Cf_council_meetings
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Feature Article - August 28, 2007Special meeting leads to … another special meeting
by Jeff Green
Central Frontenac Council met to deal with three matters on August 22, and left all three unresolved. Another special meeting was scheduled for August 29, in Mountain Grove, at 5:00 pm.
Tenders have been opened for construction of a new fire hall in Mountain Grove, but as John DuChene, acting CAO of the township, pointed out, a bore hole needs to be drilled to give geo-technical information about the proposed site of the fire hall. If water were found within 5 metres of the surface, it would complicate the project considerably. “It’s unlikely that the reading will be unfavourable, but we need to wait until next week,” Duchene told Council.
When contacted a few days later, on August 28, Duchene told the News that the bore hole has been drilled, and he has received an oral report about a favourable result. “We have not received the written results,” Duchene said, “but at this point it looks like we can move forward to award the tender at our meeting tomorrow [Wednesday, August 29].”
Three companies have answered the tender, and DuChene said the township has been in negotiations with the favoured bidder, but he did not announce any details about the bid, aside from indicating that the project will not likely be under budget.
Also at the August 22 meeting, a tender for construction on a 1.5 km stretch of the Oak Flats Road came in at $302,000 - $45,000 over budget.
DuChene asked for a week so staff could see if any savings can be found in other parts of the budget to help cover for the shortfall. Judy Gray, the township treasurer, returned from vacation at the beginning of this week, and year-to-date budget information was slated to be included incCouncil’s package for the August 29 meeting.
The third matter considered at the August 22 meeting took up over an hour of council’s time. Township Planning Consultant Glenn Tunnock made a presentation concerning a site plan agreement over a proposed cement operation on Highway 7 near Arden.
Final negotiations are envisioned, and the site plan will likely return to council for ratification at the first meeting in September.Look to this site on August 29th for a decision on the Oak Flats Road and Mountain Grove fire hall tenders.
Update: At their meeting on August 29, Council approved both projects. The winning tender for the Mountain Grove fire hall was $509,000 from Wemp and Smith of Kingston. The total project cost is about 532,000, $67,000 over wat had been budgeted. Money for the two overages will be found partially from the monies set aside for a new sal t dome, which will be deferred.
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Feature Article - August 23, 2007AFAR Radio:"Your voice in the community"
by Jeff Green
Addington Frontenac Area Radio (AFAR) is an idea with a future.
The proposed 30-hour a week radio station, which would likely be centred in Northbrook, would serve the southern part of Addington Highlands and Barrie Ward in North Frontenac.
The closest FM radio stations to the region are based in Belleville and Kingston, and these stations do not serve the region in terms of “local news, emergency warnings, local business advertising or community news/events,” according to an overview of the radio station proposal that has been released.
Last week, a delegation from the steering committee behind the station came to a meeting of North Frontenac Council seeking a letter of support in aid of an application to the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation for a development grant.
It is still early days for the proposed station. According to Robert Taylor, the chair of the steering committee, the first tasks are to obtain support from local councils and community organizations.
“We would like to see if we can come under the umbrella of Land o’ Lakes Community Services, which would be a good place for us. It would save us having to set up our own not-for-profit corporation and perhaps it could provide us with a home,” Robert Taylor said.
The steering committee estimates that it will cost about $15,000 to $20,000 to equip the station, and that money will have to be found through grants and fundraising.
Once the station is up and running, air time would be sold in order to generate about $700 a week or more in order to keep the station running on its own steam.
Taylor said he hopes to get students from North Addington Education Centre involved, even perhaps with the programming. “I don’t suppose they would play the kind of music that I normally listen to, but that’s what’s meant by broadcasting,” Robert Taylor said.
North Frontenac Council agreed to send a letter of support for the proposal. AFAR will be approaching Addington Highlands Township through the Economic Development Committee.
Garrison
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Feature Article - August 16, 2007Council signs off on Garrison Shores
by Jeff Green
Central Frontenac Council has passed a zoning bylaw amendment that will allow the members of the Garrison Shores Property Owner’s to finally get their deeds more than 20 years after buying their properties.
The initial developer of what were originally over 100 shared lots on the north and south shores of the small lake near Arden is long gone. A succession of Councils starting in the days of Kennebec Council, and continuing through four terms of Central Frontenac Council have grappled with the problem of bringing the development in line with current Official Plan and zoning practices.
