Feature article, July 14, 2005

Feature article July 14, 2005

LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb Home

Contact Us

Dump closures loom in Central, North Frontenac

by Jeff Green

At a meeting of Central Frontenac Council this week, Public Works Manager Bill Nicol requested direction from Council in regards to their intentions for two dumps that must be closed in the next couple of years. The Elbow Lake dump, located on Road 38 south of Parham, and the Arden dump, are almost full.

Bill Nicol wanted to know if Council was planning to turn them into transfer stations or was planning to close them altogether. He needs to know soon, because if the transfer station option is chosen, the dumps will have to be closed sooner in order to prepare the sites for a station. Otherwise, they can be filled completely, covered, and closed.

Nicols report briefly outlined two possible transfer station set-ups. In the first case, a transfer station set up, including bins and a concrete pad could be established according to Ministry of Environment regulations, at an estimated cost of $50,000 per location, and with an added weekly cost of $550 to transfer the garbage to the Olden and Crow Lake sites.

The second option is for the township to purchase a used garbage truck and have our own staff transfer waste daily to the other sites. This proposal has a higher capital cost of $75,000, but the weekly operation cost should be less than half of what a contractor would charge for transferring waste, Nicol said in his report.

A savings of $275 per week translates into a savings of $14,300 per year in operating costs at each site.

I need direction from Council soon, Nicol said. If Council decides to go for a transfer, I need to know about it in time to make it happen, Nicol said

Council seemed surprised at having to face the stark reality of pending dump closures.

Its a very expensive item, without very much lead time, said Councillor Janet Gutowski. I think we need to set up a committee to study this. Im not prepared to make a decision based on a three line report.

I think its important, especially since the Wilkinson dump was closed, that a transfer station be set up at least at Elbow Lake, said Councillor Bill Snyder.

Some councillors were not as convinced about the case for a transfer station at Arden, since the Olden dump is not that far away. This opinion did not extend to councillors from the immediate region around Arden, including Jack Nicolson, Logan Murray, and Deputy Mayor Faye Putnam.

Olden Councillor Bill Guigue, however, said, I think we should close the Arden dump and I dont think we should have a transfer station.

Bill Guigue also had a more sweeping proposal.

I think we should turn all of our landfill sites over to private interests. They would have a good reason to separate out metals and other re-saleable items and that would extend the lives of the landfills.

Deputy Mayor Putnam asked about the effect of the Arden material at the Olden site.

It will divide the expected life, which was 91 years in 2001, in half, said Bill Nicol.

The Crow Lake site has a much shorter expected life span, so within a relatively short period of time Olden may indeed be the only active dump in the township.

We need to start enforcing recycling, said Councillor Frances Smith.

Council decided to strike a committee to look at the transfer station issue. It will be made up of Bill Snyder, Logan Murray, Janet Gutowski and Mayor MacDonald.

In North Frontenac, plans are being finalised for the closing of the Cloyne dump in the fall of 2006. While the township is working towards developing a thermal solution to its Waste Management, it will be several years, if ever, before anything comes of that.

In the meantime, there are no plans to turn the Cloyne site into a transfer station. Residents will use the site on road 506 once the Cloyne dump closes.

Feature article, July 28, 2005

Feature article July 28, 2005

LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb Home

Contact Us

Hold the Fire - NFHall to be built near township office

by Jeff Green

After many years talking about the need for a new Fire-hall, and a year-long process that led to a task force recommendation to build a Fire-hall on Buckshot Lake Road at Plevna, North Frontenac Council has finally decided to build a Fire-hall.

But it wont be built on Buckshot Lake Road.

At a meeting last week, North Frontenac Council gave unanimous approval to a motion approving, in principle, the construction of the new Clar-Mill Fire Hall and Council Complex at the 6648 Road 506 municipal building.

After considering this issue for the past year and coming very close to accepting a task force report that recommended building at the Buckshot Road site, Council seems determined to move forward with construction at the township office site in short order.

A special Council has been scheduled for this week to consider in detail an administrative report prepared by senior township staff (the Public Works Manager/Chief Building Officer/ and the Chief Administrative Officer), which outlined options for a new Fire-Hall and renovations to the Administrative Offices of the township.

This decision by Council came as a surprise to the townships Fire Chief Cor Bakelaar, who had been a member of the Task Force that had written off the Municipal Office site as untenable. Bakelaar was at Council to present a report of his own about the Buckshot Lake Road proposal. His report notes 10 advantages for the Buckshot Lake Road site, including the existance of two good wells, a sufficient septic system, space for a hose drying rack, and immediate road access in three directions. It also notes several disadvantages at the Mnuicipal Office site, including water quantity and quality, no space for a hose drying rack, and the lack of direct road access.

