Detachment commander explains operational changes – not costs

“There isn't much that I can do about the cost of policing, except come here and be a messenger,” said Inspector Patrick Finnegan, the Detachment Commander of the Napanee Detachment (with responsibility for the Kaladar satellite detachment) to Addington Highlands Council at a meeting on Tuesday, April 7.

“I guess that's why you carry ...” said Councilor Bill Cox.

“Right, that's why I carry a gun,” said Finnegan.

Staff Sergeant Greg MacLellan accompanied Finnegan to the meeting, which came about in response to a letter from Reeve Hogg that raised issues about the status of the Kaladar detachment.

Finnegan confirmed that the administrative position at Kaladar has been transferred to Napanee, and that there is no longer a sergeant (community officer) assigned to Kaladar.

He explained both decisions.

In the case of the administrative/clerk position, he said that although it was good public relations to have the office open to the public, there were fewer than 10 visits from the public per week, and the most sought after service, criminal record checks, is about to be outsourced to a private company and will no longer be handled by the OPP.

As well, as the result of some high profile events last year, particularly the attacks on Parliament Hill, the OPP has instituted new policies about security at police detachment offices.

“The buildings are to be closed to the public unless there is an armed officer in attendance,” said Finnegan, “so if a clerk was housed in Kaladar they would not be able to serve the public 80% of the time, while officers are out in the field.”

The advantages of moving the position to the Napanee headquarters to join with other administrative staff are numerous in terms of efficiency, Finnegan added.

So when the long-serving staff member at Kaladar retired, the position was moved.

“Until the background check system changes, we are working with the township to see if at least the intake can be done here at the township office,” he added.

As far as a sergeant being assigned to head the Kaladar detachment, Finnegan said it was a good idea in principle, but never worked that well in practice. By utilising the sergeants under his command throughout the range of the Napanee detachment, which Finnegan said will likely have a name change to the L&A Detachment in the near future, he said he would be able to have two sergeants working at all times, which would improve supervision across the entire detachment. In the end this will bring benefits to Addington Highlands.

“We will be able to send a sergeant to Addington Highlands to oversee our efforts in serious cases, such as a sudden death or a domestic assault, no matter when the call comes in,” he said.

New technology that is coming in, including GPS technology which will track the location of OPP vehicles at all times, is intended to bring in a “service that is not confined by any boundaries” he said. “The closest office to a call will be sent to that call.”

The Kaladar detachment will continue to be staffed by officers who will report to Kaladar at the beginning of their shift, as always.

“Policing a large, sparsely populated area is different from policing a smaller, densely populated area, and we are working on doing both well. If there are issues that come up, I encourage the reeve and council to contact me immediately so I can address them,” he concluded.

URCA Housing

Linda Hume, the long-serving board chair of URCA Housing, a not-for-profit corporation based in Flinton, came to Council this week for two reasons. One was to seek a bit of support from the township, and, as part of a campaign to raise the profile of the organization, the second reason was to make sure the new Council is aware of what URCA does and how it operates.

The first thing that she did was to explain URCA's name.

URCA was formed in the late 1980s to address a need for rent-geared-to-income housing for senior citizens. In order to be eligible for government funding the organisation needed a community-based organization to sponsor a building project.

“The organization in Flinton that sponsored us were the three churches. That is where we got our name ... U for the United Church, RC for Roman Catholic and A for Anglican,” she said.

URCA was also required to build rent-geared-to- income units for families as well as the seniors' units, and that is why they operate eight seniors' apartments and eight family units.

The good news about URCA's operations was delivered by Larry Pick, the part-time property manager who oversees the buildings. Between the rent paid by tenants and the limited operating dollars they receive, URCA has been able to maintain a small operating surplus and has a limited amount of money in reserves for capital needs.

“We have put new roofs on the buildings in recent years and have replaced about half the furnaces,” said Pick.

The less good news, according the Linda Hume, is that the public profile of URCA is low, as is community support, and it is difficult to maintain a board of directors.

“A number of our board members have served for a long time and would like to retire from the board, but if we cannot get new people on the board we may have to make some major decisions,” she said.

To have the URCA properties run by a service manager out of Napanee would make it "harder to maintain the 'curb appeal' and would be more difficult to manage," Hume said.

