Feature Article - April 27, 2006

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Feature Article - April 27, 2006

COMRIFcomes through forCentralFrontenac

by JeffGreen

Years after receiving a downloaded highway in need of reconstruction, Central Frontenac will be fixing Road 38, and they hope to be doing so this year.

COMRIF, the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, will be contributing over $4 million to the project, provided Central Frontenac can pony up an additional $2 million.

The COMRIF fund is supported equally by the federal and provincial governments, and a complicated application process has been set up for municipalities to compete for the funds.

Results from this second of three intake periods for COMRIF were expected this past winter, but with a new government in Ottawa , the announcement was delayed.

For Central Frontenac Mayor Bill MacDonald, it has been a long wait for funding support to reconstruct the crumbling Road 38. Before the road was downloaded to South and Central Frontenac, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation completed a reconstruction project on it, from Hwy. 401 north through South Frontenac, ending within metres of the boundary between South and Central Frontenac.

In recognition of this, the province agreed to provide a grant of $3.2 million to Central Frontenac, which was supposed to represent 60% of the cost of reconstructing Central Frontenac’s 35-kilometre portion of Road 38.

The $3.2 million was well short of the cost of reconstruction, and with the road deteriorating each year, Central Frontenac has applied for a series of grants from provincial programs, with names like Superbuild and OSTAR, but to no avail.

Four years ago, the township used most of the $3.2 million provincial grant to reconstruct two parts of the road that were in the worst condition: the section from the border with South Frontenac north to the edge of Parham, and a section in the village of Sharbot Lake. A stop gap patching job was done on the remaining 21 kilometres.

With an annual budget of under $4 million per year for its entire range of operations, the $6 million price tag for completing the reconstruction of Road 38 has been out of reach for Central Frontenac.

Hopes were rekindled in 2004 when the $900 million dollar COMRIF program was announced for rural Ontario , but when Central Frontenac was unsuccessful in the first intake of COMRIF, Bill MacDonald expressed extreme frustration, and wasted no time apprising local MPP Leona Dombrowsky of his feelings on the matter.

Now that Central Frontenac will be receiving $4 million from the second intake, $2 million from each of the senior levels of government, MacDonald is quick to credit Dombrowsky, who is now the provincial minister in charge of the COMRIF program.

“I think you have to give credit where credit is due. Our local representative did a good job for us,” said MacDonald earlier this week.

Central Frontenac will now have to determine how it will fund its own portion of the project’s costs. Of the original $3.2 million grant, $700,000 remains in a reserve fund, leaving the township the task of raising $1.3 million.

Treasurer Judy Gray informed the township council this week that Central Frontenac has been approved for a low-interest provincial government loan program, should council want to take that route. The option of dipping into the township’s general reserve funds remains open as well.

Public Works Manager Bill Nicol said that he is preparing to bring this project to completion by November of this year, and he received approval from council this week to set out a tender for an engineering plan for the project.

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Feature Article - April 27, 2006

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Feature Article - April 27, 2006

Letters to the Editor

Car wash in Hartington?

As an affected property owner and neighbour in the small Hamlet of Hartington, I am writing to inform you of a proposal before council to build and operate a seven-bay car wash on Road 38 across from the Portland Community Church - which by the way had its well go dry last summer.

As of last council meeting, there was nothing concrete shown to us to prove that the car wash operation would not affect the water table, ground water or the surrounding wells in an adverse way.

Perhaps initially only 4-5 homes would be affected, but who is to say how far reaching into the water table the effects would be, and how long before others could have their wells affected. Who really knows how sensitive the area is without hydro-geological testing?

Are those of us who live close by to give up showers and laundry in the same day so that you can wash your car? Is the church to have no hope of their well being once again useful? Was Sydenham not lesson enough, or Westbrook, as to the frailty of wells and the numerous ways they can be affected?

Not only is the effect on the water supply of grave concern, so will be the increase of traffic to the area (IF this car wash is successful) in front of and past our homes and church. It is already such a fast and busy road! Think about how a concrete block building will look in our pretty hamlet.

