Feature Article - FEbruary 1, 2007

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February 1, 2007

Citizen Clayton returns to Council (and other notes from North Frontenac Council) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Jeff Green

Mayor Ron Maguire did not exactly roll out the welcome mat for former councilor and mayoral candidate, Bud Clayton, who appeared before North Frontenac Council last week on behalf of Gail and Larry Tufford.

The Tuffords have been seasonal residents on the Head Road near Little Marble Lake for over 50 years, staying in cabins that are over 100 years old.

The land on which the cabins stand is a township road allowance, and the Tuffords have been leasing the land from the township all these years. In 1999, they signed a five-year lease which ran out in May of 2004.

Last summer, citing environmental and safety concerns, the township informed the Tuffords that they must vacate the land by May 1 of this year.

The major issue for the township appears to be the proximity of the cabins to the road, and the danger posed by the sightlines for vehicular traffic which comes from three different directions.

In his presentation, Bud Clayton asked council to reconsider its decision. He said that he “couldn’t find any official complaint about safety” and that a query with the Kaladar police detachment did not reveal any motor vehicle accidents at that location. He also noted that if the cabins are removed and the Tuffords leave, the location will become public domain, and there will be no way to stop people from using it for picnicking and swimming, thus increasing rather than eliminating any potential safety hazard.

Ron Maguire responded by telling Clayon, “You were a part of the council that, from a safety perspective, went through with this last year. You were part of it. This was classed as a safety hazard by staff. I will have staff look at it again, but I can tell you nothing has changed.”

“When can I expect an answer?” Bud Clayton asked.

“In two weeks,” Maguire replied.

2007 LOLTA map and experience planner – Terry Shea and Jo-Anne Cuddy from the Land O’ Lakes Tourist Association brought a supply of maps and planners for the township to hand out. Shea talked about the partnership that LOLTA has enjoyed with the township and outlined the organisation’s plans for the coming year.

Frontenac Accessibility Commitee – the township is seeking a resident who is willing to sit on the Frontenac Accessibility Advisory Committee. Mileage and a per diem will be paid, but the committee member must have some form of disability, such as diabetes or another condition.

Mileage rate – A survey of neighbouring municipalities and the federal government has led the township to up their mileage rate to $0.45 per kilometre, which is the same rate as is paid by Frontenac and LanarkCounties. The rate was last raised in 2005, from $0.35 to $0.42

On-site Wastewater Disposal System Inspection Program – Under this program, which used to be called a septic re-inspection program, 102 properties were inspected on four lakes: Kash, Marble, Mazinaw and Big Gull. The program was hindered somewhat, according to a report prepared by Jamie Saunders, by the fact that the township was unable to send out advance questionnaires to property owners whose properties were to be inspected, because of staffing changes at the township. Nontheless, the inspection revealed that “the condition of the on-site wastewater treatment systems for shoreline properties in North Frontenac was fairly good.”

About 15% of the properties inspected had issues that were of serious concern to the inspectors. The most serious problems seem to be at KashLake. After inspecting 102 properties over two years, inspectors have found 10 systems that are too close to the water, 7 that have tanks in poor condition, 6 with excessive plant growth, 6 with surface discharge, and three with roots in the septic tank.

Articles from January 18

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16

Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage FestivalIt's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article - February 1, 2007

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February 1, 2007

Friend of the Salmon comes to Counciland other items from Central Frontenac Council - January 23 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------by Jeff Green

FRIENDS OF THE SALMONRIVER – Gray Merriam, who lives at the mouth of the Salmon River by KennebecLake, appeared at a Central Frontenac Council meeting this week with an update of the activities of the Friends of the Salmon River, a group he founded in the spring of 2004.

Merriam pointed to a map of the Salmon River Watershed, and pointed out that it includes a large amount of territory in Central Frontenac, including areas to the north of KennebecLake, which drain into that lake, BigClearLake, and the Salmon River itself.