In preparing the administrative report, staff was charged with considering some of these issues that had led to the township office site being discounted by the task force The first issue was that of water. There are two existing wells at the site; one is dry and the other produces an insufficient volume of water, and that water is not potable. On July 7, a new well was drilled, at a cost of $10,900, and according to the Well Record it can supply an additional 3 gallons of water per minute. Another $1500 is being spent to pipe the water to the township office and it will then be tested for potability.

Fire Chief Bakelaar argued, however, that 3 1/2 gallons per minute is not sufficient to run such a complex as is proposed at the Municipal Office.

Staff has consulted Brian Black of the Kingston Frontenac Public Health Unit about septic requirements for a new building, and has determined that at a cost of $2,500 a new septic system can be put in by public works staff for the new building. The existing septic system will remain in place for the township office.

Various options for a new building are under consideration, and the existing Fire-Hall will be converted into much needed municipal office space. The new building will be attached, perhaps through a tunnel, to the existing township garage on the site, and further site development will have to be done.

Councillor Fred Perry expressed the opinion of many councillors when he said, We asked staff to look at the water, the septic, and whether the site can be made suitable. We have our answers. Lets now go ahead with this.

The report itself does not argue for the Municipal site over the Buckshot Road site, however. The recommendations merely state that Council should decide if a new Fire Hall is going to be constructed and if so, where it shall be constructed.

The report goes on to say that if the Buckshot Lake Road site is selected, council should revisit the Request for Proposals that were received earlier this year.

The report includes rough drawings for the new building and renovations at the current Municipal Office site, and recommends that if Council decides to go that route, it should have the drawings prepared and approved by an engineer immediately. It then recommends that the proposal be put out to public tender, with the companies that submitted proposals for the earlier RFPs receiving individual notification.

What is so attractive for Council about the Municipal Office site, and seems to have led to this apparent about face on the issue over the past two months, is the ability to deal with two problems with one project.

This was a concern expressed last October by Councillor Bud Clayton when the Fire-Hall task force made its first report to Council. If the Municipal Office site is no good for a Fire Hall because we have no potable water, then why is it good enough for Municipal staff? he argued at the time.

It seems Council has decided the Municipal Office site is good enough for the Fire Hall, the Municipal Office, and the Public Works Department after all.

Details about costing for the proposed project are not being released at this point, pending preparation of tenders. Council has made it clear, however, that wherever possible, township staff and equipment will be used in order to keep costs down.

Feature article, July 28, 2005

Feature article July 28, 2005

LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb Home

Contact Us

Ompah fire department gets one step closer to getting new boat, ATV

by Jeff Green

If the ancient Greek city of Troy had been administered by North Frontenac Council, its hard to imagine they would have been fooled by the Trojan Horse.

A proposal by the Ompah Fire department to spend $40,772, $36,000 of which had been donated to them at the dissolution of the Ompah Snowmobile Club, was brought to Council last month, and referred to the Emergency Services Committee for consideration.

The Emergency Services Committee met in mid July and heard from Ompah firefighters about the rescue boat and ATV they are planning to purchase with the money, and about the ice and water rescue equipment they are planning to purchase as well. The Firefighters also propose to build a garage to house the ATV and the rescue boat. In terms of finances, they have also committed to covering the $4,772 that the projects will cost over and above the $36,000 grant from the Snowmobile Club.

Ever cautious, Council still expressed concerns about the insurance and upkeep costs to the township that come with owning a rescue boat and an ATV, and about the ultimate cost and efficacy of ice water rescue training.

Since none of the items are terribly pressing, council deferred decision on the matters until their August meeting, at which time staff will report back on the insurance costs, and the Deputy Chief of the Sharbot Lake Fire Department will be invited to talk about the ice water rescue train the trainer program, which has been ongoing in Sharbot Lake for a few years.

Dock Task Force report One potentially complicated issue became more simple for North Frontenac Council, as a Dock Task Force, appointed a couple of months ago, has come to the conclusion that the township actually owns only one dock, the one at Tappins Bay on Mazinaw Lake. Docks on Shabomeka Lake, and Canonto and Palmerston Lakes, are not in fact the property of the township, but belong to other organizations. The Task Force then recommended to Council that the township maintain the one dock that they own, as required. Inspections are to take place each spring at ice-out to determine any damage or repairs.

The report was brought forward, but after a procedure ruling by the Mayor, a vote on acceptance of the report was deferred one week so all Councillors will have a chance to consider the findings of the Task Force.

Feature article, August 4, 2005

Feature article August 4, 2005

LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb Home

Contact Us

Waterfront property taxes

Commentary by Mike Wise

I have considerable difficulty with WRAFT's (Waterfront Ratepayers Association for Fair Taxation) approach to the problem of escalating waterfront property values, as recently reported in the Frontenac News. My concerns are, firstly, their failure to relate to the many urban residents also experiencing this problem and, secondly, their proposed solutions.