Do you look up at the night sky to view the stars? Try doing that with lights from a car wash several hundred feet away, lights that according to the owner will be on all night.

If we sit mildly by and let the car wash operation take root, is it setting precedent for things to come (i.e. strip mall) - things deemed by council to be improvements? We who moved from the city to the country chose to do so for the life style we desired, not to have a modern car wash planted in our line of vision. We like the long shadows round bales of hay lay upon; the full moon beaming over rippling fields, and stars not dulled by light pollution.

Please, we all like a clean car, but it is not a necessity. Water for our homes and lives is! Call your council and tell them how you feel, ask for proof there will be no ill effects to our water supply. I hope you enjoy your hot showers, enjoy watching your gardens grow and flowers bloom because you have water; enjoy your clean car that you didn't have to go to town to get, because this car wash could cost us everything, and affect us all.

- Linda Stewart

SF Council should stand firm on Sunday hunting

South Frontenac Council has voted in opposition to Sunday hunting. I want to lend my support to that decision and am disappointed by the recent news that Central Frontenac Township has changed their original decision and caved into the pressures applied by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH).

I applaud South Frontenac council’s decision to oppose Sunday hunting and I hope that others who support that decision will also write to make their voices heard. If you don’t your concerns won’t be heard! Hunters are being constantly pushed to argue for “more hunting opportunities” by their provincial lobby group, the OFAH (just check out OFAH’s website).

But who speaks for the large majority of people who do not hunt? What about their rights to enjoy a peaceful walk during the one day of the week when most people can unwind? On more than one occasion I have been warned away from walking along an abandoned railway line because hunters thought that they had the sole right to be there instead of me.

I am not opposed to Sunday hunting for religious reasons but because I think it is reasonable to expect to have one day during the week without the sounds of shotguns and rifles blasting, not only for those of us who don’t hunt, but also for the wildlife’s sake. As proposed, Sunday hunting could take place on both Crown and private land. If such proposals are accepted, those of us who wish to walk Crown lands on Sunday to enjoy nature would have to avoid doing so unless we want to risk getting shot or hearing frequent and annoying shotgun blasts.

It is argued by MNR and OFAH that expansion of hunting to Sundays is necessary to help control overabundant wildlife. However, of all the wildlife species that may be hunted during this expansion, only a few species might be referred to as overabundant. And those could be controlled more naturally if the predators that normally preyed on them had not been hunted excessively themselves. So-called excess animals could also be removed by simply increasing quota limits during existing hunting periods, so saying that hunting should be extended to Sundays to control overabundant wildlife is misleading at best.

Hunters must surely realize that hunting is a very invasive and consumptive activity, not a benign one. It is noisy (with guns) and disturbing to local wildlife and human populations. Hunting with a modern gun or bow (and all the other paraphernalia available to the hunter today) is a far cry from truly ancient hunting with crude spears or arrows. Hunting for survival is one thing but hunting for so-called sport is questionable when so many wildlife species are being negatively impacted by human society’s growth and resulting habitat loss.

So, I encourage South Frontenac Council to maintain its stance on “No Sunday hunting” in South Frontenac Township . I for one would like to have at least one day in the week when family and friends can enjoy nature and wildlife without hearing blasts and seeing fleeing or dying wildlife.

- Diane Cuddy

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Feature Article - April 6, 2006

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Feature Article - April 6, 2006

County mayors take a raise

by Jeff Green

As they struggled to find savings in the County budget, members of County Council took a break to ponder their own salaries last week.

At the previous meeting, they had requested a report on the salaries of County Councillors in neighbouring districts. It turns out the most other Councils pay their members substantially more, up to double what Frontenac County Councillors receive.

Members of Frontenac County Council receive $5,000 each year, and the Warden receives $12,000. Members Frontenac County Conucil also receive pay as Mayors of their own townships.

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire said he has found the amount of work required to be a responsible County Councillor takes up a considerable amount of time, and said “ I think it would be reasonable for us to raise the wage to $10,000 for Coucil members and $25,000 for the Warden.

