts, but there would be an up-front payment to the township, and “annual contributions.”

One delegate, former Bedford Councillor David Hahn, spoke in support of solar power. He said he had a small solar project on his own property, and was a member of a 150-member green energy cooperative which invests in solar projects. He said the world was shifting to renewable power: that in the past year, more solar and wind projects had been developed than any other power sources, such as nuclear or coal. He also pointed out that solar power had the advantage of being most available at times of peak use, especially in the summer when air conditioners are in use.

CAO Orr said that six or seven letters addressing solar issues had arrived too late to be included in this agenda, so would be brought forward next meeting.

New Solar Proposal for Storrington Area

Jeff Allan and Greg Rossetti came on behalf of Bondfield Construction with a new project proposal, this one south of Battersea, covering a 300-acre site. They emphasized that theirs is a wholly Ontario company, and they already have elicited very positive responses from abutting landowners. They are planning a community meeting soon.

(In order to accommodate the unusually large number of delegations, Council met at 6:00 to deal first with the following items of business.)

Parking Restrictions and a One-way Street for Sydenham?

Public Works Manager Segsworth is scheduling an open house at the municipal hall, Sydenham, on July 28, 7:00-9:00. Residents can view maps of proposed parking changes, and get information about making Cross Street a one-way street.

Hartington Brownfield Cleanup

Segsworth said the cleanup of the corner site in Hartington has been completed for $137,000: this leaves enough remaining in the budget to cover installation of monitoring wells. No mention was made of the (reported by a resident) dispersion of rats into the neighbourhood, when the building was torn down.

New Scales at Portland Waste Site

The scales are on site, and will go into operation July 15: from then on, all waste brought to the Portland waste site will be charged by weight.

Banners will be used to notify residents of the change. “We will have some hiccups: everything associated with solid waste seems to be complicated,” said Segsworth.

Reconfiguration of Intersections

“Historically, one can drive from Hartington to Holleford without stopping,” said Segsworth, “For experienced locals this is no problem, but newcomers don’t always realize one should yield at Vanluven and Trousdale Roads.” He showed maps of these intersections and another in Storrington that he is recommending for reconfiguration as soon as possible.

Appreciation of First Responders

Mayor Vandewal expressed deep thanks on behalf of Council to the fire department’s first responders who were on hand during the recent highway tragedy near Spaffordton.

Council addresses Raymo Road collapse

At an emergency meeting on June 18, members of Central Frontenac Council addressed the issue of the collapse of the Raymo Road, which is off Wagarville Road. It had come to the works department's attention that there had been a partial collapse of one of two structural plate culverts on the road, which resulted in a section being washed out and closed to traffic from 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday June 16 (the time of the collapse), until 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 18.

At that time the road was reopened to a single lane of traffic, with signs advising drivers of a load limit of five tons per axle.

Unbeknownst to council, as they were meeting that afternoon, the second culvert also collapsed, making the road totally impassable to traffic. Currently that section of road can now only safely handle foot traffic and is off limits for vehicles. This has forced residents on Raymo Road who travel north and west on a regular basis to drive directly south, to Piccadilly, and then double back on Road 38 north to Parham and points north and east. A 10-minute drive to Parham now takes about 40 minutes, for example, and to Sharbot Lake upwards of an hour.

While Kyle Labbett and Steve Reynolds of the Public Works department were not aware that the second culvert had collapsed, the premise of their presentation at the emergency meeting was already based on replacing both culverts.

According to an OSIM (Ontario Structure Inspection Manual) bridge inspection report that was completed in 2013, it was recommended that two existing culverts be replaced in 2018 due to section loss at the culvert ends and corrosion within the pipe itself, at an estimated cost of $338,000.

Labbett outlined four options for addressing the problem,

The first option is to replace the culverts “like for like” through an invitation to bid process, with the township purchasing the pipe directly from the manufacturer to speed up the process. This option, which would take 8 weeks to complete, was identified in the report as requiring the least amount of engineering work, but it would lead to costly problems over the medium turn.

The second option was to proceed with an invitation to bid, with the successful contractor purchasing the pipe.

The third option is to proceed with the traditional tendering process with full advertising, which would open up the process to more bidders but time-wise would be lengthiest.