She asked Council to help URCA generate more interest in the community. She then made two requests. First she asked if Council could pass on information that comes to the township about social and affordable housing, including information about grants. Secondly she asked for the use of the basement of the township hall for the URCA Annual General Meeting in June, rent free.

Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch said that since she is now sitting on the housing committee at the County she would make sure the URCA Board is aware of what is happening on that level. Council also approved the use of the township hall for free for the URCA Annual General Meeting.

Isaacs hits a nerve

Paul Isaacs delivered a submission to Council that was sparked by a meeting with a senior in the township who is facing a particularly difficult time making ends meet, a situation that is made more worse by the fact that the man and his wife are not “in the best of health” in Isaacs' words, and they had to deal with frozen pipes this winter.

“Council has an obligation to provide public presence to address these difficulties, whatever they may be, of its constituents,” Isaacs said.

But it was in the final paragraph of his submission, where he said “Council has no initiatives in place with respect to seniors. Council is showing no interest at all in its most vulnerable constituents” that Isaacs sparked a response from Councilor Tony Fritsch.

“I don't agree with that statement at all,” said Fritsch. “Not only do we make our halls available for seniors programming for free, we support Land O'Lakes Community Services with an annual grant; we support the Family health Team both in Northbrook and in Denbigh. Our fire chief keeps a list of vulnerable people in the township, so we know who to check in with first in case of an emergency. To say we 'show no interest' in vulnerable people is unfair.”

Reeve Hogg said the township's budget is always tight and if taxes were raised it would hit the vulnerable population the most.

“I'm not sure what you expect us to do,” he said to Isaacs.

“It could be a simple as writing a letter,” Isaacs responded.

“Who should we write a letter to?” asked Hogg.

“Ok, here is an example. Statistics Canada does not count food or fuel costs when they calculate inflation, but those are the costs that hit seniors on fixed incomes that only increase by the rate of inflation the most. You could write a letter to Statistics Canada.”

(Editor's note – a search of the Statistics Canada website indicated that food and heating costs, including electricity, propane and fuel, are included in the “basket of goods and services" used to calculate increases in the Consumer Price Index.)

Public meeting tonight re proposed wind project

A public meeting is set for tonight, April 9, at the Community Hall in Denbigh at 6:30 pm, to discuss a proposed wind project. Members of Council will be in attendance to hear public comment, and a representative from the proponent, NextEra Energy, will be on hand as well.

South Frontenac loses long-time volunteer
Deputy Mayor McDougall spoke of Richard Harrison at the beginning of this week's meeting of South Frontenac Council (April 7). Harrison, died recently, “on the job” McDougall said, at Community Caring in Hartington. For many years, Harrison has been an active supporter and organizer at the little community thrift shop in Hartington that through the sale of donated goods, mostly clothing, returns many thousands of dollars to the community every year.
“He will be missed.” said McDougall.
Johnston Point (Continued)
Johnston Point is the name of a condominium proposal which would create several large waterfront housing lots in an area adjacent to some environmentally sensitive wetlands on the eastern arm of Loughborough Lake. Local residents and most members of Council feel there are still too many unanswered questions about the relationship of these proposed properties and the neighbouring wetlands for this proposal to be forwarded to County Council, which is responsible for final approval of the proposal. (The Township has been delegated by the County to gather initial information on the application, and make recommendations to County.) Two motions, one asking for a peer review of the environmental assessment, and the second listing ten questions that the present proposal does not address, were deferred until Planner Lindsay Mills presents his final recommendations
at the next Council meeting. Mills assured Council that this final report will reflect feedback he has received
from community members and Council.
Meanwhile, the developer has appealed his plan of condominium to the OMB, on the grounds that more than 180 days have elapsed without his receiving a decision from the County.
South Frontenac Rides: Council accepted Frontenac Rides
(a group established to encourage participation in cycling) as a Committee of Council: this will provide liability coverage for the group and its activities, and facilitate partnerships with Frontenac County, the OPP, the Fire Service and the Public Health Unit.
Fire hall sub-committee turned down
Council decided not to form a sub-committee of the fire chief and three councillors to make recommendations on possible locations of fire halls. Instead these issues will come to Council as a whole. Council did approve a motion to have staff and the mayor ‘examine suitable locations for a new fire station within 2 km of Perth Road Village” and make recommendations to Council.
New Roads and Lane Standards Policy
Council agreed to replace the Roads and Lanes Standards Policy of 2006 with an updated and clearer version as presented by Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth.
2005 Tandem Truck needs New Engine
Segsworth reported that one of the Tandem Dump trucks has had sand entering the engine through an improperly seated turbocharger intake pipe. This has resulted in damage so extensive that the engine will need to be replaced. Council agreed with his recommendation that they apply the $50,000. that had been budgeted for portable hoists to the purchase of a new engine for the truck, which is in otherwise good condition. The hoists will be deferred to next year.
Hartington Cleanup Proving Costly
Segsworth updated Council on the environmental remediation of the Township-owned property at the corner of Holleford Road and 38. Soil contamination was much more extensive than anticipated when the fuel tanks were removed, and local people say there may be still more abandoned tanks to be discovered. The $50,000 budgeted in 2014 for cleanup has already been exhausted. Council approved an additional $100,000 for demolition, asbestos abatement and soil remediation. Segsworth noted that the cost would have been “substantially higher if we were not permitted to dispose of this material at our own waste disposal sites.