Central Frontenac Mayor Bill MacDonald said he thought it was an appropriate time to be discussing a pay increase. “This should be considered now, at the end of our mandate when we may be facing the electorate this year, not in the first year or our term when we would be collecting for our years before anyone had a chance to call us to account.”

Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim VandenHoek said “I consider being a member of County Council to be more or less a public service, but I wouldn’t stand in the way of a modest increase, say $6,500 for each Councillor and $15,000 for the Warden.”

The other three Mayors accepted this proposal and the rate was set. The increase will cost Frontenac County taxpayers $7,000 each year.

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Feature Article - April 6, 2006

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Feature Article - April 6, 2006

Addington Highlands Council report

Official Plan approved Word has come down from the Province that Addington Highlands’ Official Plan has been approved. The consultant that worked on the plan is now ready to work on the Comprehensive Zoning bylaw that will give the plan some regulatory teeth. The price for consulting work on the zoning bylaw has gone up, however, from $27,000 as quoted last year to $35,000 now. Council passed a motion to ask for a reduction in price.

Time and day change for Big Bike The Lions Club of he Land O’Lakes will be hosting a Big Bike for Stroke this year on Friday Evening , May 12 at 5:30 pm. The Big bike has been a Sunday event in the past.

Business Breakfast The next business breakfast will be held at the Kaladar Community Centre on Thursday April 27, starting at 7:30 am. Cam Mather will be the guest speaker, and he will give a presentation about alternative energy.

Roads department looking for grant Last year, the roads department received a grant to help employ two students for roadside cleanup, and they are applying again in 2006.

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Feature Article - April 13, 2006

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Feature Article - April 13, 2006

CentralFrontenac Council does an about face onSunday gun hunting

by Jeff Green

Almost a year to the day after soundly rejecting a request from the Ministry of Natural Resources to endorse Sunday gun hunting, Central Frontenac Council has changed their mind.

On April 13, 2005, the vote was 7-2 against the idea, but this Monday, in a vote of 6-2 (Councillor Bill Snyder was absent) Council has decided to request that the Ministry of Natural Resources institute Sunday gun hunting in the township.

Michael MacDonald, a regional representative for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), the group that spurred on this reconsideration through a letter to council, said that it might be possible for the Ministry to institute Sunday hunting in Central Frontenac in 2006. “It might have to wait until 2007, however, depending on how quickly the Ministry can act,” MacDonald said.

Michael MacDonald appeared before Central Frontenac Council in support of the proposal. He pointed out that 67 jurisdictions supported the idea last year, including Tay Valley Township, and those townships will enjoy the extra tourism benefits of Sunday gun hunting when duck hunting season begins on September 6.

During his presentation, MacDonald characterised hunting as a very safe sport, posing little risk to participants or bystanders.

“People are more likely to be struck by lightning than hit by a stray bullet from a hunter,” he said in response to concerns by Councillors Logan Murray and Janet Gutowski about people not being able to walk in the woods for fear of gunfire, mostly during the busy two week deer hunting season.

The OFAH letter was received by council at their meeting on March 28, after which time an online survey was posted on the township’s website. Although the survey was not publicised in any direct way (it was indirectly referred to in an article “Central Frontenac might budge on Sunday gun hunting Frontenac News vol. 6 issue #13), it received 162 responses. Of those, 128 said yes to Sunday gun hunting, 33 said no, and 1 was undecided.

When asked by the Frontenac News, Michael MacDonald said that the OFAH had not organised their local members to respond to the survey.

“I only found out about it myself when I looked at the website to confirm the date of the meeting,” said MacDonald, who filled in the survey himself.

Councillor Logan Murray, an outspoken opponent of Sunday gun hunting, said that not enough public consultation had taken place.

“One hundred and sixty people responded to a survey that most people never even knew about,” Murray said, I don’t think that’s enough to make a decision like this. Of the 14 calls I’ve received, 11 have been against this idea.”

The online survey had been proposed when council rejected the idea of a public meeting on the subject.

Councillor Gutowski challenged some assertions Michael MacDonald had made about the economic benefits of hunting to rural Ontario .

“Any one can bring forward figures to support their position, but they aren’t always the final word on something,” she said.