The townships planning consultant, Glenn Tunnock, presented the final version of what is being called a “Waterfront Special Exception Holding Zone”, which is designed to make the 53 current lots at Garrison Shores legal lots in Central Frontenac.
Many of the existing buildings at Garrison Lake do not conform to setbacks rules in the townships official plan, but they will be allowed to stand. Any new development, including the construction of a spare bedroom or a deck, will require a site plan agreement with the township.
Julian Walker, the lawyer for the Garrison Shores Property Owner’s Association, said the membership is eager for this bylaw to be approved, so a so-called “condominium agreement” can be registered with Frontenac County. At that point, Garrison Shores property owners will finally receive their deeds. This will allow them to do something most property owner’s take for granted: sell their property if they wish.
Jeff Dubois, a property owner who has been at odds with the zoning bylaw and the agreements that have made it possible, addressed Council in opposition to the proposed bylaw.
Dubois’ main criticism of the plan is that it creates waterfront lots for some of the property owners instead of reserving the waterfront as a common area, which he says would guarantee that the shoreline remain in optimal condition.
He made reference to a written opinion from the Quinte Region Conservation Authority from 2003, which stated that common ownership of the shoreline was preferable from an environmental point of view. At one time the property owners’ association agreed with this position, but that has changed in the past few years.
One other property owner addressed Council, a man who has purchased two lots at Garrison Shores. He said that the bylaw should be deferred until the property association has a chance to review it at a special meeting, but Julian Walker said the rest of the members were keen to have it passed.
The zoning amendment received first, second, and third reading without debate.
On July 13th, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved an Official Plan amendment that made this week’s zoning bylaw amendment possible.
Jeff Dubois has already appealed that Official Plan Amendment to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). A meeting was scheduled for this week to see if Mr. Dubois concerns can be satisfied without going to the trouble of holding an OMB hearing.
Otherwise, everything will be on hold until an OMB hearing can be scheduled, which typically takes at least six months.
Spp
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Feature Article - August 16, 2007Security and Prosperity:what could be better?
by JeffGreen
Ever since the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States was approved in the late 1980’s, after much public debate in Canada, a series of agreements and protocols have brought greater integration between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Unlike the FTA, the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was approved in 1994 with little fanfare.
Ongoing talks about harmonising regulations between the three countries have carried on behind the scenes since then, and after the 9/11 attack, security concerns and the desire for a guaranteed oil supply in the United Sates has pushed these talks forward. All of this has culminated in the Security and Prosperity Partnership, which will be the subject of a summit at the Montibello Resort in Western Quebec early next week.
As would be expected, the government of Canada describes the SPP in glowing terms as a series of technical agreements and red tape cutting exercises between three partner nations.
“The Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) is a commitment by Canada, the United States and Mexico to work together to build a safer and more economically dynamic North America. While respecting the sovereignty and unique heritage, culture and laws of each country, the SPP complements the many initiatives at the root of the longstanding relations among them,” is how the process is described on the Government of Canada website.
Among the benefits the governments are touting for the SPP are improved transportation of goods between the countries, increased consumer protection, job availability and measures to help insure high standards of health and safety, and efforts to ensure a safe food and energy supply.
But critics, including Michelle Dorey of the research and lobby group, The Council of Canadians, say that the benign language that the government attaches to the SPP is “just so much newspeak”.
Michelle Dorey is concerned about some of the pervasive implications of the SPP which she fears may be detrimental to the interests of Canadian Citizens. In a recent interview with the Frontenac News, she cited an example of the proposal to eliminate duplication of product testing by establishing a single testing regimen for the three countries.
“The proposed new ‘tested once’ regulation in North America would mean that products determined to be safe for use in the USA would be approved automatically for use in Canada and Mexico,” she said.
This would not necessarily be a problem, if regulations were “harmonized up to higher standards” but she fears that in many cases the regulations will be harmonized down, and in the case of food and drug standards, less stringent US policies will be imposed on Canada.
Little detail is available about what kinds of standards will apply under the harmonization principle, and this points to one of the greatest fears of the Council of Canadians and other groups that have been organising against the seemingly inveitable march from NAFTA to SPP.
“My major concern with the whole process is the secrecy. It runs counter to democratic principles,” said Michelle Dorey.