CFDC presents ideas and options to North Frontenac Council

Anne Prichard from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) made a presentation to North Frontenac Council at their meeting on Tuesday, April 7 explaining how the non-profit organization operates and how the services they provide can benefit the residents of North Frontenac.

She also pointed out that both Mayor Ron Higgins and Councilor John Inglis have served on the FCFDC board in the past.

The FCFDC offers many different tools to help the local business owner, from grants and low-interest loans, to workshops and mentoring. Prichard outlined a few of the key focus points of the FCFDC: encouraging local business growth, attracting small scale food and beverage businesses, and expanding the supply of tourism accommodations. She also explained that the organization aims to “stimulate the community and economic development throughout the Frontenacs” and has recently helped attract Back Forty, an artisanal cheese maker, to the area.

Back Forty is currently setting up their operation and will soon be making their award-winning cheeses in North Frontenac.

Mariclaro, a design company that makes high-end bags and fashion accessories out of recycled material in Snow Road, has also benefited from support from the FCFDC.

As of a few months ago, approximately 25% of FCFDC loans went to the tourism and accommodation industry, 23% to the retail industry, 14% to the service industry, and 14% to the food production industry. The food production sector is expected to grow and represent a larger portion in future.

Prichard encouraged the council members to point local business owners, or people looking to start their own businesses in North Frontenac, towards the FCFDC. For more information visit frontenaccfdc.com.

In Case Of Emergency

Lisa Harvey, a field officer from the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management (OFMEM), spoke about the province's emergency management plan and North Frontenac's emergency protocol. She explained the intricacies of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), which states that every municipality and every ministry in Ontario must develop an emergency management program.

She assured the Council that North Frontenac has a “really good emergency management program...and a very good Community Emergency Management Coordinator (Fire Chief Steve Riddell).”

The EMCPA requires that the municipalities have a series of tools in place to assist them in a time of need. These include, among others: forming an emergency program committee; doing a hazard identification and risk assessment (HIRA); creating a report on critical infrastructure; designating an emergency operations centre (EOC); annual training; and public awareness. Certain aspects of the program, like the HIRA and the critical infrastructure report, influence how North Frontenac's emergency services would respond in the case of an actual emergency.

Harvey explained that when there is an emergency and 911 is called, some combination of first responders, be it fire, police, and/or ambulance, are dispatched.

In the case of severe emergencies, the EOC is alerted, and subsequently brings the mayor and other emergency and administrative personnel into the process. At this point, only the mayor can decide whether to declare a state of emergency to the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (POEC), a command centre that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, out of Toronto.

Harvey explained how the EMCPA can help facilitate and expedite decision-making by council and how the EMCPA allows the head of council (Mayor Higgins) to make executive decisions.

Language in the EMCPA defends council decisions, made during an emergency, as being the best they could make based on “the information that the group had at the time” she said.

