Feature Article January 13, 2005

Feature article January 13, 2005

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Much ado about roads CF Council Jan 10, 2005

by Jeff Green

Kim Leonard is one angry resident from the Wilkinson Road in Hinchinbrooke district of Central Frontenac, and Mayor Bill MacDonald is the object of her ire.

Leonard, who was a Councillor when Hinchinbrooke was a township (between 1994-97), read a prepared statement to a packed Central Frontenac Council meeting on Monday night in Mountain Grove.

A large crowd of supporters of Kim Leonard, some bus drivers, and members of the roads department were also in attendance at the meeting.

In the preamble to her statement, Leonard said I would like to clarify that although I refer to Council throughout my presentation, my statements are directed more to the Mayor of the Municipality, who in my experience I have found does not accept input for consideration or discussion from the rate payers of this Community.

The incident that led to her appearance at Council took place on January 2, when a winter ice storm she described as not considered out of the ordinary for a normal Canadian winter was underway.

She said that the Wilkinson Road was not sanded until 1:00 pm on Monday afternoon, 28 hours after the beginning of the storm, and that she has concerns with a Municipality that cannot maintain its roads during normal winter conditions.

Kim Leonard made a phone call to Mayor Bill MacDonald during the storm in the early evening of January 2nd to find out when her road would be sanded.

During her conversation Kim Leonard recollects that Mayor MacDonald advised me that I should know that he does not have contact with the sanders. I recognise that he would not have contact but questioned why he could not contact the road superintendent, as I was certain he would have a cellular phone. I also requested the he respond to me within the hour. This is when the Mayor told me to shut up, not once but twice

She also said I would suggest that if the Mayor has accepted the responsibility of being the only contact for road conditions, that he then not complain to residents about the number of calls he is receiving, and that he not open his conversations on a defensive note.

Her statement then carried on to raise concerns about what she called the unacceptable tax increases and to question what has come of the monetary reserves that Central Frontenac inherited from Hinchinbrooke Township seven years ago.

She also questioned the decision to close the Municipal Office during the Christmas Break, and the closing of the Wilkinson road dump in 2004, again a decision that the Mayor was committed to and had no consideration for public input.

Finally, Kim Leonard said she will be petitioning the Municipal Affairs Office to audit and investigate the township, seeking the following: an account of expenditures and tax revenues by district, audit all accounting, determine if large ticket items are put to tender and how those tenders are awarded, and investigate the authority of the heads of Council.

Mayor MacDonald did not respond to Kim Leonards statement at the Council meeting, although in a phone interview the next day, he said that the township finances are audited annually, and that operations are compared with all other Ontario municipalities through a performance measure process.

He admitted to saying to Kim Leonard, if you would just shut up and let me finish during their phone conversation. Claiming he never sought nor accepts the role of being the only point of contact for road conditions, he said I wouldnt any more know about road conditions at any given time in Central Frontenac than would Mayor Harvey Rosen in Kingston.

He said that the storm that was underway on January 2 was not a normal winter event and that several township trucks went off the road trying to do sanding that evening and on the following day.

At the Council meeting, several Councillors did respond to Kim Leonard.

Councillor Logan Murray said that he wasnt privy to the conversation between Leonard and MacDonald, but the issues that are being brought forward I am in 100% agreement with. There is a problem with roads and the problem needs to be rectified. I think a roads committee needs to be set up and I will make a proposal at the next meeting of Council.

Other Councillors were less supportive. Councillor Jack Nicolson said, Ive only been here 15 years but this winter has been the most difficult one so far for roads.

Councillor Frances Smith took exception to references Kim Leonard made to how the township handles its finances, Ive been around this table for a lot of years. The books are open. What you said about the Mayor reflects on all of us, Councillors and staff. We are responsible for the way the township operates.

Im glad Frances pointed out there are nine of us here, so you cant blame just one of us, said Councillor Bob Harvey, an opinion that was echoed by Deputy Mayor Faye Putnam.

Other items from Council:

Proposals for Murals

Jane Drew appeared before Council representing the Economic Development Committee. One of the committees members, sign painter Rodger MacMunn, has been approached by some businesses who would like to see murals painted on their buildings. The idea of painting murals along the route of the K&P railroad, using railroads as a general theme interests Rodger, Jane Drew told Council that and the Economic Development Committee would like to apply for a Trillium grant for funding. The township is being asked to sponsor the Trillium application, which will be filled out by the Economic Development Committee. Council agreed to sponsor the application. The project could bring murals to communities from Harrowsmith to Snow Road.

Black Bear Signs

In response to a concern raised by Councillor Janet Gutowski about an individual who was confronted by a bear near one of the township dump sites, bear warning signs have been priced out at $150 each, or $600 for the four remaining township dumps. A motion was put forward to purchase signs if full funding can be secured from the Ministry of Natural Resources. Counclllor Bill Guigue disagreed vehemently. If people dont know that bears are wild animals and they should avoid them, no sign will make any difference he said. Even if it is provincial money, why should provincial money be wasted on this? There is only one taxpayer. Nonetheless the motion was approved in a 7-2 vote.