The Friends of the Salmon River have received grants of $65,000 in 2004 and $55,000 in 2005, which they have used to do an evaluation of the watershed and a flora and fauna inventory, and to produce a report on their findings.

“By and large, the Salmon River watershed is not in bad shape, we are happy to report,” Merriam said.

There are concerns about drainage from some roadways, and about the impact future bridge replacements will have on the watershed. Merriam said that the Friends of the Salmon River will be available to help the township, the Quinte Region Conservation Authority, and the Ministry of Transportation (who have said they might be replacing their bridge over the Salmon in the coming years).

Merriam, and the Friends of the Salmon, took part in the Lake Management Plan for KennebecLake, which is being held up as a model for both Central Frontenac and Quinte Conservation.

Of particular concern to the Friends of the Salmon is the Arden-Tamworth Road, which runs along the river bank, and is liable to leach road salt, gravel, etc. into the water. “It’s a sensitive part of the river,” Merriam said, “We’ve inherited the road; we have to live with it. Let’s see if we can maintain it without doing any damage.”

He invited council to give the Friends of the Salmon a call any time.

CranberryLake bridge – Council is applying for funding support to do required work on the CranberryLake bridge. All of the preliminary work for the project, including engineering and environmental assessment work, was done last year, making it a suitable candidate for funding from a one-time provincial infrastructure funding program. The deadline for applying to the $70 million program is early February, and the township will hear back by late March. If the application is not successful, the township will have to budget for the project this year.

Tendering for gravel – The township is tendering for the crushing of 40,000 metric tonnes of Granular “A” and 20,000 metric tonnes of granular “B” gravel. The gravel will be used in road projects planned for this year, including final road preparation for the remaining 4 km of the Arden Road, and for Tryon Road, Babcock Road, Cronk Road, Forty Foot Road, Godfrey Road, Fourth Lake Road, Echo Lake Road and Second Lake Road.

Posting agendas – Council agreed to post the agendas for committee of adjustment meetings, which deal with zoning and minor variance matters, on the township website, much as council meeting agendas are posted.

Surplus equipment – The township is selling off some old fire equipment; including a 1967 Ford Pumper, a 1967 International Pumper, and a 1976 GMC Pumper. The equipment will be advertised for sale by tender.

Aggregate Resources Open House – The Ministry of Natural Resources will send a representative to an Information Open House regarding the new Aggregate Resources Act, which will be held on February 17 (location TBA). This session will be of particular interest to existing gravel pit owners in Central and North Frontenac, who have until the end of June to register their pits if they want to be “grandfathered” into the act.

Oak Flats Road – Deputy Mayor Bill Snyder, who has long advocated for improvements to the Oak Flats Road, has decided not to wait until budget deliberations this year. He presented a notion of motion to have a portion of the Oak Flats Road worked on this year, and paved in 2008. The motion will be considered at the next meeting.

Articles from January 18

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16

Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage FestivalIt's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article - February 1, 2007

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February 1, 2007

County budget nears completion: only two items outstanding -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------by Jeff Green

Frontenac County Council got some good news from staff last week when they sat down to consider their 2007 budget: the projected levy increase has dropped to 2.64% from 3.22% a week earlier.

Much of the county’s expenditures each year is linked to budgets for the Frontenac County Land Ambulance Service, which will see a 0.72% increase in the levy this year and the Fairmount Home for the Aged, which will see a 2.76% increase. In both cases, surplus funds from 2006 are being used to offset capital expenditures in the coming year.

Frontenac County Council approved the budgets for these two programs at their January 24th meeting. They are both funded by taxpayers from the City of Kingston as well as FrontenacCounty ratepayers, and will be discussed at a meeting of county and city politicians on February 12th. FrontenacCounty councilors wanted to go into that meeting with approved budgets for shared programs.

Two items on the budget were flagged for further discussion by members of council. Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek sought further explanation from county staff for a $50,000 Business Continuity Project under the Emergency Management budget.