Property values in some city neighbourhoods are increasing at a very much faster rate than the average for their city as a whole. Look at Ottawa or Toronto where neighbourhoods that were out of favour a few years ago are now very desirable. I have no problem with WRAFT, as the child of concerned cottage owners, being primarily concerned with waterfront property but why do they choose to ignore the urban dweller facing similar problems? Surely WRAFT must realize by now that they are barely on the political radar and that, when they are seen, it is often as the representative of those rich cottage owners who can afford to pay. Would it not be both fairer and more politically astute to bring the urban dweller living on a low or fixed income into the picture? The government has to be more considerate of those struggling to keep their homes than those struggling to keep their vacation properties.

As for WRAFT's proposal that a separate class be created for waterfront properties - do they seriously expect this to be seen as anything but the privileged trying to reduce their taxes? Why are they presenting a proposal that deliberately excludes those experiencing similar problems in our cities and towns?

Capping annual assessment increases is a useful way of cushioning the effects of sudden large increases in market value, it was used when taxation based on current market value was introduced a few years ago, but it must be carefully managed. If increases are capped at too low a rate, it has the potential to maintain large differences in the taxes paid on properties of comparable value for a very long time. An annual cap of 10% over and above the average increase in property values would be more appropriate than the 3% proposed by WRAFT. Also any cap should be lifted when a property is sold or transferred to a new owner. These measures would be required so that others in the taxation area were not subsidizing the owners of capped properties for an extended period.

The problems associated with our property taxation system will not be solved by applying such bandaid solutions. More often than not these solve one person's problem at the expense of someone else and they usually create more problems than they solve. We need to look at the real causes. Most of our property tax is used to fund social (e.g. education, policing, welfare, recreation) rather than property related services. The value of a property is not only unrelated to the value of these services, it is, all too often, also unrelated to the owner's ability to pay. We must press our provincial representatives to seek a more appropriate means of funding such services. We must press them to take another look at the consequences of downloading, particularly with regard to roads - a major expense for a rural community. We must also seek a more equitable sharing of industrial and commercial taxes between the urban and rural communities.

Turning now to the property value reassessments we expect to receive from MPAC this fall. Waterfront property values have risen sharply in the last couple of years. No doubt the temperatures of the owners of these properties, myself included, will similarly increase as we contemplate next year's tax bill. What can we do?

We can, and should, be vigilant in monitoring and lobbying our Mayor and Councillors to ensure that the Township delivers the services we require in the most cost effective manner - taxpayers are free to attend council meetings, including budget deliberations. But, as we do so, our actions and expectations must be tempered by the fact that the Province imposes strict requirements relating to the services to be provided and the manner in which they are to be funded; it has not given Council the authority to make the fundamental changes needed to bring equity and affordability to property taxation.

In the longer term, we can best help ourselves, and help our Council help us, by more vigorously lobbying our provincial representatives to make the changes required for an equitable funding of local services - provincial acceptance of a greater responsibility for the funding of social services, the downloading of only those services which are truly local responsibilities, the imposition of reasonable conditions on the provision of those services, funding based on a consideration of both the services received and the property owner's ability to pay, and an equitable sharing of industrial and commercial revenues. By addressing these issues we will be attacking the fundamentals of the problem, rather than the symptoms. And we will be embracing the problems and concerns of many more taxpayers than just those rich waterfront property owners.

How do you think we can get the Province to listen to, and act on, our concerns?

Mike Wise

Untitled Page

Home | Local Weather | Editorial Policy

Feature Article

August 11, 2005

. | Navigate | .

ArchiveImage GalleryAlgonquin Land Claims

Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright

Ompah residents face dump closure

by Jeff Green

Mayor Ron Maguire and the entire North Frontenac Council faced a group of unhappy Ompah residents last week to confirm that the Ompah dump would be closing after Labour Day.

Guy Laporte, a senior engineer with Tottenham Sims Hubicki, made a presentation to the 40 or so residents in attendance.

“There are three options, really,” he said. “The dump can be closed, and the gates locked; the dump can be closed, and kept as a waste transfer station; or the township could apply for an expansion.”

Since there is a watercourse that flows through the foot of the dump site, Laporte said the Ompah site is not a good candidate for an expansion.

Councillor Bud Clayton chairs the Waste Management Committee of Council. He said that nobody should be surprised that this dump closing is happening.

“In 1993, the Palmerston/Canonto Council applied for the Mississippi site with the understanding that Ompah would be closed in 2004. The government has been asking us what we are doing with Ompah for 18 months now,” he said.

With the fate of the Ompah dump sealed, questions from the audience centred on the possibility of setting up a transfer station instead of closing the dump altogether.

“We considered a transfer station at the committee, and we don’t think it would work,’ was Bud Clayton’s first response.