Conservation Authority Budgets

Preliminary budgets have been received from the Quinte and Rideau Valley Conservation Authorities. Even though these budgets will not be considered until the township goes through its own budget exercise, a discussion ensued. The Quinte Conservation levy request is a 19.7% increase from last year, and Rideau Valley Conservation levy is 23.2% higher than last year. Even though the increases are not very high in dollar terms, $2,788 in the case of Quinte and $1,126 in the case of Rideau Valley, several Councillors said the township should object. Last year we said the increases were unacceptable, but we went ahead and paid the bill. This year I dont think we should pay the bill, said Councillor Frances Smith. Both Councillors Nicolson and Murray, who represent Council on Conservation Authority Boards, expressed the view that Council look at more than the percentage increase, but at the services provided by the Authorities. The matter was deferred until budgetary discussions.

Editorial January 20, 2005

Feature article January 20, 2005

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Who needs hockey, weve got roads to talk about

The Council meeting in Central Frontenac last Monday was a bit of a dust up. A resident, Kim Leonard, read out a statement about: the state of the Wilkinson road; a phone altercation she had with Mayor MacDonald; and the operation of the township as a whole. There was a crowd of people at the meeting with a strong interest in winter roads, from a very large showing of road crew members to a contingent of concerned bus drivers.

However the meeting was structured in such a way that an airing of concerns about roads, from the perspective of those who maintain them and those who use them, was not possible.

The way Council agendas are put together, a member of the public must inform the Clerk of the township beforehand if they would like to address Council as a delegation. However Council is under no obligation to debate the issues raised by such delegations.

There was every reason to consider winter road maintenance at last weeks meeting.

Three days before the meeting, on Friday, January 7, a meeting took place between Mayor Bill MacDonad, Public Works Manager Bill Nicol, Clerk Administrator Heather Fox and the entire roads department at the Oso Hall.

Mayor MacDonald said later that the meeting was set up in order to provide support for the roads crew who have been beleaguered by members of the public over how icy the roads are. The very fact of that meeting demonstrates a full awareness on the part of staff and management that there is a concern about the state of the townships roads among the general public.

Mayor MacDonald also said he had encouraged the road crews to come to the Council meeting to see how Council responded to the presentation by Kim Leonard.

Given all that had gone on in the previous week it is surprising that there was no report from the Public Works Manager at the meeting.

A public report from the senior manager, delivered in person or on paper, outlining the conditions that have been encountered by the roads department in dealing with a series of ice storms in the past few weeks would have been useful.

As it was, information came out in dribs and drabs. At one point Mayor MacDonald said four trucks slid off the road on January 2 trying to deal with ice, and one Councillor said, I didnt know that.

When the weather is bad, the roads are bad, and the road crew works to improve the roads. Most ratepayers know that. If it took longer than normal for roads to be returned to normal because of weather conditions, equipment failure, or both, it is in the interest of the roads department that these facts brought forward to a Council meeting.

North Frontenac and Addington Highlands both have had roads committees for several years. It doesnt mean that people in those townships complain less about the roads than they do in Central Frontenac, complaining about roads is probably the number one sport in the region now that hockey and snowmobiling have fallen on hard times.

But it does make for more orderly Council meetings. At the very least there is somewhere to refer public complaints about roads.

Since Central Frontenac Council seems to be opposed to setting up their own roads committee to meet regularly with roads supervisors and report back to Council, direct reports from staff to Council should be a relatively common feature of Council meetings.

Council and the public would be better served by information than it is by speculation and rumours about what the roads department is or is not doing. JG

Feature Article January 20,2005

Feature article January 20, 2005

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Sydenham Water Steering Committee Reconvenes by Wilma Kenny

On January 14, the South Frontenac Townships Sydenham Water System Committee met to plan their next steps, following the recent Federal/Provincial funding update.

Funding Announcement

As recently announced, the two upper tiers of government will cover two-thirds of the cost of a water treatment plant and distribution system for the Village of Sydenham, as defined in the Tottenham/Sims/Hubiki (TSH) study, and not to include any growth component, up to a maximum of $2,394,993 each. The remaining cost, presently assumed not to exceed $2,394,993, is to be covered by the village residents, businesses and schools. Costs of running the water lines into homes, and ongoing water distribution costs are not presently known, and will be the responsibility of the consumers.

Status of Sept 2003 Tenders

Guy LaPorte of TSH reported that at least three of the four areas (water storage, treatment and distribution) would have to be re-tendered: only Kineticos bid for water intake may remain the same, due largely to the rise in the Canadian dollar. TSHs engineering prices have also risen.