The EMCPA also gives the municipality the power to circumvent their normal by-laws, as long as they're not in violation of the law. Harvey explained how this might expedite an emergency response. For instance, in a situation where “you don't have time to get three quotes to purchase a piece of equipment that might save a life”.

Mayor Higgins asked Harvey in what situation he should declare an emergency.

“If you're ever asking yourself, 'should we declare?', do it,” Harvey said.

Out with the old; in with the new

Cathy MacMunn, one of the few original Central Frontenac Township employees still working for the township, was seated next to Mayor Frances Smith at the start of a Council meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Although she has been seated next to the mayor on a number of occasions in her role as deputy clerk or interim clerk, it was her first meeting since she was given a promotion to the role of clerk/planning manager.

Meanwhile, at the staff table at the back of the hall, the interim Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the township, Steve Silver, was sitting next to the newest staff member of Central Frontenac Township, CAO/Public Works Manager, Jim Zimmerman.

“Steve has been a great help to us. He came here when we had difficulties and smoothed things over very well. But I must also say that I hope we don't see him working for us again,” said Frances Smith, in reference to the fact that Silver, a retired CAO at the County level, has taken on only short-term contracts for townships in transition from one executive officer to another over the last couple of years.

Next week, in fact, he will take on an interim role at Fairmount Home in place of its ailing administrator, Julie Shillington.

Frances Smith then said, “We welcome Jim Zimmerman, who will be with us for a long time, I hope.”

For his part, Zimmerman said he is looking forward to returning to his own rural roots, since he was raised in a small Eastern Ontario village, Frankford.

“I really look forward to working with all of you,” he said.

Remuneration report for 2014

As required, the township released a report detailing how much Central Frontenac politicians were paid in 2014. Former Mayor Janet Gutowski received the most money, $11,264 for 11 months as mayor, and Frances Smith received $9292 for 11 months as councilor and one month as mayor. Former deputy mayor, Jeff Matson, received $8,425 for 11 months on the job, while returning council member Tom Dewey received $8398 over 12 months. Outgoing councilors Guntensperger, Millar, Purdon and Fox received $7,885 over 11 months, and Philip Smith, who was appointed to Council during the year and was then re-elected, received $5,439. Newly elected councilors Cindy Kelsey, Victor Heese, Jamie Riddell, Bill MacDonald, Sherry Whan, and Brent Cameron all received $483 for the month of December.

Co-operation with North Frontenac

Frances Smith reported that a joint meeting with North Frontenac Council, which was held last week, was a success, and led to an arrangement regarding the building departments, which may lead to a combining of the two departments if it is a success. North Frontenac will be hiring a building inspector, and the two townships will make joint use of that person in addition to Central Frontenac Chief Building Official Jeremy Neven.

“We'll see how this works for a year, and then decide whether to move further, said outgoing CAO Steve Silver of the arrangement.

60 zone on Road 38

A proposal by Councilor Brent Cameron to slow the maximum speed to 60 km/hr on a stretch of Road 38 that runs from the municipal garage at Godfrey to the junction with White Lake Road because of a sharp bend in the road was referred to staff for comment and will come back to Council after that.

No payment for damage caused by heaving culvert

A Mr. Hamilton, who lives near Arden, asked the township to reimburse a $500 repair bill for damage done to the bottom of his car when he passed over a culvert that had heaved through the surface on his road.

A staff report acknowledged that the road had heaved, and said it is a common issue on that particular road in the spring time. The report recommended not paying the $500 repair because, it said, Mr. Hamilton has lived in that location for 10 years and should know that the road heaves.

“I would hate for us to do this,” said Councilor Bill MacDonald. “People would come out of the woodwork looking for money if we did.”

The idea of sharing services between North and Central Frontenac moved from theory to practice pretty quickly when the two councils met together last week.

At a first joint session of the councils in North Frontenac last week, the fact that North Frontenac is without a chief building officer was raised as a potential area of co-operation.

George Gorrie, the former chief building officer for North Frontenac, ceased to be a township employee after an in camera session at the February 20 meeting of North Frontenac Council.

“I can only say that he is no longer an employee of the township, nothing more,” said Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson when asked whether Gorrie had left voluntarily or been forced out.