“I was just wondering if you have taken into consideration people who can’t drive?” asked former municipal politician Barb Sproule.

Guy Laporte was asked what kind of approvals are needed for a transfer station.

He said that he knew of some transfer stations that were entirely portable. Something as small as a cube van hauling some recycling bins can be used as a transfer station. “At the end of the day, the contents are simply driven to the dump and unloaded,” Laporte said. “In those cases, no approvals are required, as far as I know.”

The question of a transfer station will likely come down to cost. There would be increased capital costs for a truck, perhaps a used crusher truck, and for the operator/attendant.

“I think we have to do the math on what it would cost for a transfer station,” said Councillor Will Cybulski.

While Council is doing the math, they will likely take into account that other dumps will be closing in the near future, and by establishing a transfer station in Ompah, they would be setting a precedent for other locations. The Cloyne dump, which is shared with Addington Highlands, will be closing in one year.

When a dump is closed, there are significant costs as well, mostly for extensive landfill to cap them. The estimated cost of closing the Ompah dump is $125,000.

“It’s going to be, probably, our biggest budget item, waste disposal, etc., in the next 10 years or so, even more than roads,” concluded Councillor Bud Clayton, who has been close to these issues as a member of the Waste Management

Untitled Page

Home | Local Weather | Editorial Policy

Feature Article

August 11, 2005

. | Navigate | .

ArchiveImage GalleryAlgonquin Land Claims

Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright

Central Frontenac Council meeting - July 8

by Jeff Green

A representative from the township’s auditor KPMG of Kingston made an informative 45-minute presentation to Council.

In short, everything seems to be in order. All eight township Councillors, the Mayor and two senior staff in attendance, remained attentive and awake throughout the presentation. The same cannot be said for the audience.

L&A County Trails – Eric Roberts and Hollee Kew from Lennox and Addington County appeared before Council to clarify an earlier request. As part of a fitness trail initiative by L&A County Council, Roberts and Kew requested that Central Frontenac permit the posting of signs on the Trans Canada Trail between Kaladar and Arden, and along the Arden-Tamworth road to the L&A borderline. This will allow the creation of the Sheffield trail, the second longest of 12 trails being created throughout L&A.

Councillor Jack Nicolson said, “I think this means we are going to have ATVs on the Arden-Tamworth road.”

“This has been under development for four years,” Eric Roberts assured Nicolson, “and it’s a fitness trail, not an ATV trail.”

Other councillors had also confused the Lennox and Addington fitness trail initiative with ATV trail initiatives. Once Steve Roberts had pointed out the difference, all previous objections disappeared.

“I think it’s an excellent proposal,” said Councillor Janet Gutowski. “Statistics bear out the benefits to these kinds of trails.”

Hollee Kew, Economic Development Manager for L&A, said, “What’s in it for us is we want a loop. People prefer to keep going in one direction rather than having to turn around and go back.”

As part of this initiative, Lennox and Addington County has embarked on a program of adding paved shoulders to their County roads as they get re-paved. However, this is not taking place on County Road 15, the part of the Arden-Tamworth Road that is in L&A. It is being repaved, but a paved shoulder is not part of the reconstruction plans.

“On this particular trail, it is being made clear in our publicity that there are no paved shoulders on that part of the trail,” Kew said.

“There are parts of the Arden - Tamworth road in Central Frontenac that are gravel, and very narrow,” Councillor Logan Murray pointed out, referring to one of his most enduring peeves with the rest of Central Frontenac Council.

The 12 fitness trails are designed for cyclist, runners, and walkers, and are designed to highlight tourist attractions throughout L&A. Only three of the trails are located north of Tamworth; the Sheffield trail at 78 km. and the Buckshot Trail, 102 km, being the two longest trails in the system.

The Sheffield trail is described as “the transition route” between southern farmland and Canadian Shield landscape in a proposed trail publicity map. “As you travel north, the landscape changes rapidly. The hard road surface and fields give way to gravel road, granite, and evergreens as the trail meanders along the southern edge of the Canadian Shield,” the publicity continues on to say. Although it contains warnings about the construction on L&A County Road 15, the publicity makes no reference to the condition of the portion of the Arden-Tamworth road that is located within Central Frontenac.

A resolution allowing Lennox and Addington to post signs along the Sheffield Trail within Central Frontenac was approved unanimously.

Garrison Shores - Maurice Woodcock, a resident of the Garrison Shores development on Garrison Lake, west of Arden, came to Council to find out whether there has been any progress in resolving a long-standing legal problem at the development. The Garrison Shores development, a remnant of the early 1980’s, originally included in excess of 100 lots on the small lake, now down to about 35, and has been in legal limbo for many years. Woodcock expressed his frustration over the situation.