Cost Saving Measures

LaPorte reported that his firm had identified a number of cost saving measures that, if built into the next tender call, might help offset increased costs in other areas. Some of the ones listed were: *Removing contingency costs from some of the individual areas (but holding a separate overall contingency fund to be used wherever needed in the project. He did not state the projected amount). * Deleting the truck loading station which would facilitate selling bulk water to water drawers ($6,000) * Deleting one of the two project signboards ($500), and the lettering on the water tank ($10,000). *Replacing the 10'x10' raw water well attached to the plant with a smaller precast chamber near the lake. *Replacing the $21,000 dehumidifier system with a $300 portable unit, which should work as effectively, for the summer period when it might be needed.. *Changing from shiny stainless steel to a dull finish (aesthetics). * Changing the flooring from ceramic tile to epoxy coating. *Eliminating a $36,000 waterproofing membrane in the reservoir, on the grounds that if the (concrete) tank cracked, the membrane would probably also crack, and because of water pressure in the tank, it would not be possible for unclean water to move into the tank if there were a crack. (No one asked why this membrane, or indeed some of the other items listed, had been designed into the system in the first place.) *Lowering the asphalt restoration costs by having all the village re-paving done at one time. * Replacing the five end-of-line hydrants with less expensive "blow-off" valves. (This would not compromise fire protection, as there would still be hydrants within 250' of every residence.)* Providing water meters directly, rather than through the tendered contracts.

Schedule

The project schedule proposes tendering going forward in February, contracts being awarded in March, and construction beginning in April. The system would be completed by April 06.

The engineers said this is a good time to go for tender bids, as contractors will want early projects, and summer is the best time for construction. The engineers defended the full year allowed for construction of the treatment plant, by stating they were allowing for 28 days concrete curing time at several stages, and anticipating slow delivery of equipment.

Outstanding Issues

Guy LaPorte listed a number of tasks for the water committee and council still to do: They include: Deal with residents exemption requests, tendering for system operator, so they would be on hand before start-up, and updating the water rate by-law to include the correct frontages of properties, as defined by the assessment office.

As well the township will be required to establish a by-law to regulate hook-ups: size of pipes, inspection schedule, and a by-law for monthly water billing. The township will also have to establish a well abandonment program. (The provincial subsidy for this has run out.) Finally, there should be a brochure drawn up with information for residents.

Concerns From the Floor

David Waugh asked whether residents would be given firm figures of the total project cost, including hook-ups and ongoing water rates. Committee member Forbes suggested there might be ways to get estimates of the hook-up costs, but other committee members were less certain this could be done.

In regard to concerns about hardship for individual property owners, Mayor Lake read a letter from Leona Dombrowskys office, describing an infrastructure financing loan of up to $2,000,000 available to the township under the acronym OSIFA, which could allow water start-up costs to be added to villagers tax bills over a number of years at a low (not specified) rate of interest. Details are not worked out, but the mayor stated that this sort of agreement would not entail placing liens against properties.

Waugh also reminded the committee that the previous council had said that the water project would be cancelled if the total cost were too high. "What is too expensive?" "Is there a cut-off point, and what is it?" he asked. The mayor replied that total costs would have to include hook-ups, which are separate from water plant construction costs.

Council Goes Forward

On January 18, Council passed the Water Committees recommendation that TSH be authorized to go to public tender for the various portions of the water project, amending the contract documents to incorporate the cost-saving design changes discussed at the Water Committee meeting.

Feature Article January 20, 2005

Feature article January 20, 2005

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MNR refurbishing plans make NF Deputy Mayor nervous

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is proposing to make some changes to the five dams they own in the Township of North Frontenac. Deputy Mayor Gleva Lemke received copies of the in-depth proposals in the last two weeks, and the Ministry is requesting approval for their plans from the township by February 8.

Lemke, who has been the townships representative to the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority for several years, expressed surprise that she had not heard about these proposals earlier.

Im not trying to cry wolf here, she told Council last week, but I have some questions about these proposals and they (the MNR) may have answers. I think we need to hear those answers.

Of particular concern are the proposed changes to the dam on Palmerston Lake. It is proposed that the dual-purpose structure, both dam and bridge, be changed and moved further up the Bay, a project that will take 8 to 12 weeks to complete.

Lemke pointed out that there is a fish hatchery at that location operated by the Palmerston-Canonto Conservation Association. It is very close to an identified Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), and the bridge provides the only access to a large number of cottages on the lake.

Each of the proposed dams had their own implications. I would like to make a chart and identify my concerns before the next Council meeting, Gleva Lemke offered, and I think we should invite Bob Walroth or someone else from the Bancroft MNR office to that meeting to explain the proposals.

Subsequent to the Council meeting, the News contacted Jim Bertulli of the firm of Cummings Cockburn, a consulting form that was hired by the MNR to look at six dams, including the five in North Frontenac, with what he called a view towards reducing maintenance costs and making the dams more effective.

In the case of the dam at Palmerston Lake, for example, Bertulli said the existing dam will be maintained as a bridge, and plans are to add a pedestrian lane of the bridge once the dam structures are removed. The new dam will maintain the same water levels as before, as is required for the fish hatchery, but will be less expensive to maintain, he said. He also said the bridge will not be closed during the construction period.

Bertulli also confirmed that he would be attending the Council meeting on January 27 along with a representative of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

There will be further opportunity for public comment after the February 8 deadline, according to the documentation Lemke has received from the MNR, and the work on the dams is expected to be done over a period of five years or more.

