Sf_council_08-03
Back toHome
Feature Article - January 24, 2008 South Frontenac Council by Wilma KennyCommunity Police Officer’s position cut
Council voted 5 to 3 to discontinue the part-time position of Community Liaison Officer, thus cutting $52,000 a year from the police budget for the next five years. Staff Sergeant Gary Ouellette clarified that only half this amount actually went into salary: the rest was administrative costs, based on a formula distributing the costs of running the detachment between the positions on staff. The Community Liaison Officer has assisted in forming Community Watch and Block Parent programs, been a resource for seniors and seniors groups and publishes a regular property crime summary, along with information about scams, frauds, and security issues. He has provided a consistent first point of contact for non-emergency concerns and enquiries. (Sgt. Ouelette confirmed that without a designated position, all these issues will have to take second place to more urgent and emergency duties.) Mayor Davison noted that at least 20 e-mails had been received this week, supporting the continuation of the community position. He and Councilor McPhail and deputy mayor Robinson voted to keep the community officer.
Constable George Hiles, whose position was created in 2002 at the request of Council, plans to return to retirement. Had it not been for his newsletters, I, for one, might not have known how to get rid of those spam letters asking for money: thank you, George!
Building Replacement along Waterfront
Resident Jack Babcock asked council to consider amending by-law 5:11, which forbids demolition and replacement of existing non-conforming cottages and boathouses on waterfront. He said that many of these older buildings are in poor condition, and need replacement. Mayor Davison noted that if they had been properly maintained over the years, they would not be so decrepit. Councilor Vandewal said that as long as the building was replaced with the same footprint and configuration as the old one, he would not object. Council agreed to bring this matter to Committee of the Whole, for full discussion.
Business Arising
Council endorsed several resolutions circulated by other municipalities, in regard to provincial/municipal issues such as gas tax, infrastructure funding, sales tax and unemployment insurance.
Septic Pollution Reduction
Council agreed to fund the KFL&A Health Unit 2008 septic reinspection program for Potspoon, Garter, Devil and Desert Lakes, all sensitive lake trout lakes. This will cost $13,000.
Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority Levy Rises Sharply
Noting that there has been a 23.6% increase in the CRCA’s levy this year, Councillor Stowe suggested that a representative be invited to council to explain. Councilor McPhail said the manager had said he’d be happy to come whenever convenient. In their letter, the CRCA says "In trying to be fiscally prudent, the Conservation Authority has challenged itself by deferring actions over several years...some measures now need to be actioned in order for the CRCA to be able to continue to deliver pertinent services." McPhail also noted that the actual dollar amount of the increase is not huge, for South Frontenac is one of the smaller of the eleven municipalities supporting the CRCA.
Meetings
Thursday’s County Council has been cancelled because MPP Randy Hillier’s representative is unable to attend. SF Township’s Committee of the Whole will meet Tuesday January 29 in Sydenham, at 7pm.
Ah_council_08-03
Back toHome
Feature Article - January 24, 2008 Addington Highlands Council – Jan 21/08 by Jule Koch BrisonJewell Engineering will prepare a proposal for rebuilding the Flinton Bridge to be submitted to the Ontario government’s new Municipal Infrastructure Initiative. The deadline for applications is February 15, so council will need to have all the details at their next council meeting.
Council voted to endorse a resolution from the Township of North Grenville, asking the Ontario government to commit 1/8th of Provinical Sales Taxes to municipalities to fund Municipal Infrastructure Programs.
Over the holidays, cars were left parked on County Road 30 for several days, hindering road maintenance. Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath expressed some frustration that has not been able to get the names of the owners of the cars from police. He said they told him they would contact the people involved.The OPP will attend the next council meeting.
Plans are being made for the whole council to take a roads tour next year. “It will take more than two days,” commented Royce Rosenblath.
Members of the Weslemkoon cottage association had attended a recent meeting of the waste management committee and requested extra open hours at the waste sites. They requested that the Weslemkoon waste site be open Monday to Friday and on weekends as well. The waste site attendant told Councilor Eythel Grant that he doesn’t have the time to keep the dump open for those hours. Council will look into increasing the open hours at the waste sites.
The next AHEAD (Addington Highlands Economic Advisors for Development) business breakfast will be at the Kaladar Community Centre at 8AM on Friday February 1. Guest speakers will be Pierre Cliche,former Vice-President of K Mart Canada, and Gillian Chapman, representative of the PELA CFDC. Tickets are $7 each.
Council went into closed session to discuss a bylaw appointing a new building inspector.