Councillors Guigue and Harvey were the only two that supported the proposal in 2005 and Councillors Murray and Gutowski were the only two who opposed it in 2006.

The four members of Council who changed their votes from no to yes did so for different reasons. Mayor MacDonald opposed the proposal last year because it did not include Crown Land and he thought people wouldn’t know if they were hunting illegally if they strayed onto Crown land. A reversal by the Ministry of Natural Resources to include Crown Land in the proposal made him change his mind.

Deputy Mayor Frances Smith and Councillor Faye Putnam mentioned the problem of nuisance deer as motivating them to change their minds, and Councillor Jack Nicolson said he had done an “unscientific poll, and found that opposition was strong, but then again most of the people who I talked to opposed hunting, of any sort.”

While the final result angered Councillor Murray, who tried unsuccessfully to have the motion tabled in order to allow further public debate, Councillor Bill Guigue was more than pleased.

“This does not force anyone to allow hunting on their own property on a Sunday, it only allows those who want to hunt on their own property to do so,” he said, “and it will have positive impact on economic development in our township.”

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Feature Article - April 13, 2006

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Feature Article - April 13, 2006

Good news for dump fans inCentralFrontenac

byJeffGreen

At their meeting this week, Central Frontenac councillors decided to make using township dumps a little easier for residents, and a little cheaper.

They decided to maintain the practice of including a pass for one free dump load with the spring tax bill. In 2005, only 33% of the dump passes were redeemed, as compared to 37% in 2004. The passes can be used for all appliances (Freon removed), non-reusable furniture, mattresses, and bagged household garbage.

They also decided to make dump tags available for purchase at the dump sites. Until now tags have only been available at the township office during business hours or by mail order.

Councillors Gutowski and Murray proposed extending the availability of the tags, citing that seasonal residents and permanent residents who commute for week are unable to get to the township office between Monday and Friday before 4:30 pm.

Janet Gutowski had proposed that the tags also be sold at convenience stores and service stations, but staff recommended that it would be preferable to keep them at the dump sites and the township office. Staff also recommended that payment at the dump sites be done by cheque.

Council agreed to follow the staff recommendation.

Land o’ Lakes Tourist Association In order to support an application for funding from a provincial rural economic development program, the Land o’ Lakes Tourist Association (LOLTA) requested that Central Frontenac commit to supporting them for the next two years. For several years, council has supported LOLTA to the tune of $6,000, and this year LOLTA’s request was for $12,000 over two years. Even though this meant committing a future council to a spending commitment, council agreed to the LOLTA request.

Land o’ Lakes Communications Network (LOLCN) The Communications Network, which runs the Frontenac E-Waste Recycling Centre (FEWR) at the former township garage on Wagner Road near Sharbot Lake , asked council for a lease extension until September 30.

Although the Computer for Schools program at the site has had continued success and funding support, the e-waste recycling has been plagued by lack of funding.

In a note to council, Jim MacPherson, the LOLCN coordinator, said that for the time being, “The FEWR site will continue to accept up to two complete systems from residents of Central Frontenac only until further funding is secured.

“The Ontario regulations banning electronic waste from landfill, when enacted, will provide opportunities for municipalities to develop and fund e-waste diversion programs. We feel that the FEWR project has placed Central Frontenac in the position of being a leader in rural e-waste management.”

The lease extension was granted.

Budget fans get ready The township’s auditors will be meeting with staff on April 18 to finalise the 2005 financial figures, which will clear the decks for Council to begin work on the 2006 budget. Council decided to hold their first budget meeting on April 25, after the scheduled council meeting. Budget deliberations should get underway at about 11:00 am

Official plan review Glenn Tunnock and Andrew Pascuzzo presented a detailed account of changes they are contemplating as part of the five-year review of the township’s Official Plan. Issues covered include: public road maintenance, the future of private roads, lake planning, outdoor furnaces, and economic development. After hearing comments from council, the two planners will prepare a report outlining recommended changes to the Official Plan. Public meetings will be scheduled for late spring or early summer in order to include seasonal residents in the process, before Official Plan amendments are proposed.