A case in point is the summit scheduled for Montibello this weekend. Not only will there be no public access to the leaders, but the specifics around the negotiations that led up to the summit, and what the leaders will be discussing, have not been revealed.
A planned forum sponsored by the Council of Canadians at a hall in Papineauville 6 kilometres from the Montibello resort had been scheduled for Sunday, the day preceding the summit. However, it had to be cancelled when the municipality informed the Council that police officials had told them they required the hall for their own use on that day.
The Council of Canadians has since scheduled a rally at Parliament Hill at 1:00 pm on Sunday, followed by a public forum at 4:00 pm at Marion Hall of the University of Ottawa. For information, go to Canadians.org and follow the links
Meanwhile a 71 km. bike caravan from Jacques Cartier Park in Hull to Montibello is also being planned for Sunday. (For information, go to biketobush.ca)
While public interest groups have not had access to the SPP process, corporate interests have been well represented at various levels of the process, according to the Council of Canadians.
In March of 2006, at the second SPP summit in Cancun, Mexico, the creation of the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC) was announced. It includes 10 business executives from each country. The Canadian representatives come from companies such as Suncor Energy, Bell Canada Enterprises, CN, Manulife Financial, and is chaired by Linda Hasenfratz, the CEO of the auto parts maker Linamar Corporation.
US members include representatives from Campbell’s Soup, GE, and Walmart.
According to the Newsweekly Embassy, NACC “is mandated to provide governments with recommendations on issues including border regulation and competitiveness in the automotive, transportation, manufacturing and services sectors.
More information about the SPP can be obtained from the government of Canada website at http://www.psp-spp.gc.ca/menu-en.aspx.
For a different point of view, go to www.canadians.org.
Thousand_islands
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Feature Article - August 16, 2007Thousand IslandsConcrete coming to the Land o' Lakes:Central Frontenac Council
by JeffGreen
For the second month in a row, Central Frontenac Council heard the concerns of the same three people about a proposed zoning amendment which would permit the establishment of a portable storage facility on Highway 7 for Thousand Islands Concrete of Brockville.
David Daskie, who has been developing a property located about 1 kilometre away from the proposed site for a tourism related business, told Council that a “cement operation will undo what we’ve been doing here for the past four years, developing good quality lodgings, rehabilitating ponds and building a number of nature rails.”
He made reference to a consultant’s report commissioned by himself and his wife Linda Tremblay which questioned the appropriateness of the proposed zoning, asked for increased terms in a site plan agreement, and ultimately argues that the proposed land use is incompatible with the tourism based development that has characterized the area in question.
David Daskie said, “I’m beginning to feel that Council is not really interested in tourism.”
He then went further, implying that Council had already decided to approve the proposed zoning amendment without considering his opposition.
“It’s like a runaway train with a few powerful people pushing it forward. My perspective is that this is being rushed through,” he said.
Gray Merriam, a resident of Kennebec Lake, said that a “precautionary principle should apply here,” arguing that the “limited benefits” the operation would bring to the township do not outweigh the potential harm.
Terry Kennedy, the President of the Kennebec Lake Association, said he has been able to observe one of Thousand Island Concretes trucks in action, and that the projects proponent, Robert Castle, has “been open and forthcoming in both his approach and actions”. Nonetheless, he recommended that Council defer any decision until the Ministry of the Environment completes “a proper environmental assessment”.
The townships planning consultant, Glenn Tunnock, said the Ministry of the Environment is only concerned about an air filtration sock the company uses, which they need to provide a certificate of approval for.
However, Cathy MacMunn of the township’s planning department apprised Council of correspondence she has received from Quinte Conservation, which said they are willing to look at drainage and leaching issues at the site as part of a site plan agreement.
Council was inclined to support the project in principle, taking the view that most of the concerns expressed can be dealt with through a site plan agreement process, and gave the zoning bylaw first and second reading. Third reading was deferred until some of the loose ends in the bylaw can be tightened up.
Other notes from Council
Organizational ReviewMayor Janet Gutowsky has been talking about the need for an organizational review of staff and council since the election campaign last fall, and this week the terms of reference for the review were presented to Council.
Broad issues such as the viability of services offered by the township, and the roles of senior staff and council are included in the review.