As a result of the meeting on March 19, it was decided that the Central Frontenac Chief Building Official (CBO), Jeremy Nevens, would oversee operations in both townships. Instead of hiring a CBO, the two townships are getting together to hire a building inspector to report to Nevens.

“Each Council approved an individual resolution, approving in principle a Joint Services Agreement to the building departments of Central and North Frontenac Townships (i.e. one chief building official and one building inspector)” said a joint press release that came out on Monday, March 24.

The mayors of the two townships were also quoted in the press release about the potential for co-operation and general feeling of good-will between the two townships.

“This meeting is a great opportunity to look at reducing costs and promoting working together for the better good of service delivery, satisfaction of our residents and good fiscal responsibility,” said North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins

“I totally agree with Mayor Higgins. This is our first brainstorming session, looking at partnerships for our communities and there are no hidden agendas,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith.

“Both councils feel that the townships cannot accomplish all that needs to be done without working together and agreed to meet again in May,” the release concluded.

The combining of building departments between the two townships comes on the heels of an agreement to sign a three-township contract (North, Central and South Frontenac) for environmental monitoring of waste sites in all three townships (see Frontenac County report).

Uneventful County meeting

Frontenac County Council's March meeting provided an opportunity for updates on previously approved initiatives as well as appointments to various committees, but did not feature any new initiatives in the lull following the approval of the County budget in March.

Mark Segsworth, the Public Works Manager (PWM) for South Frontenac, appeared on behalf of the managers from the other townships to talk about the successful joint tendering they have done for waste management environmental monitoring services in South, Central and North Frontenac. A contract has been approved by all three townships with Cambium Engineering out of Peterborough for a total of $565,828 for three years. The savings are significant over what the townships have been paying for those services.

“In South Frontenac's case we have been paying about $200,000 per year, and we will be paying $75,000 per year, a savings of $125,000,” said Segsworth.

He also reiterated that the collaboration between himself, Jim Phillips from North Frontenac, and former PWM Mike Richardson from Central Frontenac has been more than cordial over the last three years.

“We also help the local economy. We meet in a different township each time and have lunch in one of the restaurants,” he said.

Warden Dennis Doyle asked Segsworth about recycling rates in all the townships, pointing out that some municipalities in southern Ontario are reporting 80% recycling rates, much higher than the rate in Frontenac County.

“If there was a standard way of measuring recycling rates I would comment on that,” Segsworth said.

County to spend $27,067 on right of way for K&P Trail

A proposal was accepted to offer $15,000 ($9,000 for the purchase and $6,000 for his legal fees) to Bob Leonard of Hartington to purchase the land where the K&P trail passes over his farmland. The county has already accumulated over $12,000 in legal fees over the matter, bringing the cost to $27,067.

The matter has been the subject of an expropriation process. Council approved the offer, which will end the expropriation process if accepted by Mr. Leonard.

“How high a cost per acre is this?” one of the council members asked Anne Marie Young, the county staffer responsible for developing the trail.

“High” she said.

Planning fees approved

A bylaw setting out a fee structure for planning services offered to the Frontenac townships was approved. When the structure was introduced earlier as a proposal in a committee meeting, it was opposed by the representatives from South Frontenac, the only township that does not use county planning services.

Before the vote, South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal asked whether the bylaw could be deferred, as the matter of fees is being considered by the township and county chief administrative officers at one of their meetings this year.

“When we hear back from them we will consider that for the 2016 budget year,” said Warden Doyle, “this is for 2015 and has already been budgeted for.”

The bylaw was approved without further comment.

It really is further when you drive north

The April Frontenac County Council/Committee of the Whole meeting will be held in North Frontenac on the 15th of the month. Instead of at 9 a.m., Council will meet at 10 a.m. because of the distance that council members and staff from the south end of the township will need to travel, which is apparently an hour longer than it takes for those from the north to travel to the south.

(To be fair, there are ferry rides involved for those travelling from Frontenac Islands)

Fire hall discussions

Fire Chief Rick Chesebrough asked Council to “clarify their expectations for a master fire plan, before issuing an RFP for the new Perth Road Fire Hall.”