The fourth and final option would be for the township to hire a geo-technical firm to bore holes in the road and vicinity and provide a report that would be sent to an engineering firm to review in order to determine the bearing capacity of the soil and suggest different options for replacement.

Following the report a design/build RFP would be released to contractors who would submit their own ideas for replacement. These could include replacing the existing culverts with similar ones, replacing them with an arch culvert, a Bailey Bridge or a pre-cast box culvert, with other ideas also possible.

Labbett reminded council that all the options would require geo-technical and engineering work, at an estimated cost of $22,000.

The report also outlined the possible ways to pay for these road and bridge repairs. They included delaying other planned work for a year and re-directing the funds to this. This would impact planned road and bridge projects on Burke Settlement and Elm Tree Roads

A second option for payment would be to to take money from reserves to repair Raymo Road.

When Council met again this Tuesday (June 23) Kyle Labbett brought forward a new proposal, to proceed with geo-techncial work but to hire the engineering firm, Greer and Galloway Group, to come up with a design and to prepare an invitation to tender.

Treasurer Michael McGovern was asked what he would recommend in terms of financing the project. He said that until public works knows how to proceed, it would be difficult to say, but he did say that Council could consider pulling some or all of the funds from reserves or possibly taking out a loan.

After hearing from McGovern and Labbett, council passed a motion instructing staff to move ahead with geo-technical work. Mayor Frances Smith added that council will move ahead on this issue as soon as any information becomes available, and that she estimates the costs to be anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000.

Labbett estimated that the reconstruction could take a minimum of three to four months. In the meantime the affected section of Raymo Road will remain closed. All talk of road fixes are cold comfort for Raymo Road residents, who are likely to be facing long detours at least until the end of the summer.

$610,000 grant to EOTA

Mayor Frances Smith announced that the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance received a grant of $610,000, some of which will benefit trails in Central Frontenac.

Lions liquor bottle shed approved at Hinchinbrooke site

Council approved staff's recommendation to allow for a liquor bottle donation and storage shed at the Hinchinbrooke waste site. It will be the third shed set up by the Sharbot Lake and District Lions, who are happy to take empty liquor bottles as donations.

Cardinal Cafe to open July 4

Mayor Frances Smith announced that the owners of the new Cardinal Cafe, located in the old Catholic church on Road 38 in Sharbot Lake, will be holding their official grand opening on Saturday, July 4.

Parham Playground Equipment tender awarded

Council approved staff's recommendations to award the tender of the Parham playground equipment to Playground Planners at a cost of $39,267.

Permanent hockey rink in Sharbot Lake?

In his delegation to council, Dave Willis of the Oso Recreation Committee requested that council support and share the costs of building a permanent ice hockey rink at the Oliver Scott Memorial Park in Sharbot Lake, which is located near the ballfied at the Granite Ridge Education Centre. Willis explained that the committee has acquired the rink boards and glass and he hopes that the township would help to contribute to the pouring of a concrete pad. Willis said that the committee plans to raise most of the costs through fundraising and that the park would be the perfect location for a rink since it offers parking, lights and washroom facilities. “A permanent rink, Willis said, “would offer members of the community, young and old, opportunities to stay fit and have fun throughout the winter season.” Council received the information and approved the request.

Outdoor fitness equipment in Sharbot Lake?

On behalf of the Oso Recreation Committee, Joan and Rudy Holywood made a presentation to council requesting their approval of the installation of outdoor fitness equipment on township property located on the east side of the K&P trail between the beach and the government dock. Presently the committee has earmarked $1500 to initially purchase three pieces of equipment and are hoping to purchase six more pieces at a total cost of $30,000. They hope to have the equipment installed as part of the Multi-Use Cutural Centre Commitee's Enhanced Trail Project. Council accepted the presentation for information and approved the request. They advised the presenters to attend the next meeting of the MUCC.   

There are people who know why former CAO/Public Works Manager Jim Zimmerman is no longer working for Central Frontenac Township, but they aren't in a mood to share the information, certainly not with the press.

There was little warning before he was let go. In fact there was no public notice before what appears to have been a hastily called meeting of Central Frontenac Council on Tuesday, June 16 at 5 pm.