Frontenac_cty_08-04
Back toHome
Feature Article - January 31, 2008 Frontenac County to approve budget in Sharbot Lake on February 20. By Jeff GreenFrontenac County Council will hold an afternoon meeting in Sharbot Lake on February 20, in conjunction with the Frontenac Heritage Festival, and according to County Warden Jim Vanden Hoek, Council will approve the 2008 budget on that date.
In a special meeting devoted to the budget on January 23, council took about 15 minutes to hear from Julie Shillington about the budget for Fairmount Home and Paul Charbonneau from the Frontenac Ambulance Service before giving tentative approval to each of their budgets. Over $20 million of the $35 million county budget was thus dispatched.
The had more difficulty with the transportation file, taking about 90 minutes to reject a proposal to fund the Rural Routes Transportation Service to the tune of $40,000, then deciding to provide $10,000 in bridge funding for the service.
A proposal to spend $100,000 from funds transferred to the county from a federal gas tax rebate on video-conferencing equipment for the county office and the four township offices was removed from the budget pending comment from the townships’ Chief Administrative Officers, who will be meeting in February.
Council also considered a staff proposal to hire a Human Resources Manager, to be funded mostly from the ambulance budget. After some debate, the position remained in the budget.
The budget also includes in excess of $50,000 for computer hardware and software, which is offset by a decrease in projected legal fees of $75,000.
The overall levy to taxpayers for county taxes will be going down in 2008 by approximately 3%. County taxes make up about 25% of the municipal tax bill. Education taxes, which have remained constant for several years, account for 22%, while township taxes account for the remaining 53%.
Cty_council_08-04
Back toHome
Feature Article - January 31, 2008 Frontenac County to approve budget in Sharbot Lake on February 20. By Jeff GreenFrontenac County Council will hold an afternoon meeting in Sharbot Lake on February 20, in conjunction with the Frontenac Heritage Festival, and according to County Warden Jim Vanden Hoek, Council will approve the 2008 budget on that date.
In a special meeting devoted to the budget on January 23, council took about 15 minutes to hear from Julie Shillington about the budget for Fairmount Home and Paul Charbonneau from the Frontenac Ambulance Service before giving tentative approval to each of their budgets. Over $20 million of the $35 million county budget was thus dispatched.
They had more difficulty with the transportation file, taking about 90 minutes to reject a proposal to fund the Rural Routes Transportation Service to the tune of $40,000, then deciding to provide $10,000 in bridge funding for the service.
A proposal to spend $100,000 from funds transferred to the county from a federal gas tax rebate on video-conferencing equipment for the county office and the four township offices was removed from the budget pending comment from the townships’ Chief Administrative Officers, who will be meeting in February.
Council also considered a staff proposal to hire a Human Resources Manager, to be funded mostly from the ambulance budget. After some debate, the position remained in the budget.
The budget also includes in excess of $50,000 for computer hardware and software, which is offset by a decrease in projected legal fees of $75,000.
The overall levy to taxpayers for county taxes will be going down in 2008 by approximately 3%. County taxes make up about 25% of the municipal tax bill. Education taxes, which have remained constant for several years, account for 22%, while township taxes account for the remaining 53%.
Cf_council_08-04
Back toHome
Feature Article - January 31, 2008 Central Frontenac Council -Jan 29/08 By Jeff GreenCouncil approves special waste days
In response to a comprehensive waste management report, Central Frontenac Council has decided to set up an e-waste disposal day and a hazardous waste disposal day this summer.
Township CAO John Duchene said “I suggest that we hold the e-waste day before we hold the hazardous waste day, in order to separate the two.
John Purdon, who is the chair of the ad-hoc waste management committee, said, “Both these programs are in the process of being set up as provicial programs. We thought we should wait until the process is known before we do anything more permanent, so we chose the one-day option. One event this year does not mean we will have the same thing next year.”
Councilor Normand Guntensperger, who teaches at Land O'Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove, suggested that a program that had been in place in local schools whereby used batteries were collected and recycled, be looked at once again, and volunteered to approach the school board to ses if they are interested.
“It would have an educational component as well,” he said.
Council approved the two special waste days, and also gave staff leave to investigate the potential purchase of a bulldozer to be used at township dump sites as well as for minor road projects. The ad-hoc committee was also re-constituted in order to work on some of the long term proposals in the report that had been presented to council earlier in January.
More gravel to be crushed – In line with a recommendation from the group that is preparing an organizational review of the township, an increase in the amount and quality of gravel is being purchased for township roads this year. Council approved an upper limit of $253,000 to purchase and/or crush 70,000 tonnes of gravel in 2008.