He reviewed the 2008 and 2013 fire studies, concluding with a projection of recommended upgrades to the Township Fire Halls. Councillors had questions about the need for double-length drive-through bays, and pointed out that the style of building chosen for Perth Road will set the standard for all future firehall upgrades.

Mark Schjerning asked whether an ad hoc sub-committee should be created to make final recommendations on building design. Alan Revill then suggested that members of Council might wish to visit recently constructed firehalls in neighbouring municipalities. There seemed some agreement that it was necessary to move forward as soon as possible.

Solar power presentation

Representatives from Invenergy Canada presented Council with a brief outline of their interest in developing solar farms in South Frontenac. South Frontenac’s lack of good agricultural land has made it attractive to companies hoping to win pending government support for large (ie, 100 acre) solar projects. All proposals have to be submitted by the first of September, and two requirements for a successful bid are land with low agricultural potential, and municipal approval. This is the second company in the past month to show interest in this area.

Sydenham Water annual report

Kevin Riley of Utilities Kingston presented his annual report on the Sydenham Water Plant. He said there had been no irregularities in the functioning of the plant over the past year, and reminded Councillors of their responsibility to become familiar with the plant processes, and remain informed of its operations.

South Frontenac Rides

“Cycling is the new golf,” said Scott Gordon, an enthusiastic supporter of the newly-formed SF Rides, a group of cyclists who plan to promote cycling in this area as a sport for residents and a tourist attraction. Gordon credits Councillor Sutherland with getting the group started. One of their first projects is to organize a children's bike rodeo in Sydenham on June 7th, the beginning of national Bike week.

Public Works reports

Mark Segsworth presented a chart with details on all partially maintained Township roads. He said a lot of the difference in present treatment of these roads had developed historically, often with no more than a handshake agreement. He also said that it was no longer the case that a private road could become a Township road merely because the Township had done some repair or maintenance on it: “after 2001, a private road can only be assumed by the Township through a by-law.”

Solid waste contract renewals

The current waste collection contracts expire at the end of August. Segsworth said that the new weigh scales at the Portland waste site should be running in a couple of months. He recommended extending the current contracts for another year, so the next contracts could be based on actual tonnage of waste, rather than the number of households. “I feel we have been getting excellent service from our current contractors; things have been working well,” said Segsworth. He will bring his recommendations to Council on April 7, along with comments and concerns from the current contractors. CAO Orr said it would be acceptable to renew a contract for one year with a ‘contractor of record’.

Road classifications and minimum maintenance standards

Segsworth said roads are classified 1 to 6 based on traffic volume and speed limits. South Frontenac has no class one roads , and currently only one class two: Road 38. The majority of Township roads are class 5 or 6. Figures show the Township considerably exceeds the minimum requirements for snow clearance.

Further discussion of road classification was postponed as the meeting had already been a long one, and no one seemed inclined to go beyond ten o’clock.

Addington Highlands to go slow on wind project

At their Denbigh meeting on March 16, Addington Highlands Council passed two motions in response to a request for municipal support from NextEra Energy for a 200 MW wind project in the Denbigh area (District 1).

The first motion was based on the concerns expressed by Ward 1 councilors, Tony Fritsch and Kirby Thompson, about the potential impacts of the project,

At the council meeting, which was chaired by Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch in the absence of Reeve Hogg, Fristch and Thompson presented a six-point document. The document said that “prior to making any decision to support or not to support the wind power project,” the municipality should: determine accurate public opinion on the proposal; understand the legal ramifications; understand the impact on future development; understand environmental impacts; and ensure that the municipality understands the “community support” aspect of the provincial procurement that NextEra is seeking.

It also says that if the project goes forward, “The area that is negatively affected by the eyesore and development restrictions should at least benefit from the financial compensation provided for this impact,” and that a development agreement be established “prior to issuing any building permits.”

Among the issues raised in the one-page document are the “esthetic impact on the scenic rural setting of ward 1, which will be negatively impacted for generations (forever),” and also, who will cover decommissioning costs at the end of the lifespan of the turbines.

This first motion passed by council deferred any desiciotn on supporting the proposal until the items mentioned in the docment are addressed.The second motion was to meet with North Frontenac Council, who are also considering a proposal from NextEra, to talk about the implications of the project to the two townships.