Council agreed with Deputy Mayor Lemkes suggestions and a presentation about the dams will be considered at their meeting on January 27 at 9:30 am.

Grants for septage, signage.

Back in early September, on the day of a power failure, North Frontenac Councilors Will Cybulski, Betty Hunter, and Dick Hook huddled by a window in the township board room and filled in several applications for funding from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC).

They were rushing to meet the September 10 deadline for Eastern Ontario Economic Renewal Fund applications. Then, everyone waited and waited until the Federal Department of Industry finally got around to officially announcing the program in October. Finally in early January, applicants been slowly learning whether they are to receive grants.

At their meeting last Thursday, North Frontenac Council formally accepted letters of offer from the CFDC for a $8,100 grant to purchase prefabricated signs for three of their Community Halls which will be used to advertise events. The township will erect and maintain the signs, which will be located at the Barrie Hall, the Clar-Mill, Community Centre, and the Ompah Hall. Council is hoping to be able to put similar signs up at the other halls in the township at a later date.

The second grant is for up to $10,000 towards a feasibility study into the establishment of a sewage treatment plant to serve North Frontenac and Addington Highlands. New government regulations are coming into effect in the next couple of years that will make the practice of spreading septage on fields no longer acceptable. Rather than have residents facing huge increases in the cost of having their septics pumped out as a result, North Frontenac and Addington Highlands will be looking into establishing a sewage treatment system that meets provincial standards.

Draft Budget Mayor Maguire has been stressing the need for early budgeting, and had been hoping to have a draft budget for 2005 in place by the end of 2004. That date has now been pushed back to February 8.

Committee restructuring Since the municipal election in 2003, North Frontenac Council has been continually working on their committee system. At first, 16 committees were formed, and this proved unworkable. They were then compacted last fall into 4 sub-committees and a Committee of the Whole. A proposal has been put forward to eliminate the committee system altogether, and replace Committee of the Whole Meetings with special council meetings, as required, on the first or third Thursday of the month (regular council meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursday of the month). Rather than standing committees, task forces, with limited or unlimited life spans, are proposed.

Councilors found the new proposals rather overwhelming, so the first special Council meeting has been scheduled for January 20 at 9 am to consider this new township governance proposal.

Feature Article January 6, 2005

Feature article January 6, 2005

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Sydenham Water: Where is requested report on villagers financing options? by Wilma Kenny

South Frontenac Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Gord Burns confirmed that its time to revive the Sydenham Water Steering Committee, now that the Federal and Provincial governments have officially agreed to commit a maximum of $4,789,986 to the project.

It has been a year since tenders were last called: Burns said he hopes an updated tender call could be issued by the end of the month. Following this time line, he said Council should be in a position to award tenders by March, with the intent of starting the project in early spring. Because the old tenders are no longer valid, the final cost of the project is not known..

Concerning individual household costs, CAO Burns said that once the new tenders are in, the Township would be able to recalculate the household schedule. He added that such a schedule would not include individual hook-up or well closing costs. It will be up to Council to decide whether to hold an information open house at some point in this process.

When asked for comment, Richard Munroe of the Sydenham Safe Water Association made reference to a resolution passed by Council on October 5/04 requesting the Clerk and Treasurer prepare a report for Council exploring financing options for the village share of the Water Project costs. It was to: "list and evaluate the options to allocate portions of the local costs to other payers than just the village residents,...eg costs of future growth capacity may be allocated to future residents and financed by the Township until the growth occurs." It was also to list possible alternative sources for long term financing of the local share, such as financing from township reserves, or accessing new provincial capital funds, or attaching the costs to the property rather than the current homeowner. The resolution passed, with Councillors Barr, Robinson and Mayor Lake opposed. To date, this report has not been tabled at a Council meeting.

Munroe said there are a number of other unanswered questions. He pointed out the need to review the $600,000 project savings that have been identified by Guy Laporte of TSH Engineering. Munroe questioned whether, in the long run, there was any money to be saved in drastically cutting or removing contingency costs, using lighter weight materials, or cutting back on the numbers of fire hydrants. He also wondered how the Township proposed to pay for expansion costs, as no portion of these will be covered by Federal/Provincial funding.

Feature Article January 6, 2005

Feature article January 6, 2005

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Addington Highlands Council

by Jeff Green

It has been a busy holiday season for Addington Highlands Council, as they held meetings on December 20 and on January 4.

On December 20 Council considered their options in regard to the first intake deadline, January 10, for the joint Federal-Provincial infrastructure funding program, known as COMRIF.

Addington Highlands found itself in a bit of a bind. A recent road needs study, conducted by the engineering firm of Tottenham/Sims/Hubicki (TSH) identified Skootamatta road as the #1 road construction priority faced by the township. However, Skootamatta road is a boundary road with North Frontenac and is jointly owned by the two townships. Addington Highlands asked North Frontenac whether they would like to submit a joint application, but North Frontenac will be applying for COMRIF funding for a bridge improvement project on Road 509, and townships can only apply to COMRIF for one project at a time.