A request for proposals will be prepared, and Council will consider proposals in September.
Stray Cat blues - In response to correspondence from Heather O’Reilly from Arden about feral cats in the village, the township has contacted Ken Gilpin, the bylaw officer. Gilpin informed the township that cat control bylaws do not exist in Central Frontenac or in any of the other nine municipalities he also serves. Individuals have the right to use live traps to catch stray animals and the township has an agreement with the Kingston Humane Society to accept these cats when they are trapped.Council decided to take no action at this time.
Uniting Surface and Mineral Rights Council decided to endorse a resolution from Tay Valley Township calling for the province to united surface and mineral rights so that all property owners within he township will no longer be subject to mineral staking. Public lands would remain open to staking. Councillor Bob Harvey, who has himself done some prospecting in the township in years’ gone by, said there are only a few properties in the township that are subject to staking, but it is time to make the change. “It’s the only fair way,” he said.
Parham Fair Council decided to donate $2,000 to the Parham Fair this year. Councillor Philip Smith refrained from voting on the motion.
Letters
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Feature Article - August 9, 2007Letters to the Editor
I feel many things for our North Frontenac council, none of them positive or polite. Currently as a township, we are going through much upheaval regarding the potential of a uranium mine. Some folks are for it many against, and then there is council who seem to be sitting on the fence and waiting for “something” to happen. When “something” does happen, I hope they don’t think that their lack of action will garner them my vote at the next election. Meantime, even the rumour of a mine has decreased our property values in excess of 1/3. Many people are having their water tested so as to have a benchmark for future potential contamination. Meanwhile life seems to be continuing for council taxes collected on homes which could have little re-sale value; septics inspected to ensure no harm comes to the aquifer due to leakage; rumour of wells requiring meters so the government can collect user fees and, of course, ensuring our trash is properly sorted.
Would council react if I paid taxes on my home based on its current value? Would council supply us with bottled water when our well testing comes back positive for radiation and is no longer safe to drink? Will council react when any of the small organic farmers in our area are no longer deemed organic due to contamination? Will council react when tourists no longer return to the area to fish, camp, rent cottages or shop? Perhaps council will react if one of their properties is staked by Frontenac Ventures.
There are always two sides to every issue and we must respect that sitting on the fence is not a side.
- Mavis Wade
Like many in the area I do not want to see uranium mining happening. We have a new smoke shop along Hwy. 7 displaying a sign advocating no mine. This to me is the ultimate paradox. Topping the list of cancer causing agents is tobacco smoke as well as an array of other diseases from same. The tip of the iceberg may be all that's been touched by medical research into the devastating side effects of both first-hand and second- hand cigarette smoke. You are not doing anyone around you or your environment any favours when yousmoke inside or outside. The epitome of evil is represented by the tobacco companiesand their practices, yet I see no encampments blocking their facilities. I also notice no demonstrations in front of this local smoke shop selling what I assume are cheap cigarettes which would entice new addictsas well as maintaining those already addicted.
Greg Morris
North Frontenac and Lanark Highlands areas are facing a mining corporation wishing to begin exploration by drilling core samples, which may then lead to a full-blown uranium mining operation. There are hot deposits along a 20 mile long, one mile wide corridor through these lands. Exploration entails removing forest and trenching thousands of tonnes of rock. It would be open pit mining all the way. 30,000 acres of private property and Crown lands (which have never been surrendered or sold to the government by Algonquin First Nations peoples) have been staked.
The Mining Act allows prospectors to come on your land and stake it without your permission then clear your land and tear it up without any compensation or restoration to its original state.
Uranium mining leaves behind damage for thousands of years. Radio-active air to breath, radio-active dust on our gardens and forests, and radio-active toxic waste with sulfuric acid to leach into our lakes, rivers, streams, wells, marshes and wetlands.
The mining companies are bound by law to be stewards of the land and end-tailings forever, so they just go bankrupt and change their company name to get out of it. Elliot Lake mining companies have already done this. Elliot Lake end-tailings are leaching into Lake Huron from the toxic dump they have provided - the Serpent River! To date there is not one proven safe end-tailings containment system in the world - all so far have been breached,
whether it be a dam or cemented cylinders.