The budget package contains the following explanation of the project: “The County recognises that it will need to continue operations under emergency conditions. An amount has been allocated to hire a consultant to assist with business continuity. It is hoped that this resource can be accessed by the townships also.”

“I’m not entirely comfortable with this,” said Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek, “It’s too grey for me.”

“We already have backup generators to deal with things like ice storms,” said County Warden Ron Maguire

Paul Charbonneau, the Emergency Services Co-ordinator for the County, described circumstances where townships of the county will need support. “What if your software fails, or a third of your staff is off with flu, or you have treasurer that will be away for a certain length of time. It’s really the soft issues that we are concerned about here. It would be beneficial to have fixed plans in place for these eventualities. The City of Kingston has $200,000 in their budget to do business continuity.”

“I see this planning as beneficial to do as a group. I don’t see our [township] staff being able to do this planning,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski.

“I have some discomfort with the $50,000” Jim Vanden Hoek reiterated.

Elizabeth Fulton, the chief administrative officer with the county, said that the funding for the business continuity project would not be taken from municipal taxes in any event, so cutting it will not lead to a decrease in the levy to ratepayers. If approved, the project would only go ahead if councilors decided to spend some of the county portion of the Federal Gas Tax rebate on it. (see “An Open Letter to the Mayors”)

The second unresolved item in the budget is $46,500 in support of the Rural Routes Transportation Program.

Rural Routes is a user-pay service that provides rides to medical appointments and other services for people in North and Central Frontenac, as well as some parts of South Frontenac.

South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison said, “This is not much different from the ferry issue,” referring to the fact that the municipal portion of costs to run the ferry to Howe Island is funded entirely by ratepayers from the Frontenac Islands. “I think it should be area rated.”

“It’s a new service,” said Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski. I think it’s an extremely valuable service. There are opportunities to extend the service to South Frontenac.”

The $46,500 line item, which County Chief Administrative Officer Eizabeth Fulton understands will be devoted to covering administrative costs for Rural Routes, represents a little over 0.5% of the County levy. If it is removed, ratepayers would be left with a 2.1% increase in their county taxes over 2006.

Articles from January 18

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16

Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage FestivalIt's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article -February 1, 2007

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February 1, 2007

Mountain Grove fire hall receives tentative approvalby Jeff Green--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A new fire hall in Mountain Grove had been planned for this year, and now it seems almost certain that it will be built, perhaps by the fall. Central Frontenac Fire Chief Mark MacDonald approached council this week to talk about the potential savings that would come with approaching Cornerstone Contracting, the company that is building a fire hall south of Sharbot Lake, and offering them the contract to build in Mountain Grove, if they can match the specifications and price per square metre of the Sharbot Lake building. In a written report, he said “There has been interest expressed by both the fire department and some members of council to expedite the construction process for the fire hall in Mountain Grove, rather than wait for final budget approval, which could be as late as May.” A motion was prepared by interim Chief Administrative Officer John Duchene, which stated that the matter will be brought up in preliminary budgetary discussions next month, and if approved, Cornerstone will be granted the contract, provided they agree to the stipulated terms. Mark MacDonald pointed out that the Sharbot Lake building is what is called a “pre-engineered” building, and the one in Mountain Grove will be essentially the same as the one in Sharbot Lake, except it will have one less bay. Councilor Philip Smith raised a concern over spending several hundred thousand dollars “without going to a tendering process”. This concern was echoed by Councilor Gary Smith, who said, “I am concerned about bypassing the tender process in this case. I would like the opportunity to go back to the tender process.” John Duchene said, “We got competitive bids last year. The thinking is, with this proposal, that if Cornerstone would match that price, it might be acceptable to Council.” “I should point out that Cornerstone was the lowest bidder last time around, by a significant amount. I appreciate the concerns of council, but I am concerned about delays. We could be looking at another year,” said Fire Chief Mark MacDonald. Councillor Norman Guntensperger asked MacDonald “Is your thinking that, by moving quickly, we are going to have savings?” “That’s exactly what I’m thinking,” agreed Councillor Frances Smith, “I think if we go back to tender, we will not get as good a price as we have now.” MacDonald nodded. In a split vote, council approved the motion, paving the way for construction to begin within the next few months.