Forty percent of the entire COMRIF budget will be allocated from this first intake. Not wanting to miss out, Addington Highlands Council decided to go ahead and submit an application to reconstruct the first 1.4 kilometres of the Skootamatta road and the .2 kilometre intersection with Hughes Landing road.

We hope that, eventually, North Frontenac will take on the responsibility for fixing the remaining 1.3 kilometres of the road, explained Reeve Ken Hook. Although Skootamatta Road is jointly owned by the two townships, it serves mainly the residents of Skootamatta Lake, who live in Addington Highlands.

It was also decided on December 20 to contract with TSH to prepare the COMRIF application at a cost of $7,000.

On January 4, D.C. Behm of TSH came to the Council meeting. He presented the final version of the road needs study that had been completed last fall, and went over the completed COMRIF application as well.

The total estimated cost of the Skootamatta Lake road reconstruction project is $665,000. If Addington Highlands is successful in their grant proposal, COMRIF funding will cover 2/3 of the cost, leaving the township on the hook for $110,800 each year for two years.

Behm explained that in order to be eligible for COMRIF the road must be graded at 60 or less on a scale of 100, using 20 different criteria (from the condition of the surface, tendency to wash out, etc.) and he calculated that the road is well under that level.

Was there anywhere in the application where the difficulties small municipalities face in coming up with the money for these kinds of projects is taken into account? asked Reeve Hook.

Behm explained that he was going to include the fact that the Road needs study identified $11.4 million in road repairs that should be done in Addington Highlands over the next 10 years.

With an average capital budget of $125,000 per year, it will take Addington Highlands 95 years to complete all those repairs, Behm said, I think that should underline how great the need is for support.

The question is, said Reeve Hook, can we find that amount of money in any given year, along with our regular road maintenance?

Its going to be tight, said Clerk/Treasurer Jack Paul, very tight.

Other council notes

Development contract over A contract between Addington Highlands and a consultant that was directed towards promoting a four-season resort proposal to investors has run out. There do remain a few interested parties and the consultant has agreed to keep working with those parties for the time being.

Concerns over sand Public Works Manager Royce Rosenblath came to council with a concern about the danger posed by large numbers of people taking sand from the township stockpile.

When there is ice everywhere, as in the past couple of days, there are times when the people are blocking access by township trucks looking to fill up. This causes delays and can be dangerous, he said.

Rosenblath also expressed concern over the amount of sand being taken, particularly when people repeatedly fill half-ton trucks with sand. The township is not opposed to people taking a reasonable amount of sand for their driveways, and Rosenblath proposed separating out some sand from the main stockpile at the township yard in Northbrook so individuals can take sand without interrupting township operations. In Denbigh, there is a gate at the yard, and a pile of sand can be established outside the locked yard for public use.

Building permits up by 100 in 2004 272 building permits were taken out in 2004, as compared with 172 in 2003. The total value of construction was $4, 424,771, also a marked increase from the previous year. Of those 272 permits, only 9 were commercial permits, for a total construction value of $452,000 in commercial construction.

Arrest for illegal dumping Another individual has been charged with dumping illegally by placing a bag of garbage outside the locked gate of the Waste Disposal Site on Hwy. 41.

Feature Article February 3, 2004

Feature article February 3, 2005

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Sydenham Residents Solidly Behind Safe Water Association

by Wilma Kenny

February came in like a lion for South Frontenac Council. Januarys meetings had been short and uneventful, but the first of February meeting saw fireworks and drama.

Councillor Robinson left the meeting when the Sydenham Safe Water Associations delegate rose to speak. Richard Munroe presented a petition signed by 215 of the 244 Sydenham homeowners in the area designated to be served by the proposed Sydenham water system. (Of the remaining homeowners, the SSWA wasnt able to contact 21, and 8 did not sign the petition.) The petition asked the Township to provide three pieces of information to individual homeowners PRIOR to the Townships committing to construction of the proposed waterworks. The three questions are: (a) What portion of the capital cost of the plant and distribution system will I have to pay? (b) What can I reasonably expect to pay for hook-up? And (c) What are the estimated on-going annual costs?

Discussion centred on the question of hook-up and well closing costs: the Association submitted a detailed proposal describing how the municipality could help the homeowners estimate these expenses before approving tenders, and asked for a response from the Township by February 8. Mayor Lake said that Council was trying to move forward and work with the residents, and suggested that some of the SSWAs actions were holding up progress. He said that until the tenders were in, there was no point in trying to guess at costs. Alistair Lamb pointed out that the current project being tendered did not include hook-ups: that was a separate cost, and surely the consulting engineers could begin to work on estimating this. Mayor Lake asked why they should spend more money until they knew whether the project was going to run, and this wouldnt be known until tender bids were received. After many angry comments from the floor, the Mayor closed discussion, and Councillor Robinson returned to the meeting.