“We haven’t had an update or any correspondence from your attorney for a long time,” Woodcock said. “We still don’t have deeds to our properties, even though we’ve been paying taxes to the township for many years. Kennebec and Central Frontenac have refused to give us a deed.”

Bill MacDonald said he understood Woodcock’s frustration.

“It’s a work in progress. Our planner and our lawyer have been working on this. We expect a report from our planner in early September.”

Maurice Woodcock said that the township wanted the existing lots at Garrison Shores to be 1.5 acres in size. “There is no way to accomplish this,” he said. “There isn’t enough land available.”

Councillor Jack Nicolson, brandishing a thick folder that he said contained his Garrison Shores files, pointed out that this issue has been before Council for way too long.

The development has never conformed to zoning bylaws, and has been the subject of litigation in the past. The original developer is long gone, and an attempt to legalize the lots by setting up a plan of condominium was sent to County Council 2 years ago. That was apparently rejected, and Woodcock’s frustration seems to be shared by Council.

“Meanwhile, people don’t have deeds and their properties are worthless. You can’t sell a property without a proper deed,” Woodcock said.

“All I can ask is for a bit more patience,” said Bill MacDonald. “We want this resolved as well.”

Business Signs – the Ministry of Transportation has rejected a request from Central Frontenac Council to have a “business section” panel added to the sign for Road 38 at Hwy. 7.

“The Ministry only signs ‘Business Section’ where there are multiple access points off a highway into a municipality. In this case, there is only one access point off Highway 7 that the Ministry has already placed signs. Therefore we are unable to comply with your request,” wrote Christine Smith, Traffic Operations Analyst, in a letter to the township.

This response did not please Council.

“The problem is that people driving by on Highway 7 do not know that there is a business section in Sharbot Lake. This is something that comes up at every business breakfast we hold,” said Councillor Janet Gutowski. “I think we should pursue this further.”

Building boom gathering momentum – A report from Chief Building Officer Ian Trickett for the month of June shows that building activity for the month, and the year thus far, have far exceeded activity in previous years. The total number for permits in June, 39, was up 17 from June ’04, the construction value for those permits, $1,826,000 is up from $545,000 in ’04, and the number of new residential units in June is 12, compared to 3 in ’04.

The figures for the year date show that permits for 29 new homes have been issued, as compared to 20 for the same period in 2004 and 14 in 2003, and the total construction value was $5,151,000, as compared to $2,693,000 for the same period in 2004, and $2,171,000 in 2003.

Untitled Page

Home | Local Weather | Editorial Policy

Feature Article

August 11, 2005

. | Navigate | .

ArchiveImage GalleryAlgonquin Land Claims

Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright

Addington Highlands Council meeting

by Jeff Green

Northbrook resident Karen Elliot travelled to Denbigh to address Addington Highlands Council at their sole August meeting. Elliott is concerned about the traffic situation in Northbrook, and congestion that results from parking on Hwy. 41.

Council will request that the OPP enforce the No Parking provisions that are in place.

Two years ago there was a public meeting with Ministry of Transportation Officials concerning putting a stoplight in at the corner of Hwy. 41 and Peterson Road. At the time Ministry engineers said a stoplight was warranted for safety reasons. There was some contentiousness over changes to entranceways that would have to take place. Township Clerk-Treasurer Jack Pauhl has been in contact with Ministry of Transportation Officials over the stoplight. Apparently, the engineering has been finalised and it is just a matter of finding funding for the project in the Ministry budget.

Official Plan hits snag – The Township approved its Official Plan late last year and forwarded the document to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs in Toronto for review. When the Official Plan came back there were the usual requests for wording changes, but there are were also two requests for changes that are proving difficult for the township to accept. The Ministry would like the township to limit year-round development to public roadways, and prohibit permanent dwellings from private roads.

“Many people have been working at converting cottage properties into year-round residences in recent years, and we don’t see why the township should prohibit people from doing that,” said Reeve Ken Hook.

The other issue in dispute relates to lot size. The proposed Official Plan has a minimum lot size, for newly created lots, of 0.4 hectares (1 acre) and 200 feet of frontage. The Ministry is pushing for a minimum lot size of 1 hectare (2.5 acres) and 300 feet of frontage.

In neighbouring North Frontenac Township, however, there is a minimum lot size for general residential and waterfront residential lots is 0.4 hectares. Frontage requirements vary; for general residential it is 30 metres (98.4 feet) and for waterfront it is 45 metres (147.6 feet). These minimum lot size dimensions have been approved in the North Frontenac Official Plan and the comprehensive zoning bylaw, which was vetted by Municipal Affairs and was approved in April of 2004.

Addington Highlands Council is trying to arrange a meeting with representatives from Municipal Affairs to deal with these two outstanding issues.