In the minutes to that meeting, which were released this week, it only says that as soon as the meeting started, Council moved into an in-camera session to discuss “personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.”

In addition to all nine members of Council, Township Clerk Cathy MacMunn, and Jim Zimmerman attended the meeting.

When the in-camera session ended, the following motion was passed in open session: “that the employment contract between Jim Zimmerman and Central Frontenac Township be terminated immediately; effective June 16, 2015, all agreed conditions of the contract will be fulfilled.”

It is not known if Zimmerman was still at the meeting when the motion was approved, or if he left earlier.

A further motion was approved directing staff to prepare an ad for a public works manager “immediately”. The meeting ended after two hours, at 7 pm.

On Thursday, June 18, the township put out a press release that said essentially the same thing as the motion, but added, “Mayor and Council wish him all the best in his future business endeavours".

In the short term at least, the township is not seeking a new chief administrative officer (CAO) and Mayor Smith indicated that it is not necessary for the township to have a CAO in place.

The clerk, Cathy MacMunn will handle corporate matters and all of the managers, including Public Works, Treasury, Chief Building Officer, and IT can take their marching orders directly from Council. This is the structure that Addington Highlands Council, for example, has used ever since the township was founded in 1998.

Aside from these skeletal facts, no one is talking about the reason for what appears to have been an unceremonious dumping of Jim Zimmerman just three months after he was hired to fill two critical vacancies, at the CAO and public works manager's positions.

No one on council or staff has commented on the dismissal, with the mayor saying only, “Read the press release; that's all I have to say about it.”

Attempts to contact Jim Zimmerman by phone have been unsuccessful.

Jim Zimmerman was Central Frontenac's ninth appointee as chief administrative officer, on a permanent or temporary basis, over a nine-year time span. One of those, John Duchene, served on three separate occasions. Prior to Zimmerman, Mike Richardson had served as public works manager for five years until he retired in the summer of 2014. Kyle Labbett (waste management supervisor) and Steve Reynolds (public works supervisor) filled in between August of 2014 and late March of 2015, and they are doing so again now until a new person is hired.

Taxes to remain stable, on an upward curve

Frontenac County ratepayers will not see large increases in the county portion of their tax bill in coming years. However, as long as the Consumer Price Index goes up, so will taxes, but at a little higher rate.

Frontenac County Council approved a budget policy that sets as a target the annualized Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Ontario from August of each year, and adds an extra 0.65% per year for the next 10 years to pay towards a capital sustainability reserve. That reserve fund is in place to cover for ageing infrastructure, such as the county office complex in Glenburnie.

While the budget process will require that each department demonstrate that it requires the extra money to maintain the level of service they offered in the previous year, the over-riding assumption of the process is that the increase will be necessary. If the budget deviates from the target in one department, the needs of other departments will be looked at, followed by the replenishing of various reserve funds that may have been depleted over time. Only once all of those factors are considered would the possibility of setting a lower tax rate be put forward.

Similarly, if the needs of the departments exceed the target, reserve funds will be used as much as possible to keep the county from levying an increase above the target.

“In general it is preferable to plan for stable increases in county taxation, rather than a roller coaster ride where the levy can swing up and down,” said Chief Administrative Officer Kelly Pender. “That way the lower-tier councils and, ultimately, the ratepayers, can make their own financial plans without fear of surprises coming from the county.”

The 0.65% added levy was adopted by County Council last year after completing an asset management plan, as called for by the provincial government, in an effort to avoid large costs over the long term. The county has less infrastructure than most, if not all other counties in Ontario, because with municipal amalgamation the county roads system was divested to the local municipalities. The only water treatment plant in Frontenac County is in Sydenham and it is owned and managed by South Frontenac Township.

Frontenac County ratepayers pay the county rate in addition to the rates set by their own municipality and the rate set by the Ministry of Education for school taxes. The county rate is applied equally to each property owner based on the assessed value of their property as determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).

County supports maintaining Land Information Ontario:

People who visit Frontenac County maps at frontenacmaps.ca will notice that, when zooming in to near ground level, some of features from the past tend to linger on the mapping. That is because, until recently, the digital imagery that is the base layer of Frontenacmaps.ca was from 2008. That all changed earlier this year when new imagery, produced in 2014, replaced the 2008 imagery.