Zoning By-law Amendment

After much discussion, Council passed a by-law rezoning a property on the corner of William and Amelia Streets from urban residential to Special Urban Commercial, to allow Dan Vandermeer to operate his engine repair business from his house and property. Neighbours expressed concern about the noise and increase in traffic that this would cause in a residential area. Councillor Smith agreed that it would be unlikely that all repairs and motor testing could be confined within a closed building, and that an engine repair business would be noisy. Several other village residents spoke in general support of small businesses. In passing the zone change, Council placed a number of requirements and restrictions including: no outside storage, hours of operation Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, the workshop must have sound insulation, and screening must be provided by shrubs and fencing. Councillors Smith, Roos and Stowe opposed the zone change.

Alcohol Ban at Fire Halls?

Fire Chief Rick Chesebrough brought forward a proposal that alcohol not be permitted at or around any of the firehalls during fundraising activities or other functions. He based this on six incidents that have occurred in the past six months, and on concerns about liability and public perception. He said that three of the four district chiefs agreed with an alcohol ban. Neither OPP nor ambulance services have alcohol on site. Councillor Robinson said that he was not aware of alcohol-related problems at bbqs or fish fries, and spoke in favour of preserving a "rural tradition." A motion will be brought to the next council meeting for decision.

Chesebrough also brought a motion concerning reimbursing township employees who are Volunteer Firefighters. During work hours, these individuals are to respond only to serious calls, and only with their supervisors permission. They will receive their regular pay for a fire call during work hours, and this cost will be paid, as a journal entry, by the district where they are serving.

Council approved a motion to install fire/intrusion alarm systems in the fire halls that do not have them at present.

Storrington Recycling

Council agreed to exercise the option to extend for one year the contract for recycling collecting in Storrington. Councillor Barr complained that the Sustainability Committee wasnt moving fast enough. Councillor Smith defended the committees work, and things became quite noisy for a few minutes.

Provision of Sand to the Public

Council approved a policy for provision of sand: it will not be sold or provided to any contractors other than those with whom the Township has contracted for winter services on Township property. Small amounts (equivalent of two 5-gallon pails) of free sand will be available to Township residents from a sandpile just inside the yard gates under no circumstances will the public be permitted to enter the Township sand storage facilities.

Library Board Report

One of the few non-controversial items of the evening was a brief report from Warden Bill MacDonald and Wilma Kenny, Township representatives on the Kingston Frontenac Public Library board. They reminded Council that the Librarys recently adopted 25-year plan called for Storrington library to remain much as it is, Hartington Branch to be moved to larger facilities in Verona, and Sydenham branch to be enlarged. Councils allocation of a portion of development fees to the library is a positive step toward eventual enhancement of library facilities in the township.

Feature article February 17, 2005

Feature article February 17, 2005

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Sydenham Water: How Much Is Too Much? by Wilma Kenny

Alistair Lamb spoke to South Frotnenac Council on Tuesday Night (February 15) on behalf of the Sydenham Safe Water Association. He reviewed Councils letter to the association, which stated that the capital cost of the plant and distribution system would be known in early March, and that the engineering firms estimate of ongoing maintenance and service costs should be available soon. Lamb said the SSWA would be willing, as suggested, to help the township work out an estimate of the cost of individual hook-ups and installations.

Then Lamb reminded Council that, from the beginning, village residents had been told that "if the project cost estimates are too high, the project will be terminated."

"How high," asked Lamb, "is too high? Has Council an overall maximum budget beyond which the plug will be pulled?" He pointed out that before one bought a car, a person decided how much they could afford to spend. Likewise, village residents wanted to know how much Council was prepared to commit to the water project. Mayor Lake refused to give a number, saying only that they would have a better idea in early March, once the tenders had come in. Councillor Hahn said Lambs questions "assumed there were no other sources of funding," but he did not elaborate on this statement.

The SSWA left the meeting at this point, and Councillor Robinson arrived shortly afterward.

Other notes from South Frontenac Council

Strategic Plan for Frontenac County?

Consultant Jim Slavin gave a brief presentation about a strategic planning process that he has been contracted to develop with the County. He proposes setting up five committees of staff and residents to identify and examine key issues in the areas of transportation, administration, health, social networks, economic development and environment. Council asked about cost and value of this exercise. Slavin said it would help link the four townships through common issues and concerns, and might help get additional funding. When asked about his contract with the County, Slavin said he had a verbal contract with the CAO, but was unsure as to the exact amount he would be paid. Later, Mayor Lake expressed doubt that County Council had fully approved this project yet.

Harrowsmith Zoning By-law Amendment Deferred

A zone change that would allow Stephen Bowes to sell used cars from a commercial lot on road 38, at the top of the hill in Harrowsmith, was deferred until a site plan is submitted. Councillor Smith expressed concern about outside storage of vehicles, saying the water situation in Harrowsmith is fragile, and he didnt want to approve anything that might pollute the groundwater.

Fire Halls Dry

Council passed a by-law forbidding possession or consumption of alcohol at any of the South Frontenac firehalls.

Performance Bond Requirement Cancelled

In response to the Sustainability Committees request for direction from Council, Council voted against asking for a performance bond or other security equal to the value of 25% of the value of the first year of a contract for waste collection.

Powerboat Races on Sydenham Lake?