A small earthquake rupture, sabotage, a pressure rupture? Remember Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. There are many safe, clean alternatives
to nuclear power. Ontario needs a complete moratorium on Uranium mining such as Nova Scotia has. Mr. McGuinty has said his government wants to protect ecological and environmentally sensitive areas. I hope he believes the Mississippi and Ottawa River watersheds are in his plans. There are many waterways leading to these rivers right from North
Frontenac and Lanark rivers and lakes. We need a moratorium that would last forever and be bound by all future governments via the Constitution.
Wanda Recoskie
I have a comment to make arising from the spring issue of “The Frontenacs”, published by the County of Frontenac. The phrase “We told you so” comes to mind. This stems from the articles regarding water safety, and in particular, the situation that has occurred in the village of Sydenham. I imagine most of the readers are aware of the raw deal the residents received and how the views of over 90% of the population were ignored in spite of evidence and petitions presented to council. It should be noted also that the figure of contaminated wells in Sydenham was very much exaggerated, as was shown by private, town-wide testing. Many felt this incongruity was the fault of the engineering company in charge. But, recriminations are useless now. It does seem that the province has come around to our way of thinking, as shown in the newer regulations coming forth. It is interesting to read that the results of studies show that a municipal water system is not sustainable in a population of less than 3000 people. Then, on the back page there is a small quote stating there are no communities larger than 1,500 residents in the County of Frontenac. In Sydenham there were only 273 households. The Province is also putting forth several alternative solutions for providing safe water, which were suggested to the South Frontenac Council numerous times by the Sydenham Safe Water Association. It has already cost my family $5000 to have the water brought from the road to the house, which we are obliged to do by law.We do not use the water, but must still pay a minimum monthly fee.The last estimate of our share of the frontage costs of the system itself was $10,000, but the long overdue bill for that has not yet arrived. Waiting for that demand for such a huge sum of money is not a very pleasant prospect for a senior and a single parent living on a disability pension.Bureaucracy rains supreme!
- Rosalie Knights
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Feature Article - August 9, 2007Three South Frotnenac firefighters honoured:South Frontenac Council report
by Wilma Kenny
Fire Chief Rick Chesborough presented service awards to three members of the volunteer fire department. He spoke of the more than six decades of service to the community that these rewards honoured: volunteers giving time and skills to fire prevention/protection, as well as providing training and education to other department members. Captains Charles Pocklington and Steve Spencer and retired district Chief Michael McQuillan each received municipal, provincial and federal recognition for 20 years of service. Chesborough later remarked that he was pleased at the way the township fire departments have come to work together in the last few years. The solemnity of the presentation was emphasised by a minute’s silence in honour of Deputy Fire Chief Bill Salmond of Addington Highlands, who was killed earlier the same day in the course of duty.
WASTE MANAGEMENT/RECYCLING ISSUES
South Frontenac Council has agreed to enter into a one-year agreement with KIMCO Steel Sales Ltd for disposal of electronic waste from the township. Through this program, electronic waste that would otherwise end up in landfills will be collected and recycled at a cost to the Township of .28 per lb. KIMCO has increased the range of acceptable electronic products to include electrical, telephone and data cable, as well as power tools and small household appliances. Bill Blum, Manager of Public Works will work with Councillor Robinson to draw up a specific list of items eligible for this service, prior to its initiation. Blum noted in his report that this was a worthwhile project, and a one-year agreement would allow council opportunity to judge its effectiveness before proceeding further. John Fillion emphasized that it’s still important to continue to encourage manufacturers to be responsible for recycling their products.
SF Council also supported the establishment of a permanent Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility in the township, subject to final cost approval by council. Last year, the township held two one-day collection events which drew over 450 vehicles, for a total cost of $32,000 ($53/vehicle). Bill Blum noted that not only is this the most expensive way to deal with the problem of HHW, but it is limited in its effectiveness because residents must be available on the day of the event, and contend with long line-ups and waits. The cheapest option would be to continue the present arrangement with KARK whereby individual residents pay $32/vehicle and deliver a (size limited) amount of HHW to Kingston. However, the response to last year’s events seemed to indicate that many residents were not using this latter option. A permanent depot which could be operated one day a month May-October would cost the township the approximate equivalent of $32 per car, based on estimated use, plus the capital cost of establishing the site. This capital expense will be eligible for funding under the gas tax program. Probable location would be at the Keeley Road township site. Blum noted that the underlying premise is that if hazardous waste disposal is made more convenient for residents, they are less likely to dump toxic substances down the sink, or into the regular garbage.