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

Mr.Shea comes toSouthFrontenac

byJeffGreen

Terry Shea, the general manager of the Land o’ Lakes Tourist Association, paid a visit to South Frontenac Council this week, and outlined some of LOLTA’s new directions.

Shea talked about the Let’s Go concept that has been adopted by LOLTA, and has been incorporated into their 2006 tourist map and brochures. “Let’s Go is all about encouraging people to come to the Land o’ Lakes for fishing, birding, hiking, snowmobiling, cycling, and everything else that we can promote, but it differs from our prior approach in that it does not limit its focus to people staying over in the region. Let’s Go encourages one-day excursions as well, a part of the market that has been ignored in the past,” he said.

It was important for LOLTA to come up with a new approach at this time, because they are seeking new funding for their members through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

“The only way we can exist and market as aggressively as we have been doing, is with provincial support,” Shea told council, “and the province has made it clear they will not fund existing programs; they will only fund new initiatives, so Let’s Go is coming about at an opportune time.”

Shea said he is hoping to have confirmation of funding from the province in the next few weeks.

South Frontenac is a supporting partner of LOLTA, and Council was receptive to Shea’s report.

Golf on Snider Road - Lloyd and Wendy Hartwick would like to open a driving range and mini-putt course at their property on Snider road, near the boundary with Central Frontenac. Their application for a zoning amendment was given first and second reading. Third reading was delayed until council receives Health Unit approval and a final site plan is submitted to planner Lindsay Mills. Third reading is expected on May 2.

The Hartwicks intend to open their business on July 1.

Development Fee waived Council agreed to waive a development fee for a Bedford couple who intend to build a new home on a property that once housed a trailer built onto a permanent foundation.

“The bylaw concerning development fees states that the fee is not applicable when a permanent dwelling is being replaced,” argued Councilor Del Stowe, “and while the trailer that was there wasn’t a fancy dwelling, it was a dwelling.”

“It wasn’t a legal dwelling,” said Councilor Davison, referring to the fact that no permits had ever been issued and the land in question had always been taxed as vacant land.

In a recorded vote, Council agreed unanimously to a resolution that waived the fee, although Councilors Smith and Davison both said they were doing so reluctantly. The resolution mentioned that the dwelling existed on a permanent foundation. Council did not want to set any precedents for when mobile trailers become illegal in the township in 10 years, and trailer owners will be forced to think about building houses or cottages.

Building up so far in 2006 - The construction value of the 65 building permits issued in the first quarter of 2006 was $1,858,308. In 2005, the first quarter saw 63 permits issued for a construction value of $1,383,373.

In 2004, 71 permits were issued on the first quarter, for a construction value of $3,345,430

Only one hazardous waste disposal day On June 3, the township will provide an opportunity for hazardous waste disposal for South Frontenac residents. Councilor Peter Roos asked if council wanted to add a second day sometime in August, to better serve the seasonal population. “Let’s see if the first one works,” said Councilor Ron Vandewal, a view that was echoed by others on Council.

The township will pay a minimum of $6,400 to set up the hazardous waste, and the cost will be higher if a large number of residents take advantage of the opportunity.

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

County considers how to divvy up infrastructure money

by JeffGreen

Frontenac township councils will be looking for money to help pay for basic infrastructure, mainly road maintenance, when Frontenac County Council meets this week.

The county received the money from two programs, the

federal/provincial Gas Tax rebate, a five-year program, and a one-time payment from the province, called MOVE Ontario , that sprung out of the recent provincial budget.

The four Frontenac townships have already received their own allocations from the two programs, and in each case, the County of Frontenac received an identical amount to the combined total of how much the four townships received. Since Frontenac County does not maintain physical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, county council is expected to give the money directly to the townships.

Both North and South Frontenac township councils have passed resolutions asking that the county do just that.

North Frontenac Township would like the county portion of these funds allocated differently than the way the money was passed out by the province, because it was done on the basis of the number of permanent residents in each jurisdiction, leaving North Frontenac with no funding support for the 78% of their residents that are seasonal.

At a North Frontenac Council meeting on April 13, Mayor Ron Maguire asked his council for direction on how hard to push his colleagues on county council to distribute its portion of the two grants based on property assessment rather than the number of permanent residents in each township.