The Canadian Boating Federation has asked to hold powerboat races at the Point in Sydenham on August 27 &28. They also asked the township to provide adequate portable toilets for 300 people for the event, and requested sole access to the launching ramp for both days. Councillor Davison commented that the boat racers were a self-contained group, not providing much benefit to the village. The boaters request was forwarded to the recreation committee for consideration and recommendation to Council.

Feature artcle, February 17, 2005

Letters February 17, 2005

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Thank you Safe Drinking Waer Association

We have no doubt that most of your readers are familiar with the controversy between the residents of Sydenham and South Frontenac Council regarding the proposed municipal water system. It seems at the present time that bureaucracy has won over the wishes of the people and democracy no longer reigns supreme in the village of Sydenham. All the reasoned arguments, proof of blatant errors in the environmental report, petitions, water tests which showed that only a small number of properties actually have contaminated wells , etc. etc. have disappeared into the black hole named the council chamber.

The purpose of this letter is to offer a belated, but sincere thank you to the members of the Sydenham Safe Water Committee. They have volunteered untold hours of work and worry with no gain to themselves, except for the knowledge that they have contributed a great deal to their community. We would like to especially thank Mr. Richard Munroe, chairman of the committee, who has continued on in spite of much unwarranted criticism and shocking disrespect from members of council. One member in particular has the temerity to walk out of the council meeting whenever Mr. Munroe is to make a presentation. This person may not be in agreement with what is being said, but as an elected official he should remain to hear it. Otherwise, how can he make an informed decision on the subject? It is also extremely rude. In spite of petitions showing otherwise, it has often been said by council that there are only a half dozen people in the village who are against the proposed water project, referring of course to the SSWA.A recent petition presented at the last council meeting, shows irrefutably that this is not true. Of the 253 properties involved, 223 were contacted and of these, 215 signed the petition. 96% in fact. Yes, 96%!! I think respect and consideration should be paid to such glaringly obvious facts and figures and also to the person who presents them.

This project is going to cause unnecessary financial hardship to most people in our village with no advantage gained. There are other methods of treating contaminated wells without forcing chlorinated water on the whole population. The tragedy at Walkerton, which seems to have triggered this whole episode, was caused by a municipal water system failure, not by individual wells. We hate to think of that happening here. As far as we are able to discover, there have been no deaths due to contaminated well water in this area, or, in fact, anywhere in Ontario.

As relative newcomers to this area, we have been very happy to meet a lot of friendly and helpful people, but are uncomfortable in the way that this and the previous council have consistently ignored the wishes of the people they are supposed to represent. It is beyond our comprehension that council members have insisted on going ahead with this project and would ask them, in all sincerity, the reason why.

- Rosalie and George Knights.

Fishing Derby season is upon us again. Are these events innocuous or do they harm our fisheries?

A day on the ice can be very enjoyable, and to bring a few fish home for dinner is a bonus. If anglers limit their catch, they help conserve fisheries. Fishing tournaments, though, can be counterproductive to conserving fisheries.

Derbies concentrate fishing effort on certain lakes and higher pressure means more fish can be caught. If the fishing happens to be good and there are a lot of people fishing, many individuals of the spawning population of certain species (e.g. walleye) could be harvested. Successful spawning seasons are required to sustain good fisheries.

There are also problems related to keeping large fish, the goal of derbies. Larger fish of a species are often female and these fish are important spawners.

Also, larger fish, as illustrated in the Ministry of Environment's Guide to Eating Sport Fish, contain higher levels of naturally occurring mercury, so consumption of these fish should be limited or avoided altogether.

So, to help maintain the health of your lake and you, limit your catch, keep smaller (younger) fish for dinner and quickly and gently release the big fish back to the lake to spawn. And be creative with derbies: try using categories that don't negatively impact your environment.

- Bud Praskey, Big Clear Lake Steward

Dumping the Garbage

Last fall, a quick look through South Frontenac garbage revealed some basics. An average household sends almost half a tonne (about 1000 pounds) to the dump yearly.

The volume of that garbage is greater seasonally because almost 1/3 of it (over 300 pounds) is organic waste that could have been composted or just allowed to rot down someplace on the property.

Mixed in with that is over 300 pounds of material that could have been recycled -- paper, glass, tin, aluminium and recyclable plastics.

So only about 1/3 of the garbage going to the dump needs to go there, even with the limitations of our simple recycling program. And if we look in that 1/3 of our non-recyclable, non-compostable garbage, there surely is even more that does not really need to be there, such as excessive plastic grocery bags -- some stores take them back, cloth bags avoid them.

The simple lesson is that if 2/3 of our garbage does not need to be in the dump, the dump could be only 1/3 as full as it is and it would not be forced to close so soon. Regardless of our attitudes, the dumps are going to be closed, and the order will come down sooner if we fill them up sooner with garbage that could be avoided.

But the difficulty does not all arise with the taxpayers. The process needs work by the Municipality, too. Arriving at the dump to be told that some recycling bin or other is full and we should just "throw it on the dump" indicates bad management of contractors or attendants. Different lists of materials that are allowed to be recycled, presented to users by the Municipality, the attendants and the contractors also points to the need for greater attention to the program.