That six-year cycle of new imagery is a produced by Land Information Ontario, a division of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and sold to municipalities. Because of the economy of scale offered by a service that is province-wide in scope, smaller, rural municipalities such as Frontenac County pay less for imagery than they would otherwise, according to a report to Frontenac County Council by David Millard, the county’s manager of Information Systems.

“In 2014, the County acquired 5,727 sq. km. of imagery through DRAPE (Digital Raster Acquisition Project - East), at a cost of $17,473,” Millard wrote in his report.

The report recommended that the County send a letter to the province to urge them to renew the mandate for Land Information Ontario beyond 2017.

The imagery is of use to planning and building departments on a township level, and helps with bylaw enforcement as well.

The County is going to send the letter urging the province to keep Land Information Ontario in place.

Addington Highlands accepts offer from BEARAT to run survey

Addington Highlands Council has unanimously agreed to receive information gleaned from an online survey of residents to be conducted by a group that opposes wind power production in the township, with the reeve saying the results will “be one piece of information we will consider” when deciding whether to endorse wind projects in the township.

Bon Echo Area Residents Against Wind Turbines (BEARAT) will conduct the survey through Survey Monkey, a free service widely used to gather information from the public. Participants will be required to enter their Addington Highlands tax roll number in order to participate, and only one vote per tax number will be permitted.

Addington Highlands residents can access the survey from the township’s website, addingstonhighlands.ca; or from BEARAT.org

The group’s co-chair, Bob Haynes, is the president of the Buckshot Lake Cottagers Association, whose own survey of association members was identified by North Frontenac Council as one of the reasons that they decided to declare itself an “unwilling host” for wind projects last week.

It was standing room only at the Denbigh Hall on Monday night when the proposal by BEARAT was considered by Council, and there were some protestors outside the building as well, waving signs and wearing “No Wind Turbines” buttons. The same image can be seen on some houses and businesses on Hwy. 41 near Denbigh.

In addition to the predominantly anti-wind crowd, representatives from NextEra, the company whose North Point 1 and 2 proposals in North Frontenac and Addington Highlands have sparked all the opposition, were on hand.

Before the decision regarding the survey monkey proposal was made, Stephen Cookson from another company, RES Canada, presented details from his company’s proposal for a wind project. It is to be located entirely in Addington Highlands, mostly on Crown Land north of Denbigh, with a transmission corridor that runs along road 41 and then tracks south and west. It will linki with a Hydro transmission corridor to the west of Flinton at the township’s border with the Municipality of Tweed.

Cookson said that details about the RES project, including maps and other information, will be posted this week at the website Denbighwind.com. The company is sponsoring a public community meeting on July 2, from 6-9 pm, at the Denbigh Hall.

Cookson said his company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of RES-America, is dedicated to ensuring minimal impact on landowners within the vicinity of its projects. He also said that while they are planning to construct “most or all” of their turbines and transmission lines on Crown Land, they have approached a number of property owners seeking easements, mostly for “transmission or road corridors but also as potential locations for a small number of turbines.

The RES proposal includes 57 turbines, and is slated to produce up to 170 MW of power.

In their submission regarding a Community Enhancement Fund, RES has upped the ante from the proposal made by NextEra. They are offering $2,000 per MW per year as well as a scholarship fund and extra money during the construction phase. For the purposes of the fund, Cookson used an estimate of 150 MW for the project, which would yield $300,000 per year for the township.

Cookson said that if the township is able to provide “support in principle” for the project at their meeting in early July, RES would be willing to negotiate the final terms of the compensation agreement over the summer, as long as a vote on final approval could be taken before September, when the project bid must be submitted to the Independent Electircal Service Operator (IESO)

Later this fall, the IESO will be approving 300 MW of renewable power production from one or more of the projects that will be submitted to them from across Ontario.

Council decided it was best to conduct negotiations with RES regarding compensation before they meet on July 6, and will hold a special council meeting on June 29 at 9 am in Denbigh.