The Township received $23,265 as their first quarterly payment from the residential Blue Box Recycling program.
FUEL TANK TENDER: BIDS OVER BUDGET
Council accepted M.A.Barr Station Management’s bid of $382, 635 to remove the township’s underground fuel tanks, and replace them with above ground tanks, in spite of the fact this (lower) bid was $20,000 above budget. Bill Blum explained the higher cost was a result of the price of concrete, and the engineering firm was looking at ways to redesign the supporting pads to lower the amount of concrete needed. Any overrun will be covered by money from the gas tax fund. The township has no choice but to replace the tanks (most over 25 years old), to meet insurance requirements.
TREES RESTRICTING VIEW
A resident’s request for a by-law which would prevent his neighbour from planting trees that would restrict his view (across the neighbour’s property) was rejected by council.
TOO MANY COYOTES?
A report of three coyote cattle-kills last month had Councillor Fillion asking why there wasn’t a bounty on coyotes. (Seems this is a provincial issue.) A fourth dead cow was judged to have been "cast", rather than killed by coyotes or lightning. "Cast," a familiar farm term, takes all the humour out of cow-tipping jokes: if a cow becomes wedged in a fallen position, her lungs soon collapse, and she dies.
BOAT RAMP CLOSING
The Sydenham Lake boat ramp at the point will be closed for Sunday August 19, to accommodate a large Sydenham Canoe Club event: boat ramp access to the lake will still be available off Wilmer Road at the east end of the lake.
FRONTENAC COUNTY: WHO DECIDES?
Councillor Robinson brought up the concern that "too few people are making too many decisions" at the county table. Several others agreed that it seems unfair that South Frontenac pays 58% of the county’s costs, yet has only 25% representation on county council. There was consensus that this issue deserves more discussion, along with the need to update or develop a strategic plan for South
Ballfield
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Feature Article - August 2, 2007About that ballfield
Editorial by Jeff Green
Does anybody remember that the bleachers at the ball field in Sharbot Lake are about to fall down?
It was identified as a problem in May, when the Mites’ coach complained she couldn’t risk bringing little kids to the field for fear they might get injured on the benches.
In fact over the past few years, public money has been raised on at least two occasions to go towards improving the park. Council has been very good at delineating why it is that volunteers should not be taking the final step of actually doing the work they have raised money for, but abysmal at actually getting anything done.
In June, staff recommended that bleachers be purchased, but council balked at that, saying that the portable bleachers might run the risk of being stolen. At least one councillor also didn’t like the idea that the issue had been raised in the newspaper rather than at the council table.
We are now in the dog days of summer, and even if work is done on the benches and bleachers it will be too late for the ball season this year.
As Chicago Cubs fans have been saying for 100 years now, ever since the team last won the World Series in 1908, “just wait ‘til next year.” J.G.
Sf_twp_07-37
South Frontenac Councilby Wilma Kenny
Does South Frontenac have its building permit yet?At the Sept 11 Committee of the Whole meeting, Councillor Hicks had expressed concern about the manner in which repairs to the old stone schoolhouse (township property in Hartington) had been carried out. He asked why, if the run-down state of the building raised health and safety concerns, neither the Portland District councillors nor the Chief Building Official had been notified of the need for immediate repairs. CAO Burns agreed that proper procedure had not been followed. At tonight’s council meeting, Deputy Mayor Stowe asked whether or not a building permit had been issued for the building repairs. Mayor Davison said he assumed so. Stowe said he wanted to know for certain: the township requires residents to obtain permits, so the township should set a positive example by following its own rules. Burns agreed to confirm that the permit had been obtained.
Policy re illumination of intersections
Bill Blum, Public Works Manager, recommended Council adopt the Provincial Illumination Warrant Standards for Intersection Illumination. At present the township has no policy regarding intersection illumination. The provincial standards could become the basis of a policy to address all potential safety concerns, and would assist in assessing requests for illumination at all township road intersections, including intersections of public and private roads. Blum noted that probably very few public/private intersections in the township would qualify for publicly funded partial illumination. However, it would still be appropriate to allow for partial illumination if the requester agreed to assume the cost of installation and upkeep. Council passed a motion to adopt the provincial standards.