Articles from January 18

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16

Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage FestivalIt's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article -February 1, 2007

Back toHome

February 1, 2007

Letters February 1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good Samaritans

Pay it forward…pay it back…we’ll be helpful anyway

Last Sunday I pulled into Sharbot Lake Gas Station to fill up my windshield washer fluid. Imagine my surprise when my engine was smoking and it wasn’t a hot day in SharbotLake. Mr. Basra, the proprietor, was kind and sent out Ray to take a look. This story could be a long one. I was driving from Ottawa to Toronto and the four and a half hours was going to be long enough and I didn’t want any hold ups. Time moves differently in SharbotLake and everybody seemingly has time for everyone. Had I walked into an episode of Corner Gas?

Two hours later we admitted we were beaten. Ray had given me two hours of his time. He had struggled with the screwdriver and I had held the flashlight. He had demonstrated his wit, sense of humour and his dexterity with the vernacular as well as his mechanical expertise.

Stranded in SharbotLake. No Way. It was a great afternoon. I learned a lot. Everybody came out to help. Les told me the story of his life helping people with his tow truck. Mike offered sound advice on what I should best do and Mr. Ray Fletcher was just the Good Samaritan.

It's people like the ones I met yesterday that we need more of in this world. Thanks, everyone

- John Turner, Toronto

Re: Salmon River

Your coverage from the Central Frontenac Council meeting of January 23 states that The Friends of the Salmon River received two grants for environmental assessment of the Salmon watershed.

I failed to make clear that the actual recipient of those funds from the Canada-Ontario Agreement was the Stewardship Councils. The Friends of the Salmon River supported the Stewardship Councils and was a partner in accomplishing the work.

- Gray Merriam, president

Friends of the Salmon River

Open Letter to Reeve Kerr, Tay Valley Township Council, and area residents:

My question at all candidates meeting last fall: Do you think that the people of Bathurst Burgess Sherbrooke wanted their name changed to the current name, TayValleyTownship?

My answer: The people did NOT want this name change. I think this is the general consensus (Public meeting, newspaper reports, letters, and conversation).

The Geographical Names Board of Canada recommends names with “long-time local usage by the general public” or new names pertaining to local history (pioneers, war dead, aboriginals, and people associated with historical events).

Bathurst, Burgess, and Sherbrooke have been in local usage since the settling of the townships (land records, births, deaths, marriages, school records, township records, and newspaper items). The names, particularly of Henry Bathurst who was the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, reflect the events and reasons that this area was settled. TayValley does not have local usage as the name of a populated place.

In 1816 the Scotch Line pioneers arrived followed by soldiers of the De Watteville regiment. Irish immigrants left a troubled homeland. The military settlers represented many regiments, the navy, and many nationalities (English, Scottish, Irish, German, French, and others). Most fought in the War 1812. Many fought in the Napoleonic wars. Some were Loyalists. Tay, a Scottish name, is not reflective of this diverse group of first settlers.

Naming isnot about creating a new name to attract tourists. The township has another tourist signage project to tell tourists about our history. I suggest that heritage begins at home. If the township wants to preserve and promote our heritage, then I advocate that residents and council have the courage to restore the name “Bathurst Burgess Sherbooke”, and then proudly tell our story.

Catherine McCann (Bathurst)

Smoking mad

I get so mad I want to scream when I see any teenager smoking. It could be stopped, or certainly curbed, if we could do the following:

Adult smokers should have to get an ‘Addiction Card’ from their doctor and have to show it every time they buy smokes. Whenever a teenager is caught with tobacco, they would be fined $100 if they reveal where they got the product, or $250 if they fail to reveal their source. Then the adult would have to give up their card and pay the $250 fine. Of course, if bought in a store, the fine needs to be huge. (The Addiction Card would need a photo).