Based on a permanent resident population of 1801, North Frontenac will receive $146,308 from the gas tax program over 5 years, and received $76,537 from Move Ontario . South Frontenac, with a permanent resident population of 16,415, will receive $1,333,508 from gas tax revenues over 5 years, and received $607,590 from Move Ontario . Central Frontenac, with a permanent resident population of 4,557, will receive $370,149 from the gas tax program over 5 years, and received $193,659 from Move Ontario .

If, as North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire would prefer, property assessment had been used as the basis to calculate who gets what, the county portion of the money would be divvied up differently. There are about 10 permanent residents in South Frontenac for each 1 in North Frontenac, and thus South Frontenac received about 10 times as much funding as North Frontenac; however, it would only receive four times the funding if the formula had been based on property assessment.

“We need to provide roads and bridges for our seasonal residents, and they pay taxes, but they get no benefit from these programs,” North Frontenac Councilor Bud Clayton said as North Frontenac Council urged Mayor Maguire to try and address the imbalance when Frontenac County Council decides how to divide up the money.

“The county taxes us based on the amount of assessment we have, so they should allocate this money to us in the same way,” said Councilor Betty Hunter.

Since both of the infrastructure programs are designed to subsidize the cost of maintaining and improving roads and bridges, it could be argued their allocation should have been determined on the basis of how many kilometers of road there are in each township. There are 520 kilometres of road in North Frontenac; 792 in South Frontenac; and 576 in Central Frontenac.

This issue will be considered at the county council meeting on April 19. “There’ll be a wild and wooly debate at the county level,” said Maguire.

Mayors MacDonald from Central Frontenac and VandenHoek from the Frontenac Islands have not said publicly how the money should be allocated.

South Frontenac Mayor (and current County Warden ) Bill Lake , said that “the money came in according to population and should really go out in the same way.”

He did say, however, that he might be somewhat flexible about how the county portion of the gas tax money is reallocated, but not the MOVE Ontario money.

“South Frontenac pays well over half of the bills at the county, so if there is some money coming back we should be getting our fair share.”

A recent report from county staff mentioned possible uses of some of the monies for county-managed projects. This possibility was raised at a meeting of South Frontenac Council, prompting an angry response from Councilor Don Smith.

“The problem I have with them keeping the money is that it’s going to be used to solely to build their empire,” Smith said.

All of the townships are keen to have the matter resolved so they can use the money when they consider their own budgets in the coming weeks.

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

Clar-Mill HistoricalArchives a reality:North Frontenac Council,April 13, 2006

byJuleKoch Brison

OPENING OF CLAR-MILL HISTORICAL ARCHIVES: A grand opening of the new Clar-Mill historical archives is scheduled for May 9 at 6:30 pm. at the Plevna library. The collection is the work of Bethany Armstrong, whose historian father Charlie was the author of the book “Away back in Clarendon and Miller”. The archives have been funded by the sales of the book, and the public library has donated space for the collection.

COUNCIL OPEN HOUSE: Council agreed to hold an Open House on June 17 from 9 am to noon at the Clar-Mill hall in Plevna. Local business owners, community groups and lake associations are all invited to attend. Councilors will give short presentations on issues such as waste management and the Crown Land Stewardship program, and listen to ratepayers’ concerns and ideas. Councilor Clayton expressed hope that, as North Frontenac does not have a chamber of commerce or a businessmen’s association, the meeting would foster co-operation among local businesses.

NEW FIRE HALL: Council passed a bylaw to sign a contract with Millenium Construction for building a new fire hall.

COMPOSTING PROGRAM: The township has started a program to sell backyard composters to NF ratepayers for $20, and to provide free under the counter compost buckets.

HARLOWE CLUB: The Harlowe Community Rec. Club has raised the funds to install central air conditioning in the Harlowe hall at no cost to the municipality. Councilor Fred Perry expressed concern that although the club has invested an enormous amount of work and money in the hall, still, in the near future when the township hires a new staff person to manage the community halls, they would have to pay to rent the hall. He suggested that the club receive some kind of credit for the $5,000 - $7,000 they will be spending on the air conditioning unit.