Concerns over potential impact of wind on Elks

Reg Genge, a seasonal resident on Ashby Lake and former Ministry of the Environment employee who studied water quality in lakes, has been involved in the fundraising arm of a group that is dedicated to the reintroduction of the Rocky Mountain Elk in Eastern Ontario. He said that he has heard that wind turbines can have an impact on the population of undulates, the general category of mammals that includes Deer, moose, and elk.

“By my calculation these projects will involve the clearing of a total of 540 acres of land, which end up being turned essentially into gravel and concrete. Would the township support clear cutting 540 acres and turning it into a parking lot? I don't think so,” he said. “At the very least the elk habitat will be diminished.”

(See note on ungulates)

Staff report on wind turbines

In response to a request made by Council at their meeting on June 1, Patricia Gray presented the results of research she has done into the impact of wind projects on property values, and into the perspective of Ontario municipalities where NextEra and RES-Canada have established or are developing wind projects.

As to the impact on property values, Gray presented a study that was conducted by MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation), which evaluates all properties in Ontario for the use of municipal tax departments.

The MPAC study concludes, “There is no significant impact on sale prices in these market areas resulting from proximity to an IWT [Industrial Wind Turbine], when analyzing sale prices.”

In the detail of the report, however, there is an indication that sales of rural properties within one kilometre of an IWT were impacted. They sold for about 2.5% lower than their assessed value, which fits within the MPAC parameters for accurate assessment, but is a lower figure than those within 2 kilometres, 5 kilometres, or more than 5 kilometres, which tended to sell for 1 or 2% above their assessed value. Of those properties within 1 km, having a full view of the IWT tended to lower the sale price as compared to those having a partial view or no view at all.

None of these impacts have affected the way MPAC does business however.

In a letter to the township, Michel Contant from MPAC said, “So far we have not seen any decrease in assessment due to wind turbines. In fact, we have defended that in court as well. That is not to say that down the road we could see an adjustment ... I can just state that currently we do not make any assessed value adjustments if you are living near a wind turbine.”

Patricia Gray reported that of the nine municipalities she approached regarding NextEra and the three she has approached regarding RES-Canada, she has received four preliminary responses from staff, three over the phone and one via email. All of the four responses have been related to NextEra projects. Of those, two were wholly favourable, one was favourable with some reservations, and one was negative.

The negative response, from Grey West Township, was delivered by a staff member who said the NextEra project in their municipality was completed when there was no municipal input into the decision to approve the project. The municipality spent $100,000 fighting the project in court, but lost. NextEra had initially offered a community vibrancy agreement, but the offer was pulled after the legal proceedings were initiated. The township has been able to obtain some more money from NextEra for security but remains reluctant to deal with the company, An attempt by NextEra to sponsor local projects has been rebuffed by Council “because they do not want NexEra's name on a rink or soccer field because there was so much controversy.”

Another municipality said the relationship with NextEra was difficult at the start because the company did not bring forward enough information, but that things have improved and they are working well together now. Two others said they would not be reluctant to enter into any future enterprises with NextEra.

Finally, Gray reported that in terms of construction permitting, turbines are valued at about $950,000 each, meaning the fees would be approximately $7,000 per turbine.

When Councilor Cox asked if the township’s permit fee holiday for commercial construction would apply, Reeve Hogg quickly responded, “This is industrial, the holiday does not apply.”

In terms of scale, a 50-turbine project would be a $47.5 million project. The average value of construction in Addington Highlands between 2011 and 2013 was $6 million.

Although the turbines may cost almost $1 million to build, the MPAC report said they are assessed at $40,000 per megawatt. If that is the case, a 150 MW project would generate $6 million in assessment, netting the township about $36,000 per year in additional tax revenue.

Ungulates and turbines

Scientific studies that have been published in recent years about the effect of wind turbines on ungulates (moose, deer and elk) have not shown any significant impact on behaviour, health or migratory patterns.

A study published in the American Midland Naturalist in 2006 concluded - “Although disturbance and loss of some grassland habitat was apparent, elk were not adversely affected by wind-power development as determined by home range and dietary quality.”

A controlled study was conducted using reindeer in an enclosed area with wind turbines in Sweden. It concluded that “The reindeer showed no systematic differences in the measured behaviour patterns ... that could indicate fright or stress as a consequence of the wind turbine or rotor movement.”