NextEra is seeking support from the township for a competitive bid they are planning to make to hydro authorities for the installation of up to 100 turbines in the township.

And they are offering significant compensation to the township if the project moves forward.

A letter from Ben Faiella, a project manager with NextEra, was also included in Monday night's agenda. It clarified the financial implications of the project to the township. “The total approximate annual property taxes would be $450,000” he said in his letter, double the amount that had been included when NextEra made a presentation to Council earlier this month.

Of that amount, 42%, or $189,000, would be township revenue, and the rest would be go to County and Education taxes. In addition, the NextEra officials said the company would make an annual payment of $350,000 to the township during the 20-year life of the project, giving the township a net benefit of $539,000 each year.

The 2013 Addington Highlands budget included taxation revenues of $2.2 million from ratepayers.

Support from the township, which needs to be secured by the end of June, would give NextEra valuable points in the grading system used by the province to determine which projects will be approved in a competitive bidding process for the pruchase of wind power.

When asked about the project after the meeting, Councillor Fritsch said that he is not taking a position “for or against” the project at this point.

“I just want to make sure, as part of my job as councilor, that the public is informed about all the implications,” he said.

To that end, he has asked NextEra to send one or two representatives to a public meeting to be organised locally to discuss the project.

This meeting is in addition to a public meeting that NextEra is planning to organise in May.

Other items from AH Council

The township has been invited to attend an Open House by the Mazinaw-Lanark Forest Inc. at the Barrie Hall in Cloyne on March 28 from 10 am to 3 pm.

Building department costs taxpayers $30,000

A report from Clerk/Treasurer Christine Reed detailed the costs of the township's building department. The department costs over $60,000 to run, including $35,000 in salary and $12,000 in mileage costs.

Net revenues from building permits totalled less than $31,000 in 2014, leaving a net loss of $29,575 for the department. A $35,000 loss was budgeted for in 2014.

Municipalities in Ontario attempt to run their building departments on a break-even basis as far as taxpayers are concerned, with building permit revenue covering all costs. Small municipalities find this difficult to achieve.

Addington Highlands is less likely to achieve a break-even position than other municipalities. It is unique among local municipalities in that it waives permit fees for commercial development in the hopes of attracting more investment and raising more tax revenue in the long run.

Environmental report shows extended lifetime on landfills

Mary Spencer, from AECOM, an environmental management company, spoke with council this week and updated them on the life expectancy of the township's waste sites. In 2014, AECOM started monitoring the waste distribution by basing it on the average number of bags recorded at the sites.

Overall, the waste sites that are active in the township are filling slower than anticipated, with 2014 being the smallest waste accumulation experienced in the previous five years. Spencer explained that landfill continues to decline, recycling numbers are mostly staying level or rising and more waste is being diverted from the landfill than previous years, which is a good sign. Spencer suspected that the trash compaction equipment that the township acquired in 2010 is starting to show its benefits now and is expanding the life of the landfills.

Estimated life spans of the sites are: Mississippi Station (46 years), Kashwakamak (43 years), Plevna (19 years), and Hwy 506 (13 years). These estimates are based on current population in the township and would fluctuate with a change in the number of residents using the sites.

Aecom, who sends these reports to the Ministry of the Environment, monitors the waste sites by test wells that are drilled into the ground. Twice a year they check for groundwater contamination and three times a year they check the quality of the surface water.

Proposed wind farm project in North Frontenac seeks support from Council

Three representatives from NextEra Energy, an American-owned energy supply company, made a presentation to Council on Monday regarding their bid to create a 150 turbine wind farm in North Frontenac and Addington Highlands.

Nicole Geneau, Ben Faiella, and Derek Dudek from the company were there to explain what their company is hoping to do in the area, how the bidding process goes, and the timeline for the project. The proposal they made includes 50 turbines in North Frontenac and the balance in Addington Highlands. The company hasn't decided what size turbines will be in place yet in North Frontenac but Faiella suggested that they would be around 2MW per turbine, therefore generating 100MW for NextEra in North Frontenac alone.