Police reporting – The Addington Highlands Police Services Board was dissolved last month when the township moved from contract to status quo policing. The OPP has asked how the township would now like to be apprised of OPP activities in AH, and Council has decided to request quarterly reports to be sent directly to Council.

Library Fire Inspections – The two branches of the Addington Highlands Library are in need of fire inspections and Fire Chief Cuddy will be conducting them in the coming days.

$4000 from Waste Diversion Ontario – Addington Highlands has received a payment of $4,000 for the amount of recycled materials that have been collected at township dumps. This money will be placed in the township waste site closure fund.

From 2003 to 2004 the amount of recycling increased by 27% in the northern part of the township and 55% in the south. Reeve Hook attributes this increase to the implementation of the $2 bag tag system. For every bag of recyclables a free bag tag is issued, creating a significant incentive for recycling.

Feature Article - August 25

Home | Local Weather | Editorial Policy

Feature Article

August 25, 2005

. | Navigate | .

ArchiveImage GalleryAlgonquin Land Claims

Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright

Ompah dump to become waste transfer station

North Frontenac Council, August 18, 2005

by Jule Koch Brison

Pending receipt of a certificate of approval from the Ministry of the Environment, the Ompah dump will become a waste transfer station on a trial basis sometime after it closes next month.

This option had been considered and previously rejected by the Waste Management Committee, chiefly because of worries that garbage would be dumped illegally. The Ompah site was a full service site, but the transfer station would be for household waste only. The committee did not feel that residents would make a second trip to another waste site to dispose of goods such as refrigerators, stoves or tires.

Councillor Bud Clayton, Chair of the Waste Management Committee, stressed that the very first time any illegal dumping takes place, the transfer station would be closed immediately.

Nevertheless, the committee recommended to council that the waste transfer site be set up at the Ompah dump on a trial basis. Councillor Fred Perry asked that council review the costs after one year. The recommendation was accepted and a motion to that effect was passed.

Clayton was asked how long it would take to obtain the certificate of approval from the MoE, but he could not give a definite answer, only saying that it was “in progress”.

Council will proceed with the closing of the Ompah dump after Labour Day and then set up the site when the certificate is received.

A waste attendant would still be present at the site and the hours of operation would be kept the same as the present dump hours.

- ICE WATER RESCUE: Fire Chief Bill Young of Oso District, Central Frontenac, visited council to advise about setting up an Ice Water Rescue Unit of the Ompah Fire Department. When the Ompah Snowmobile Club dissolved, they donated $36,000 to the Ompah Fire department, which proposes to use the money to purchase a rescue boat, ATV, and ice water rescue equipment. The Fire Department will cover an extra $4,772 needed for the purchases.

Bill Young said that it was an unfortunate accident eight years ago that prompted his crew to get into ice water rescue. They fundraised and went ahead and bought the equipment, and have used it about half a dozen times since. The rescue boat is also used in the summer for boating accidents.

Bill Young offered to help with the training of the Ompah crew, and offer that was really appreciated by council. The training takes several days, with sessions for summer and winter conditions.

The Oso Fire department has two boats specifically made for ice water rescue; one is an inflatable Fortuna raft that costs about $5500. The Ompah Fire Department would not need to build storage for it.

Councillor Hunter asked Bill Young how he chooses who goes out in difficult and dangerous conditions. He said he puts it out on the floor and whoever wants to come, does. He said that the ice water wet suits really make one feel comfortable, and as one gets to trust the suits, their confidence levels go up.

Council agreed to go ahead with setting up the Ice Water Rescue Unit, and the sooner the better, as lives might be saved.

- COUNTY TRAILS

Lennox and Addington Rep Steve Roberts made a presentation to Council about the posting of signs for County Trails as part of a fitness trail initiative by L&A County Council. Roberts visited Central Frontenac Council on Aug. 8 with the same request, and it was well received.

The County Trails are not ATV trails, and in response to councillors’ concerns, Roberts said that there was no expectation of paved shoulders, as many of the already signed County Trails do not have paved shoulders. He said it would be indicated on the maps that there were narrow or no shoulders available. Clerk Brenda deFosse was concerned that many shoulders in North Frontenac are vegetated, and Deputy Mayor Gleva Lemke asked if there were any liability concerns. Roberts replied that the trails do not promote any uses of the highway, such as cycling and walking, that aren’t already legal, so there are no liability issues.

Councillor Betty Hunter brought up a concern that the “County” signs might be confusing to ATV drivers. ATVs are allowed on North Frontenac Township roads, but not on county roads, and some roads, such as the Buckshot Lake Road, are part county and part township. Roberts said that perhaps this information could be incorporated into the literature.

Councillor Hunter also asked if “places to eat” etc. would be placed on the map, but Roberts said that while they had considered seeking private sponsorship, they had not done that. The Land o’ Lakes Tourist Association is listed on the maps as the contact for tourist information.