A study published in Ecology Letter analyzing the literature on the impact of wind turbines on wildlife concluded “Ungulates in these studies have shown no behavioural responses to wind energy.”

One article, however, published in 2013 in the journal Applied Energy said that not enough study has been done into the potential impacts of industrial wind turbines on terrestrial animals to draw any conclusions - “We conclude that more empirical data are currently needed to fully assess the impact of utility-scale wind energy development and operation on non-volant [flightless] wildlife.”

There are a number of large studies into the acknowledged impacts of turbines on bat and bird populations, including some that consider possible means of limiting mortality rates.

Council Disagrees with Planner on Rezoning

Township Planner Lindsay Mills brought a recommendation to Council that they approve a rezoning application which would enlarge an existing urban industrial lot on the southern edge of Harrowsmith. He stated that this zoning was within the intent of the Official Plan, and that a site plan could include “extensive extensive buffers and mitigating measures.”

Two adjacent landowners objected, saying that this is primarily a residential area and any expansion of the present industrial uses could make the area much less pleasant for residents, both current and future. Deputy Mayor McDougall and Councillor Sutherland both spoke strongly against the rezoning, agreeing that this is a residential area and the change of zone would permit too wide a range of options other than the current storage facility.

The motion to rezone was soundly defeated, with only Councillor Barr in favour.

Penalty ended for non-users of Sydenham Water

Speaking to his motion to remove the penalty (‘incentive’) fee for non-users of Sydenham water, Councillor Sutherland compared the additional fee to penalizing taxpayers for not driving on the roads or using the library. He said that if the Township could be held accountable for providing a supply of clean drinking water to all village residents, then perhaps they should require regular testing of the household water source of all those not using municipal water. Sutherland added that according to his calculations, even if all village residences and businesses were using the water system, the Sydenham water plant would still be operating far below capacity. He suggested that perhaps Council needed to look at ways of operating the plant more efficiently.

The motion passed, supported by Revill, Roberts, Schjerning, Sutherland and Sleeth.

Earlier community engagement possible

Councillor Sutherland brought a notice of motion that Council ask the Corporate Services Committee to look into the possibility of informing and engaging the public earlier in the process when subdivision and condominium developments first come to Committee of the Whole.

A Level Playing Field by 2016

Council authorized the Township to enter into an agreement with the Limestone Board, to cooperate in the upgrading and future use of the football field at the Point. The School Board will use their project management skills in working with Morven Construction to rehabilitate the field. Morven’s bid, lowest of five, is $296,000. The Township will lead in the ongoing management of the playing field. Both parties will share costs equally, with the Board carrying the costs until next year, to allow the Township time to budget an additional $98,000 to add to the $50,000 in this year’s budget. Once construction begins, the field will be closed until September 2016.

Rideau Lakes Cycle Rally concerns

Council agreed to send a letter to the Ottawa Bicycle Club asking that participants in any future rally down the Perth/Westport Road be reminded of their obligation to yield, stop and obey emergency responders.

Approved names for new public roads and lanes

The list can be located under section 11c (By-law 2015-310) of this week’s agenda. Council was assured that if landowners wanted a name other than one of the ones listed, they still would have the option to request it. This pre-approved list is intended to streamline the usual naming process.

FIT Solar projects

Council withheld support of only one of the 25 solar projects which are being proposed for installation in South Frontenac. They are waiting for a reply concerning the access route to one project, at 2496 Rutledge Road.

Coming soon to a road near you…

With agreement from the OPP, Council approved speed reductions on 20 segments of Township Roads: watch for the new signs!

History of Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes documented In new book

Brenda Martin presented a recently completed book on the history of Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes. What had started out as a calendar quickly blossomed into a thick book full of photos and stories about the lake's past which is now available for purchase. She brought copies of the book on DVD to donate to the Ompah and Clarendon-Miller libraries.

Martin also spoke about a need for space to store the archives that have been collected throughout the process.

The book, 'History of the Lakes: Malcolm and Ardoch' is available to purchase for $20 on a DVD or for $125 in print, which is the actual cost of printing, via the Malcolm and Ardoch Lake Association Work Team.