All the money from the fines should go to OHIP – which is where we all have to pay for their smoking, anyway.

- Carmel Gowan.

Articles from January 18

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16

Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage FestivalIt's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article - January 18, 2007

Back toHome

Januay 18, 2007

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac

by Jeff Green -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

SouthFrontenacTownship will receive up to $352,500 towards the reconstruction of the MitchellCreekBridge from the federal and provincial governments, and North Frontenac will receive up to $79,000 towards the construction of special household waste depots.

Both townships had applied for larger projects in earlier rounds of the program, which is bringing a total of $600 million in provincial and federal funding to rural Ontario municipalities. (For the purposes of COMRIF, rural is defined as a community with a population under 250,000)

CentralFrontenacTownship was a big winner in round 2 of COMRIF, receiving $4 million towards the $6 million reconstruction of Road 38. In earlier rounds South Frontenac had applied for support towards a program to repave all of the roads downloaded with amalgamation, and North Frontenac sought support for a plan to widen the one-lane Missisippi bridge over Road 509. After having its application rejected in both rounds, North Frontenac realised that the Mississippi bridge was an unlikely candidate for funding, because it is in good repair even though it is only one lane wide.

“We decided to change horses after Round 2,” North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire said at a meeting of council last Thursday, “and seek funding for special waste disposal. And it appears that it has worked. This is good news for us.”

Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites for North Frontenac: North Frontenac will use its funding to build special household hazardous waste containment areas at the waste sites on Hwy. 506, at Plevna, and at Mississippi. The areas will be fenced and bermed in, and will be equipped with special trays to ensure materials are contained. The materials will not be permanently stored in the township. The township will have to enter into a contract with a licensed hauler to have the material shipped to a hazardous waste disposal site such as the ones in Kingston and Renfrew.

Until now, the only legal way to dispose of hazardous waste (solvents, car batteries, motor oil, propane, antifreezes, pesticides, etc.) in North Frontenac has been to purchase a $32 pass from the township office and bring up to 20 litres to the Kingston Area Recycles Centre in Kingston. Very few of these passes are sold each year, leading township officials to believe this dangerous waste is either being stored in people’s sheds or is finding its way into the waste sites.

MitchellCreekBridge: Unlike the Mississippi bridge, there is little doubt about the state of repair of the MitchellCreek bridge, which is located right in the middle of South Frontenac, near FrontenacPark. It is crumbling and must be replaced.

There has, however, been an ongoing dispute over plans to make the bridge larger and higher.

The township originally planned to rebuild the bridge to the same dimensions of the current bridge, but the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada), which oversees bridges over all navigable waters, insisted that the bridge be built higher, allowing for bigger boats to travel under it. Local residents formed a group, dubbing themselves the “Friends of the MitchellCreek”, and argued that the bridge should not be made larger for fear of changing the character of the creek and the lake it feeds.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) modified their demands, and are now allowing the township to build a bridge that is lower than their original demands but higher than the current bridge. This has not satisfied the “Friends of the MitchellCreek”.

In December, in response to a request from the “Friends”, the township sent a final letter to the DFO asking once again that the township be permitted to build a smaller bridge. This letter has not yet been answered.

The COMRIF grant does not specify the size of the bridge, according to South Frontenac Chief Administrative Officer Gord Burns.

“We estimated the project at $528,000 in our COMRIF application, which would pay for the larger bridge, but we can build any bridge we want up to that price, and the COMRIF grant will pay 2/3 of the cost,” he said, “but the grant makes it more important than ever for the township to complete the project this year.”

To that end, South Frontenac has written a letter to MP Scott Reid, asking him to check with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, to ensure that the letter of request the township sent in December receives a quick response, so the township can move forward with the project.