L & A County will provide the signs and reimburse the township for the labour and installation costs.

Council agreed enthusiastically to the proposal.

- POLICY ON SELLING CONCESSIONS: A request by Len Connelly and Cathy McCann to purchase a concession road allowance leading to water has been denied. Councillor Will Cybulski wrote that it is township policy not to sell concessions leading to water. This was questioned by Councillor Clayton, and Councillor Perry said there should be a bylaw. Township staff will research the issue and see whether a bylaw can be passed.

- ROADS MAINTENANCE: Council discussed several complaints about road conditions: A petition with 36 signatures was received requesting immediate maintenance of Mountain Road from Schooner turn to Mackie Lake; emails were also received about Mosque Lake and Arcol Roads. Councillors agreed that the roads are bad and will consult with the Public Works Manager about the schedule for road maintenance. It was also agreed that the dry weather is partly responsible for the problem

Mayor Maguire said the township would consider paving Arcol Road next year. Councillor Cybulski asked, “Why pave, if calcium could do the trick?” Maguire replied, “Considering is not the same as approving”.

- NO SWIMMING? A request from the OPP to change the sign at the Mississippi bridge from “No Diving” to “No Swimming” was denied. The request was made because when an officer spoke to some kids about diving off the bridge, they said they were just swimming. Councillor Cybulski argued that unless there were a bylaw about the swimming – or diving, for that matter, any signs would be unenforceable.

- RECYCLING HAULER: Council will be putting put out a request for proposal for a recycling hauler. Manco, the present contractor, has not been showing up to haul recycling bins away as they have been filling up. This has resulted in piles of recyclables accumulating on the ground at the dump sites. The sites are in the process of being cleaned up by Frazer Haulage of Tweed with the assistance of township staff, but Council agreed Manco should be put on notice about their performance.

A further irritant came last month when Manco informed the township that there is a 5% gas cost surcharge being added to the haulage charge for each load of recycling they haul.

- FIRE BANS: There have been problems with people not respecting the fire bans. First warning letters have been sent out. The ban applies to everyone, including campers.

Feature Article - October 27, 2005

Home | Local Weather | Editorial Policy

Feature Article

October 27, 2005

. | Navigate | .

ArchiveImage GalleryAlgonquin Land Claims

Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright

Notes fromCentral Frontenac Council

by Jeff Green

Cattle Crossing Jim England wrote to council asking for their support for his request that planned construction on Hwy. 7 east of Road 38 include a culvert for a cattle pass under Hwy. 7 at Zealand Road. Mr. English has property on both sides of the highway and it is difficult to move his cattle across the road when he needs to do so. Council agreed to support his request to the Ministry of Transportation.

$80,000 for Bridge repair A bridge over the Salmon River on Cranberry Lake road near the historic Village of Elm Tree is in need of repairs. A report was presented from the engineering firm of McCormick Rankin, which presents several options. Option 1, which is an immediate measure to shore up the bridge so it will get through the coming winter, has already been undertaken. It is estimated this work will cost $5,000. After that several options were presented, at estimated costs ranging from $30,000 for repairs that “may require repairs in the near to medium future” according to the Engineers, to $275,000 for a new bridge that would be “relatively maintenance free for a 75-year life”. McCormick Rankin recommended several mid range options at costs ranging from $75,000 to $100,000, and Public Works Manager Bill Nicol recommended Council proceed with one of them. This option involves the reconstruction of the bridge’s superstructure at a cost of $80,000. It will require that the bridge be closed to traffic for about eight weeks, and will produce a bridge that, according to the engineers, will last for 25 years.

Councilor Bill Guigue wanted to delay repairing the bridge beyond the immediate stop-gap measures in hopes of finding funding for it in the not too-distant future. Councilor Snyder wanted Council to look at the bridge as part of the roads tour that Council had scheduled for the day following the Council meeting, and Councilor Murray thought the $30,000 option would be sufficient.

In the end, Council supported the Public Works Manager’s recommendation. Necessary approvals will be sought immediately and the project will be brought to tender in the near future, with construction expected to commence as early as possible in the spring.

Amnesty day loses popularityIn 2005, 33% of residents made use of their free dump load passes compared with 375 in 2004. The numbers were highest in Oso where 40% were used, and lowest in Kennebec (29%)

Gravel crushing tender Danforth Aggregates was awarded the contract to crush gravel at township pits for use in winter road maintenance this year on a bid of $167,200. The next lowest bidder was Gemmill Sand and Gravel at $197,750

Construction in September 21 construction permits were issued in September, compared to 19 last year and 17 in 2003. The total value of the permits is down significantly from last year, however. In 2005, September permits are for a construction value of $389,000 while the total was $910,000 in 2004. The year-to-date figures are significantly higher this year than in the two previous years. The total for the first nine months of 2005 is $6,636,000 compared to $4,842,000 in ’04 and $3,803,000 in ’03.