Support for Studio Tour

Betty Hunter, an artist from North Frontenac, made a presentation to council informing them of the work she and her peers do to promote the artwork of local artisans, and asked for their support.

With the help of local artists, Hunter is organizing this year's North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour, which will take place September 26 & 27. The North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour was created in 2014 by Jim Craig and friends. In its first year, the tour had 15 artists displaying their artwork, in their own studios, spread out across North Frontenac. Some of these studios reported over 200 visitors. 17 artists have signed up to display work on this year's tour and that number could grow. Hunter was hopeful that the audience for the tour will continue to expand.

“It brings people into the area. We want a lot more people to know about it this year,” Hunter said.

Hunter asked council for $750 to help create and publish 5000 brochures for the studio tour as well as to update their website. In addition, she hoped to secure funding at the county level to subsidize making signs for the tour. Council agreed to the grant request.

Proposed 5-Acre Solar Farm For Clarendon

Abundant Solar Energy Inc., an Ontario company headquartered in Toronto, has asked council to sign a letter of support for Abundant's bid to build a 500kW array of solar panels on 5 acres of land on Gutheinz Road, near the Mississippi River in Clarendon. This letter of support would help make their bid more competitive to the Independent Electricity System Operator (ISEO), the governing body who awards the contract for which they are applying.

Council deferred signing the letter until they gather more information about the project and the possible damage to roads when accessing the site during construction and maintenance.

One Person's Trash...

Local resident Mavis Wade wrote to council suggesting they look to McDonalds Corners and its “re-use” centre as a solution in diverting waste from the landfills.

Council discussed the possibility of creating a volunteer-run recycling or reuse centre in North Frontenac, similar to the one in McDonalds Corners, where residents could leave items that are still functional or useful but no longer wanted. The idea is that someone else might find a use for the item and thus prevent it from going into the landfill. The successful McDonald's Corners facility was started by volunteers but now receives some financial support from their municipality.

Council is hoping to develop a more thorough proposal with Wade and the Public Works Department to discuss its viability at a future meeting.

Dock Talk

In a discussion concerning a request from the Malcolm Ardoch Lake Association (MALA), the entire category of docks sidelined Council.

“There have been so many different directions out there. The point is we need a policy we can follow. Consistency,” Corey Klatt, the Manager of Community Development, explained. “It's frustrating for us... we don't have consistent directions.”

MALA wants to to build a small platform, at their own expense, at the Malcolm Lake boat launch Council decided to approve this dock and will draft a new public boat launch by-law.  

Mountain Grove resident petitions council for permission to keep pigs

In a delegation to council, Amy-Lynn Hole brought council's attention to a complaint lodged by a resident against the smell from pigs she is raising in a barn that is located at 1026 Mountain Grove Road. The complaint has led to an investigation by by-law officer Ken Gilpin.

Hole’s presentation included a description of the barn where the pigs are fed, watered and cleaned daily and she explained how their waste is shipped outside of the hamlet. She stated that when the by-law officer arrived to investigate, he said he did not smell anything odious. Though she did not mention how many pigs are being housed in the barn, she did say that the pigs do not run free and that she believes she and her family should be able to keep them. She referred to a council decision earlier this year allowing miniature horses and goats to be kept at a residence that is also located in a hamlet. As a member of a low-income family, she cited her difficulties paying for food, medicine, and hydro for a family of five, which includes her father, who is in the throes of stage four brain, lung and spinal cord cancer. She said the meat from the pigs goes a long way in helping her to feed her family. Hole also presented a petition with 51 signatures supporting her request to be able to keep the pigs.

In a discussion following the presentation, CAO Jim Zimmerman said that he is waiting for legal advice regarding the matter and he advised council to defer making a decision until that advice has been received. Council agreed.

Gravel and road construction tenders

Council approved Jim Zimmerman's recommendation to accept bids from Crains' Construction to supply and place gravel on 12 township roads for $200,300, and to complete the rehabilitation of Frontenac and Mill Roads for $331,546. Both bids are under the amounts budgeted for the work involved; the gravel by $45,000 and the road work by $54,000. The total savings of almost $100,000 was called a "good news story" by Zimmerman. The savings will help to allviate the $225,000 in “budget pressure” identified by Treasurer Michael McGovern earlier this spring.