In bear country, dumps with smelly food containers will attract bears. Warning signs are an incomplete response. Educational information also is needed. Lanark Highlands, with Ministry of Natural Resources help, provides copies of 'Bear Wise' with the tax bill. Information about both bears and the waste management program is provided.

Garbage is not just a messy business to be avoided. We all are involved and we all pay the bills to deal with garbage as a 'public utility ' component of our society. We all need to take a rational, long-term approach to garbage that considers costs, environmental impacts and basic problems of consumerism in our society. Gray Merriam

2005 Taxes - An open letter to Central Frontenac Council

Escalating township taxes are hurting the people of Central Frontenac. For the average residential property taxpayer, they have increased by more than 60% over the last three years. What can we expect this year?

We cannot look to an expansion of the commercial tax base for relief. While it is encouraging to see the enthusiasm with which members of the Business Development Committee are approaching their task and we look forward to future benefits, it would be unrealistic to expect this initiative to yield any significant relief for the residential tax payer in the foreseeable future. The commercial sector contributed 1.8% of the township's tax revenue in 2004 - even a doubling of the commercial tax base would reduce residential taxes by only 2%.

Neither can we expect any meaningful increase in contributions and grants received from higher levels of government.

The only way another large increase can be avoided is for you, our Mayor and Councillors, to limit township spending. You need to take a very hard look, as you set this year's budget, at priorities and at the efficiency of township operations.

At your January 25th meeting, you embarked on the 2005 budget by asking staff for their proposals. No financial constraints were imposed so that you will hear what staff believe should be done. This is as it should be - it is your responsibility to set priorities and take the tough decisions. However, as you review these proposals, you must heed the advice of Councillor Frances Smith to hold the line. She is obviously well aware that we cannot tolerate another tax increase.

During your budget debate last year, a number of you felt there was insufficient time to discuss various tax saving proposals presented for consideration and that, even if implemented, they would be starting too late to have much effect on that year's spending. We were pleased to learn that, with your first budget meeting set for March 1, you have given yourselves more time this year. We trust that you will use this time to explore and discuss all possible means of avoiding another tax increase. Take a hard, firsthand look at township operations to ensure that objectives are being met in the most efficient manner - look for ways to reduce costs.

We appreciate the pressures imposed on you by the provincial downloading of responsibilities to municipalities; we believe that you appreciate the hardships township tax increases have placed on us, the people of Central Frontenac. These hardships must be your paramount consideration as you set the 2005 budget. Our incomes have not risen 60% over the last three years. We do not have bottomless pockets. As individuals we cannot do everything we want to; we have to limit our activities to what we can afford. We expect our township council to do likewise. You owe this to those who elected you.

- Michael Wise

Feature article - February 17, 2005

Feature article February 17, 2005

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New rules for Paramedic lunch hours affect rural response times by Jeff Green

When the Ontario Ministry of Labour fined the County of Frontenac for not giving Paramedics a mandatory half-hour lunch break, there were implications for ambulance services throughout the province. In the case of the Frontenac County service, which serves the City of Kingston as well, the ruling could mean a half a million dollars a year in extra costs.

In Rural Frontenac County, however, it has already meant the County is serving communities such as Ompah and Plevna with an ambulance stationed well over an hour away, on Justus Drive in Kingston.

When the Parham ambulance goes off service, it is either covered off by an ambulance from the Lanark County Service, which is stationed at an old Ministry of Natural Resources Building on Highway 7 west of Perth [at Wemyss], from Northbrook, or from one of our Kingston ambulances, which is stationed on Justus Drive, said Paul Charbonneau, the Director of Emergency Services for Frontenac County.

Certainly, none of these are optimum circumstances, Charbonneau added, and we are seeking better solutions. For one thing, we have proposed turning the 12-hour Emergency First Response Vehicle, which is stationed at Ompah, into an ambulance. That way the Parham and Ompah units could cover each other off for breaks during the daytime.

The Emergency First Response Vehicle provides the same services as an ambulance does on site, but it does not transport patients to hospital.

The proposal to enhance the ambulance service in North Frontenac is linked to a proposal to put on an extra 24-hour ambulance in the City of Kingston. Frontenac County Council will be deciding whether to enhance the service this week as they finalize the 2005 County Budget.

Even if the enhancements are approved, it would still leave the far reaches of the County under-served during night time lunch breaks.

We are considering all of our legal options with regard to the Ministry of Labour ruling, including launching an appeal, Charbonneau said. We are the first service in the province to be hit with this kind of ruling, so others are watching what happens very carefully.

On February 8th, County Council held a Special Session, and decided to petition the Province of Ontario, through the Ministry of Labour, to amend the regulation of the Employment Standards Act regarding lunch hours to include an exemption for paramedics in the employment of municipalities across the Province of Ontario.

The resolution the County passed on the matter acknowledged the impact of the regulation on the public, stating there are times during shifts of the employees of land ambulance when taking a break may place patients at mortal risk.

For the time being, people in the far-flung reaches of the County are being placed at a greater risk that those living in the City of Kingston.