Feature Article - October 27, 2005

Home | Local Weather | Editorial Policy

Feature Article

October 27, 2005

. | Navigate | .

ArchiveImage GalleryAlgonquin Land Claims

Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright

Frontenac County:Fumbling for a role

Editorial by Jeff Green

Two or three times a year, gatherings of council members from all four Frontenac townships are held to update the councillors on the activities at the county level. One such gathering was held last week, and it was an opportunity for county staff to talk about various economic development initiatives.

In general, township councils have been wary of any initiatives at the county level, fearing they would lead to an increase in the amount of money Frontenac County requisitions from its member townships.

If Frontenac County were a bird, it would be a strange one, long and lean with a gap between its knees and its feet. It extends from The Frontenac Islands, located on Lake Ontario south of Kingston, all the way up to places like Norcan Lake, which can only be accessed from Madawaska Highlands. In between it encompasses the edges of suburban Kingston, some rich farmland, a swath of cottage country and large amounts of Crown land. And its smallest member, Frontenac Islands, is separated from rest of the county by a city of 100,000 people.

There is a lot of diversity in the economic and social lives of the people who live in Frontenac County, but we all pay a levy of $330+ for every $100,000 of assessed property to Frontenac County.

Most of that money goes to fund services that were funded directly from provincial taxes before downloading of services took place in the late nineties. Some of it goes to the City of Kingston, which provides social services to the entire county through the Health Unit, Ontario Works, and other programs. The County of Frontenac, in turn, operates an ambulance service and owns the Fairmount Home, a long-term care facility located within the boundaries of the City of Kingston. Ratepayers from the City of Kingston pay their share of the costs for Fairmount Home and the ambulance service that the county manages, just as Frontenac County taxpayers pay their share of the costs of Social Services delivered by the City of Kingston.

All of these relationships have been developing since amalgamation in 1998. Initially it was envisioned that the County of Frontenac would have a limited role. It was renamed the Frontenac Management Board, and the unwieldy 27-member county council of pre-amalgamation days was pared right down to the four township mayors.

Since 1998 an expansion was undertaken at Fairmount Home and the ambulance service, which had been directly delivered by the province, was taken over by the Frontenac Management Board (FMB) in 2001. So, a few years ago the FMB decided to become Frontenac County once again.

Since then county staff have been looking at taking on other roles, and the main venture in this regard has been in the area of economic development. The mayors from the four townships, who make up the council of the county, realized that on their own they were not likely to undertake this kind of function, and agreed to establish an economic development office at the county level.

The lack of cohesion within the County, and the reluctance on the part of the township councils to give the County an extended role because it could mean increased local taxes or a diminishing of local authority, have made the economic development role a difficult one to fill in Frontenac County.

This situation came into sharp relief in the past few months as current County Economic Development Manager Dianna Bratina has been looking at developing a Geographic Information System (GIS) for Frontenac County. The four townships are at different stages in the development of their own digital mapping, and even though Dianna Bratina assured everyone there was no intention on the part of the county to replicate what already exists, townships such as Central Frontenac, which is relatively advanced in its use of digital information compared to some others, feared any county initiative would cost money and would actually slow Central Frontenac down.

Seeing no funding support for County GIS, Bratina sought funding from the federally funded Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation for a short-term intern position to study the situation, and determine where the townships are at and how a county-wide GIS solution could result in cost savings. Bratina has been at pains to point out to all the councils, that the County is not stepping on anyone’s toes, and is not spending any municipal tax dollars.

Other counties don’t have the same obstacles to overcome. They were not dissolved with amalgamation as Frontenac County was, and maintained their distinctive roles. Lanark County and Lennox and Addington County, for example, are involved in a variety of initiatives, from economic development to the development of recreational trails, that far outstrip anything Frontenac County is likely to enter into in the foreseeable future.

Last week three or four Councillors from each of the Frontenac townships listened politely as the GIS intern was introduced, and some economic studies were presented. They then agreed, somewhat reluctantly, to meet next month for a day-long planning session for a county strategic plan. A more elaborate strategic planning initiative was blocked by the townships earlier this year.

But even determining where to meet reveals some of the tensions between the parties. Councillor Clayton from North Frontenac offered the township hall in Plevna, even promising a venison lunch. There was no comment from the others to his proposal, and this silence was not lost on the Councillors from North Frontenac Township.

Soon the four Mayors on County Council will provide a strong hint concerning the future role of the county. In the coming months they will consider whether countywide initiatives should be undertaken using the county’s half of the municipal gas tax rebate that is forthcoming from the provincial and federal Governments, or whether that money will be passed on to the member townships for local use.