40km speed reduction approved in school zone on Road 38

Council passed a motion to approve the speed limit reduction on Road 38 in Sharbot Lake where the highway extends 150 meters in both directions from the limits of land used by the Granite Ridge Education Centre between the hours of 8 a.m. And 4:30 p.m. on school days.

May 2015 Construction details

Jeremy Nevens' report to council regarding construction values showed that although the May, 2015 numbers decreased to $270,000 from $935,000 at the same time period last year, 2015's year to date numbers are up by more than $750,000 – from $1.28 million last year to just over $2 million this year. Similarly, permit fees overall are up by $12,000 from last year. Permits for a total of six new residential units have been taken out so far this year as compared to just two at this same time in 2014.

Solar (FIT) Projects: Five Delegations

The first delegate, Wolfe Erlichman, represented the Wintergreen Renewable Energy Coop, a five year old program in South Frontenac with over 150 members. He spoke briefly in general support of the development and use of solar power.

Then Bob McKean and Christina MacDonald, residents of Railton Road, close to two of the proposed solar sites near Mervale and Stagecoach Roads, said they were opposed to such an industrial development in what they described as a residential and farming area. They pointed out that the Township would get no income from a solar project, whereas the same land, turned into residential development, could be a continuing source of income. They feared a solar project would lower existing property values and stagnate growth. They asked a number of questions about ongoing maintenance and possible adverse effects of a solar project.

The next three presentations were from representatives of projects being proposed in the Township by SunEdison, Sol Force and Compass Renewable Energy Consulting Inc. The latter speaker, Dave Fowler, represented the Limestone District School Board which hopes to install rooftop panels on Perth Road Public School, Harrowsmith Public School and Sydenham High. All three spoke in general terms of their projects and showed location maps.

Part of the project development process as outlined by the Province requires the developer to hold a public meeting to provide information and answer questions. SunEdison’s meeting will be at Harrowsmith Public School Wed June 17, from 7-9 pm. Although CAO Orr will attend, none of the members of Council are required to go. The other two developers have not scheduled their meetings yet.

New Design Criteria and Standards for Development

Planner Lindsay Mills presented a 33-page document establishing minimum technical standards and the process to help guide large developments in The Township. It addresses technical requirements for infrastructure such as roads, storm sewer systems, etc for plans of subdivision or condominiums, and lists the technical studies or reports that may be necessary to support proposed development. A one-page flowchart illustrates the general process for approval of such applications.

Councillors McDougall and Sutherland both said the public should be informed as early in the process as possible: Mills said one problem was that developers wanted to have all necessary hydrogeological etc studies completed before a public meeting, so they would be better able to answer individuals’ concerns. McDougall said that when residents see surveying being done, test wells being drilled, etc, they become anxious long before an application even comes to Council. He added that poor communication between County and Township sometimes meant residents were better informed than Council about pending development projects. He also said people needed to know approximate timelines and costs for various stages of the development process.

Councillors Schjerning and Sutherland both asked that any new initiatives or additions to existing policies should be highlighted before the document comes to Council for final approval.

Revill said that from his experience as a township building official, this document should contribute to greater openness and transparency between public and council. He acknowledged the amount of work the planning department has put into developing the document.

Sydenham Water

Treasurer Fragnito presented an information report which showed, as Mayor Vandewal pointed out, that the penalty/incentive charges recently levied against non-users have succeeded in bringing 34 more water users online.

The report refers to the new water rates put into effect this month, the first increase since the plant opened. This increase is intended to help fund the upkeep and eventual replacement of the water plant, thus meeting the Provincial requirements for townships to demonstrate the long-term sustainability of their water plants. Further details are available in the agenda notes on the Township website.

Cycling

Deputy Mayor McDougall congratulated Councillor Sutherland on the success of Saturday’s bike rodeo and tours. Sutherland in turn thanked the Public Works staff and OPP for their help in making the event go smoothly and safely.

On another note, Sutherland said there was a lot of local concern about the recent Ottawa - Kingston cycle event, which had made the Perth Road dangerous for both bikes and cars as a result of cyclists riding several abreast. He and several others have talked to the Ottawa organizers about ways of ensuring future rides are better managed.