Articles from this week

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage Festival It's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article - January 18, 2007

Back toHome

Januay 11, 2007

Strike 3 at COMRIF for Addington Highlandsby Jule Koch Brison-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Central, North and South Frontenac townships have now all received some funding support from the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF), a bitterly disappointed Addington Highlands has come up empty-handed after spending around $10,000 on three applications to the fund.

The applications were all to repair the Skootamatta Lake Road. The first and third submissions were prepared by engineering firms, while the second submission was prepared by township staff.

“For $10,000 we could have done some work on the road,” said Reeve Henry Hogg. “Yes,” said Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath, “but if we didn’t apply we’re left thinking - there was money available and we didn’t apply.”

Recently, the Government of Ontario announced a one-time $70 million Rural Infrastructure Investment Initiative. Unlike COMRIF, the Rural Infrastructure Initiative does not require matching funding from municipalities, or that business plans or invoices be submitted.

Addington Highlands had intended to apply to the new program for funding to repair a bridge on the Hartsmere Road. At Monday night’s council meeting, however, Township Clerk/Treasurer Jack Pauhl pointed out that the application form asks specifically if the municipality has applied to Intake 3 of COMRIF and if it wishes to re-submit the same application.

This caused council to have to make a difficult decision as to which project to apply for. On the one hand the application for the Skootamatta Lake Road is ready to go, and no more money would have to be spent; on the other hand there is the possibility that an application for the bridge would be more likely to receive funding. As Rosenblath pointed out, “Roads don’t fail in the same way that bridges do.” Also, there is no guarantee that enough money might be granted to complete any projects.

When asked which he felt was the priority, Rosenblath replied, “The Hartsmere Road bridge is the highest priority in our bridge system and the Skootamatta Lake Road is the highest priority in our road system, so it’s hard to choose one over the other.”

Councilors Eythel Grant and Janice Kerr both voiced the opinion that the bridge should be applied for. Councilor Louise Scott was absent due to illness but Reeve Hogg and the other councilors were sure that she would vote for the Skootamatta Lake Road. Reeve Hogg also pointed out that a lot of money has recently been spent on the Hartsmere Road.

In the end, Councilor Helen Yanch made a motion to re-submit the Skootamatta Lake Road application and the motion was passed.

Quinte Eco has provided two examples of a possible expansion of the Denbigh Waste Site. Reeve Hogg asked if MoE approval is guaranteed if AH buys the land surrounding the site. Jack Pauhl replied that the MoE hasn’t categorically said yes, but they have been involved in the plan and seem to be favourably disposed to it. Council voted to hire a land surveyor to prepare a draft plan for the waste site.

The Denbigh Recreation Committee is having an Open House at the Denbigh Hall on Friday Jan 19 to meet residents and hear their ideas (see Denbigh news on page 4 for more details). Councilor Janice Kerr, representing the committee, asked if hall rental fees would be waived for future events, and if council could budget some money to get a canteen started at the Denbigh Hall. Council agreed to waive the fees and voted to allocate $200, to be repaid before May 1, to the committee. A Family Fun Day is also being planned for February.

The Ministry of Natural Resources will be adding Addington Highlands to the list of municipalities where Sunday gun hunting is allowed in time for turkey hunting in the spring.

In 2006, residential construction valued at $4,792,601, and commercial construction valued at $977,118 was undertaken. Building permit fees for the residential construction totaled $51,148. Commercial construction fees would have totaled $8009, but have been waived to encourage economic development.

As is customary, Council voted to borrow $2 million to tide the township over until taxes are collected.

Articles from this week

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage Festival It's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article - January 18, 2007

Back toHome

Januay 18, 2007

South Frontenac Councilby Wilma Kenny -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve

By spring, all of SouthFrontenacTownship is expected to be included in the UNESCO-designated Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve (FABR), one of 13 such sites in Canada. Some of the Councillors have questioned whether this might mean property restrictions or additional taxpayer expenses, so invited Don Ross, executive director of FABR to explain the designation. Ross emphasized that Biosphere Reserves have no jurisdiction powers or authority. Their purpose is to recognize areas of unusual ecological, cultural or historical significance, and through networking with local groups, develop programs which help communities work toward healthy environments, sustainable development and cultural development. This would include encouraging sustainable tourism, supporting ‘buy-local’ programs, mapping canoe trails, shoreline restoration, etc. Canadian Biosphere Reserves are largely operated by volunteers, and at present have no government funding, although a private members bill proposes the Federal Government offer some support.