Clerk Brenda DeFosse asked how that would be monitored, and other councilors pointed out that many groups have invested much work and money in the halls.

Council denied the request for permission to install the unit, asking instead that the club obtain three quotes for the work from a licensed contractor with liability insurance, and work with the building inspector.

CONTAMINATED SOIL GOES TO LANDFILL: About 100 tonnes of gasoline-contaminated soil from a business in Plevna that has closed down, will be accepted at the Plevna Waste Site for a fee of $20/tonne. The Ministry of the Environment does not deem the soil to be hazardous waste; Councilor Clayton said that the gasoline simply evaporates when the soil is spread thin. Dale Gemmill, the contractor who removed the underground gas tanks, said that the tanks were not leaking; the gas was just from spills at the pumps over the years. The MoE was present when the tanks were taken out. Soil samples were taken and only one in six came back contaminated.

RURAL ROUTES TRANSPORTATION SERVICE: Mayor Maguire gave council an update on the newly formed Rural Routes Transportation Service. “It’s going to be a very, very good service,” he said after attending the inaugural meeting last week of Rural Routes’ advisory board, on which he sits. Maguire said that the service will provide rides to anyone in its catchment area that needs a ride for any reason. Volunteer drivers will pick up people from outlying areas and transport them to Sharbot Lake to link up with Rural Routes’ vans. Fees will be charged for the trips, but if anyone can’t pay, Ontario Works will cover the cost to a certain maximum.

“The program is in very good hands with organizer Jane Drew,” Maguire said.

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

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Feature Article - April 20, 2006

AddingtonHighlands Council -- April 18, 2006

by JuleKochBrison

Hall Renovations: Council received only one tender for renovations at the Flinton Hall, for $6,831, and voted to accept it. The plans for renovations at the Denbigh Hall are finally ready to be put out to tender.

The Flinton Recreation Club requested that they be allowed to remove a wall between the utility room and the kitchen area of the canteen at the Flinton Hall. Permission was granted subject to approval from the building inspector

The Library Board asked for permission to remove part of a wall at the Denbigh library because when children are in the room it encloses, the librarian cannot see what is going on. Council granted the request subject to approval by the building inspector.

Addington Highlands will be holding a contest for homeowners to beautify their properties. The area will be divided by postal codes e.g. Kaladar, Denbigh, etc., and homeowners who always have taken care to make their properties attractive will be eligible too. Local businesses will be asked to donate prizes and the judges will travel through the areas to make their decisions.

Interesting film footage from the 1967 Centennial celebrations in the Denbigh area was discovered when the library was cleaned up. The films have been put on DVDs, which will be sold for $10 as a fundraiser for the library. The footage recorded fishing derbies, Santa Claus parades, track and field events, and boring holes in the 4 foot deep ice on Denbigh Lake . “Pretty well everyone in Denbigh is on there,” commented Reeve Hook.

An agreement with the Town of Renfrew for hazardous waste disposal is ready to sign. The service will be available from May to August.

The Recreation Facilities Committee has recommended to council that the township’s snowblower and lawnmower in Denbigh be sold, and that whoever wins the tender for rink attendant be required to supply their own equipment. Councilor Cox said that the equipment has been broken and would be too expensive to fix.

Council voted to change their pay from a per diem rate to per annum. The new salaries are: Reeve - $10,000 per annum; Deputy Reeve - $7000 per annum; Councilors - $5,000 per annum. The mileage rate for councilors and township employees was raised from 38 cents/km to 40 cents/km.

Conestoga Rovers, a firm that approached the township with a proposal to investigate the feasibility of wind power generation, will need certain data. The MNR has the data, but AH has to join a data exchange to access it. The cost is $1000, but Township CAO Jack Pauhl did not know whether that was a one-time or a yearly fee. Reeve Hook said the wind power would be such a positive thing for the township that he didn’t want to turn anyone off the proposal, but as Conestoga Rovers had approached the township saying there would be no charge to AH, he felt that the cost of the data should be shared. Council will wait for further details.

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