The company set up 15 meteorological towers around the two townships just over a year ago and have been tracking weather data and wind activity. This information will be used to choose the best locations for the windmills as well as to help them project how much electricity can be generated at the sites. They weren't able to comment yet on the specific locations of the proposed turbines but suggested that they might be off Buckshot Lake Road.

The turbine specifications are still under review and so NextEra couldn't provide specifics on tower height, length of blade, etc.

The company hopes to create six to ten full-time jobs with the wind farm and intends to build a 5000 sq. ft. building, located within a 20-minute drive of the turbines.

NextEra has already secured lease-agreements for 10,000 acres from landowners in Addington Highlands, although the majority of the land where the proposed turbines would go is Crown Land.

NextEra has until the end of August 2015 to submit their bid and one of the determining factors in the selection process is whether the municipality is on board with the project. They hope to sign an agreement with the township saying that the North Frontenac Council support NextEra's bid to create the wind turbine project. In the lead up to them signing an agreement with the township, they plan on providing an information session and community open house in late May 2015. The contract will be awarded by the end of this year. NextEra estimates that their project will bring an extra $146,000 in assessment taxation to North Frontenac Township.

Budget re-cap

Angela Millar, Deputy Treasurer, presented the budget summary in a public meeting, highlighting some of the changes coming to the township's 2015 budget. She explained there is an increase in dollars needed to be raised through taxation to the tune of $274,820, or 5.29% The biggest increase here comes from the OPP's new billing model, which brought an increase of $132,215. The township set aside funds for buying equipment, completing the renovations on the Ompah Fire Hall and for other road construction/public works projects. NF Council also decided to make investments into eco-tourism in the area with upgrades to the Plevna heli-pad and star gazing area, as well as to install four privies throughout the township.

Johnson Point Developer Goes to OMB

Two notinces of motion concerning the Johnston Point subdivision were before council: the first one would set up a peer review of the Environmental Impact Assessment on the property, at the developer’s cost, and the second would ask the Planning Department to address 11 specific issues raised by Councillor Sutherland. (One asked for a full response to the Loughborough Lake Association’s concerns and recommendations; several others raised questions about the nature and extent of the wetlands around Johnson Point, and their relationship to the lot frontages, and one asked why there had been no lake capacity assessment.)

CAO Orr then announced that since last week, developer Mike Keen had filed an appeal with the Ontario Municipal Board referring to the Township’s “failure to make a decision under the planning Act.” Orr said the Township’s solicitor suggested the notices of motion should be deferred until Planner Lindsay Mills returns from vacation and can make recommendations. This was done.

Mayor Vandewal asked that all further discussion of the matter be ended. “There are things that need to be said,” commented Councillor Sutherland. Vandewal assured him, “One way or another, this is definitely coming back.”

Three-Township Collaboration Saves Money

Mark Segsworth said the Public Works Managers of the four Frontenac Townships issued a joint RFP for consulting, environmental monitoring and reporting on all waste disposal sites in the four Frontenacs. The Islands chose to opt out, in favour of keeping the consultant they have been using for their one site. However, the other three Townships have recommended accepting Cambium Inc’s total bid of $565.828 for the three years beginning April 01/15. South Frontenac’s annual portion of the costs ($75,000) will represent a savings of more than $100,000 per year. All together, the three Townships will achieve half a million dollars of savings in three years through this collaboration.

Shoreline Restoration and Enhancement - The Point

A public Open House will be held to inform and gather feedback from the community on proposed shoreline improvements at the Point Park, to be completed in the fall of 2015. There was some discussion about the need to advertise this as widely as possible. A date for the open house has not been set yet.

Fence Viewers Appointed

CAO Orr reported that a second call for prospective fence viewers had resulted in two qualified applicants. Joe Redden and Tasha Lloyd were appointed. This job harks back to the times when the question of responsibility for maintenance of line fences was a frequent problem, which fence viewers would be called upon to resolve. Now, so few people have cattle that there has been no call for the services of a Township fence viewer for the past four years or more. However, Municipal law still requires that a rural Township appoint two such officials.

No March 31 COW Meeting

Due to lack of material, there will not be a third COW meeting this month. The report on Township compliance/non-compliance with municipal rules and regulations will be discussed in a closed session on April 7th.