Committees and Boards

Council appointed members of a variety of Boards and Committees for the next 4 years: all such groups must have at least one councillor: the number of citizen members depends largely on the number of individuals who have volunteered. (Citizen members are paid $15. expenses for each meeting they attend.) The four recreation committees were well filled, and the Storrington Cemetery Board proved popular, netting 11 members to Loughborough’s 3. CAO Burns noted that Storrington cemetery had "a lively group." However, Portland cemetery board may be the one to gain that title this time around: its membership is Bill Robinson, Bill Babcock, Eldon Hamilton, Phil Leonard and Don Smith...

MitchellCreek

SF Township has been approved for a Federal/Provincial subsidy through the COMRIF program up to a total of $325,500. based on the actual cost of the project. (COMRIF will cover 2/3 of the project costs.) This means the township may be able to build a more environmentally friendly, less intrusive bridge than originally planned, as well as improve the approaches to the bridge, all at a lower cost to the municipality. CAO Burns congratulated Public Works Manager Blum for his excellent work on the application. There has been no reply to Mayor Davison’s letter to Federal Minister regarding the bridge’s height. Mayor Davison said the letter had been sent to appease the public, and while it may have ‘muddied the waters,’ he doubted it would result in any change from the present government-approved specifications

Articles from this week

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage Festival It's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article - November 30, 2006

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Januay 18, 2007

Habitat for Humanity holds first public meeting in Flintonby Jeff Green -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16.

Ruth Peck, who leads the local committee, introduced Doug and Paul Chisholm, whose donation of a lot near Flinton and thousands of dollars worth of materials provided the impetus for Habitat for Humanity to come to Flinton.

Paul Chisholm said that the Chisholm family has been in the lumbering business for 150 years. “We wanted to do something substantial to celebrate, something charitable, and this made sense,” he said.

Karel Vanek, President of the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate and Bonnie Dobson of the selection committee both spoke about the partnership that Habitat for Humanity builds with communities and with people who end up buying homes from them.

Karel Vanek talked about the building process in general and Bonnie Dobson went over the criteria for family selection. They made it clear that Habnitat does not give people homes; the families that receive homes must contribute 500 hours in “sweat equity” in order to receive a home which they must pay for. The advantage for families is they end up living in an adequate new home with mortgage payments that are lower than the rent they were paying on an inadequate home. A meeting for potential families will be held on Monday night (January 22) at the Northbrook Lions Hall at 7:00 pm.

Families living within 30 miles of Flinton, whose housing is substandard, who have a steady income that is not high enough for them to receive a traditional mortgage, and who are willing to make a commitment to partnering with Habitat for Humanity, might be eligible. For further information call Ruth Peck (613) 336-8915 or Jack Kelly (613) 336-6806.

Many community volunteers will be needed when the build starts in late May. Interested parties can contact the above numbers or look to the News for further information in the spring.

Articles from this week

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage Festival It's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters

Feature Article - February 1, 2007

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February 1,, 2007

Open Letter to Frontenac County Mayors (editorial)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It is time for the four of you to do something very simple and direct, and in doing so release millions of dollars to its intended use. Since there are only four members of the Council of Frontenac County, it will only take a vote from thre of you to release the money that FrontenacCounty is holding from a federal gas tax rebate - money that is intended for the use of municipalities to help with infrastructure costs.