Communal garbage collection boxes for private lanes
There continue to be many complaints about communal collection locations for garbage: there is a problem with untagged bags at these sites, especially in the summer, and locations without boxes are targeted by animals, making a mess for township staff to clean up. Council passed a resolution to encourage the use of communal collection boxes by providing a ‘standard specification’ and subsidizing half the cost, providing the Private Lanes Associations agree to the ongoing maintenance of such boxes and also agree to monitor and tag any untagged bags. Councillors Hicks and Robinson were opposed: Robinson said this amounted to "going into business with the community." Councillor Vandewal countered that he thought it was council’s role to work with the community to try to resolve problems such as this.
Minimum Standards for Private Lanes
Council approved on a trial basis the establishment of a fund in Bedford District to partially subsidize the upgrading of substandard private lanes to minimum acceptable standards as outlined in Public Works Manager Blum’s report, which lists the following criteria:
- Private lane associations be the vehicle used for approaching the township.
- The Existing Lane Standards adopted by Council December 2006 be applied.
- The private lane be inspected both before and after the completion of the work.
- That receipts accompany any submission for subsidy funding.
- That the (available) $20,000 be pro-rated based upon the monetary value of applications received.
- That the amount of subsidy funding be limited to a maximum of 50% on any application received.
Nf_twp_07-37
North Frontenac Council, Sept 13by Jule Koch Brison
Maria Lee of Head Road and two neighbours attended the meeting to find out if their road would be in the future budget. They said that calcium has only been applied to the road once this year and they have been suffering greatly from the dusty conditions. They feel that they have been neglected ever since the township worked on the Shabomeka Road and that they have been unfairly treated.Mayor Maguire said that it was too late for this year but their request would be taken into consideration when budget deliberations begin, hopefully this fall. He said that the Shabomeka Road project had been deferred for many years before the last council finally got to it. Township CAO Cheryl Robson said that budget constraints only permit the application of calcium once a year. Councilor Fred Perry also said that it has become a priority to stop applying calcium on roads close to water and tar and chip them instead.Deputy Mayor Jim Beam reported that Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has decided to dispose of the K&P Trail Conservation Area because it can no longer afford the maintenance. MVC feels the trail is an important public asset that should remain in public hands and is seeking an appropriate not-for-profit institution to manage it. Mayor Maguire said the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance would probably be the first organization to show interest in the K&P and asked if they would fit the criteria for an appropriate organization. Beam said the suggestion of EOTA wasn’t too well received.A by-law to authorize the mayor and clerk to sign an application to the MoE for private sewage works for Woodcrest Resort Park, thereby giving municipal consent to the project, was deferred until the next council meeting. Woodcrest presently has 100 serviced seasonal trailer sites and is applying to add another 100 sites to its 40-acre park.The members of a task force on beaver dam management have been discussing creating a by-law for beaver dam management; however they are currently not leaning towards making a by-law as no other townships have one.Council balked at signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the Crown Land Stewardship Program in the Crotch Lake Conservation Area that would have given them $10,000 for the work. The problem was that the schedule included “Constructions and placement of selected privies at access points and campsites”, along with maintenance and improvement to roads leading into the Crotch Lake Reserve and crown roads in North & South Canonto, and Clarendon & Miller Townships.
Mayor Maguire said, “It seems to me that if taxpayers see this agreement – with so many people wanting maintenance on their roads…” “If we don’t take the $10,000 we won’t get it and the MNR will have to return it to the treasury”, said Township CAO Cheryl Robson. “Schedule A comes from the ministry… This is all the funding we’ll get for this year,” she added.
Councilor Cole said, “This is dynamite if it gets out to the people, maybe it should have been discussed in closed session.”“There’s no reason to put it in closed session,” replied Robson. She suggested that council amend the agreement and get the ministry to initial the changes. Council agreed.Council supported a resolution from West Grey Township to extend the period in which municipalities may initiate legal action against people who build without permits from the current one-year period to two years.Three log cottages on Head Road will be demolished next week, and the township was contacted by someone who was trying the stop the demolition and/or salvage some of the logs, because she felt they were of historic value. The contractor doing the demolition was going to use the logs for fuel, and council decided to convey the message to the person that she could negotiate with the contractor for the logs.