As you all know, in FrontenacCounty half of this money has been allocated directly to the four municipalities, but the other half has been allocated to the county. You also know that, unlike many other counties in Ontario, FrontenacCounty does not have its own infrastructure. All of the roads, bridges, waste sites, and the only water treatment plant, are owned and maintained by the lower tier municipalities. One of you simply has to make a motion at the next county meeting that the money be transferred to the townships; two others have to vote yes, and it will be a done deal.

HastingsCounty, which is similar to FrontenacCounty in that it also has no county roads system, did just that, passing all the gas tax money from the county to the lower tier townships.

A year ago, just such a motion was on the point of being proposed when county staff asked that it be deferred until such time as staff could look at the complicated set of requirements that make up the federal gas tax agreement.

A year has gone by, and the money still rests with the county.

It is true that gas tax money cannot simply be applied to any road and bridge construction project that a municipality decides to undertake, because it is earmarked for so-called “sustainable infrastructure”, but according to an official at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, who are administering the program, there is considerable flexibility in the definition of “sustainability”, and a wide variety of projects can be funded with this money.

The money can also be used for so-called “capacity building”. It is to this use that the county portion of the money will most certainly be put if the money is not transferred to the townships.

For example, the county staff has proposed a $50,000 Business Continuity Project under their Emergency Management budget. If approved, it will lead to the hiring of a consultant to help the county plan for certain eventualities. It is hoped that this will be used by the townships as well. As Mayor Vanden Hoek himself pointed out, the project seems “pretty grey”.

I am sure there is no end to the amount of capacity building projects that can be developed. FrontenacCounty will have received $475,000 in gas tax money by the end of this year. In 2008, $317,000 is coming; in 2009, $396,000; and in 2010, $793,989.

County staff has proposed that a decision over allocation of this money be deferred until after the 2007 budget is completed.

Why? It has been a year since the decision was deferred, and $80,000 from the county portion of the gas tax has been expended thus far. Thirty thousand dollars have been spent on a GIS project, and $50,000 for county-wide inventory assessment. (To be fair, the inventory assessment is something that is being mandated by the province, so it must be completed one way or another)

If the townships can get their hands on the money from the county it would increase their ability to do something meaningful with the gas tax money they have already received.

This is a significant amount of money, especially in the case of South Frontenac, where between the county portion and the township portion, about a million dollars will accumulate by the end of next year.

According to South Frontenac Clerk-Administrator Gord Burns, township staff is looking at using gas tax money this year to replace aging in-ground fuel tanks at township work sites with above-ground tanks, improve salt storage facilities, and improve township landfill sites. While Burns said he sees merit in spending money on long term planning at the county level, he also offered that South Frontenac would not have any difficulty finding applicable projects if the county money were passed their way.

Should FrontenacCounty’s money be spent on the physical infrastructural needs of the townships or on long term planning at the county? It’s up to you Mayors to decide, and you should do so immediately.

Remember, the federal gas tax money is a rebate of taxpayers’ money. It was designed to address an infrastructure deficit that has been identified very clearly by the Eastern Ontario Warden’s Caucus and others. Much political work was done by the Eastern Ontario Wardens and other rural politicians to make rural roads and bridges eligible for this money, with the argument being made that city bus or light rail service are not viable in rural Ontario, but roads and bridges are crumbling.

After all of that effort, it would be a mistake not to spend that money on tangible municipal assets, assets that otherwise will have to be replaced through increases in municipal taxes down the line.

-Jeff Green

Articles from January 18

Third time lucky for South, North Frontenac:The 3rd and final intake of submissions to the Canada Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) resulted in funding support for relatively small initiatives in South and North Frontenac.

Flinton Habitat build: Executive members from the Prince Edward Hastings Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity met with the newly formed Flinton Build committee and the public at the Flinton Rec. Hall on Jan. 16

Biosphere, Committees, and the bridge: South Frontenac Council meetingThree strikes at Comrif for Addington Highlands: Addington Highlands Council meeting of January 15.Frontenac Heritage FestivalIt's Election Year, again: EditorialLetters