Infrastructure dream set - “If we're going to dream, let's dream big” said Councilor Jeff Matson in supporting a proposal to apply for $2 million from a provicial infrastriucture program whose application deadline is approaching.The application is for upgrades to seven township roads, including Road 509, and Ardoch, Zealand, Fall River, Shibley, Tryon, and Elm Tree Roads. If approved, the grant provides for improvements and resurfacing of the Ardoch Road and 509, and for a total of 16km of paving on the Zealand, Fall River, and Shibley roads.
Before township residents get their hopes up too high, they should heed the warning from township public works consultant Bryon Dawn.
“If we don’t get the grant, we won't do the paving,” he said.
Budget debate dates set – Council will meet at the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake on March 18, 19 and April 1 and 2 at 5:00 pm to work on the 2008 budget, which, if all goes as planned, will be approved at a council meeting on April 14 in Mountain Grove.
Sf_council_08-01
Back toHome
Feature Article - January 10, 2008 South Frontenac Council Jan. 8/08. by Wilma Kenny Province imposes lead testing on municipal water systemsCAO Gord Burns notified Council that even though Sydenham’s new water treatment system has no lead-based piping in it, it will not be exempt from provincial lead testing requirements. (Following discovery of lead content in London’s water system, the province drew up Schedule 15.1 of the Drinking Water Systems Regulation, requiring that all public provincial systems be tested before April 08, and on a regular basis after that.) According to plant manager Kevin Riley, the ministry seems prepared to relax their position if after a year there are no significant lead levels in Sydenham water.
Meanwhile, approximately 20 residences in the village will need to have their water tested for lead: the township will be looking for volunteers. All tested properties will get prompt and detailed feed-back concerning test results. This is expected to cost the municipality about $3,000.
Ontario small waterworks assistance program
The township’s water system is eligible for $18,000 per year from the province for the next five years. This money cannot be used to lower the present water rates, but can cover the cost of lead testing, help build up a stronger reserve for long-term replacement expenses, etc. (The present water budget provides for only $60 a month to go into reserves. Burns expressed concern that this was insufficient)
Extension of Portland/Loughborough Boundary Road Approved
Council approved in principle the assumption of Boundary Road south of Rutledge, provided it meets township requirements for construction. Council had previously denied this application but agreed to reopen it at Councillor Robinson‘s request.
Public Access Defibrillation Initiative (PAD)
Council endorsed a resolution encouraging the County of Frontenac to apply to the Heart and Stroke Foundation for funding to initiate and maintain this program.
Property Acquisition
Informal discussion during the meeting confirms that the township has purchased the small property lying immediately south of the township hall and offices in Sydenham. This will facilitate any planned expansion of office and library space.
Vanden_hoek_08-05
Back toHome
Feature Article - February 4, 2008 Jim Vanden Hoek – county warden promotes a new vision By Jeff GreenLike most Wolfe Island residents, Jim Vanden Hoek could probably walk into any public gathering between Sydenham and Cloyne and no one would know who he was. But he happens to be the senior politician on Frontenac County Council and this year he is taking what will most likely be his final turn as Frontenac County Warden.
And this time he is trying to make a bit of a lasting impression.
“The success of our individual communities is directly tied to the successes of the region and when one succeeds we all do … I believe we can create stronger communities and more opportunities, and that we need to spend more time collectively preparing for some of the challenges we face,” he said in an address to county council on January 16. He is bringing that message directly to the township councils in North, Central and South Frontenac this week.
Vanden Hoek is not promoting a fixed plan for an expanded county role. Instead he wants to create a fund, to be administered by the county. “The focus of the fund is the creation of cultural, community and financial wealth in the County of Frontenac,” he said.
His hope is that the creation of a fund will be tied to the beginning of a new relationship between township-based politicians and Frontenac County, a relationship that he acknowledges is not always very positive.
Vanden Hoek names himself as one of those who took a dim view of the county when he first became Mayor of Frontenac Islands.
“When I was first elected as Mayor of Frontenac Islands, my mission was to eliminate the county and, by doing so, cure the ills of the township,” he said; but he added that he is as far from that view now as one can get.
In a telephone interview with the News, he said, “As far as I can tell, each of the townships takes care of their responsibilities well, and the county basically runs Fairmount Home and the paramedic service. But there are opportunities out there, and the ability to reach out and grab those opportunities is beyond the scope of what any of us do right now”.
Over the past year, Jim Vanden Hoek has taken on a role with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and in that role he has noticed how much higher the profile of other counties is with the province than that of Frontenac County.
“I don’t want to revisit amalgamation, and it has worked for the past 10 years, but it may have been a mistake to limit the role of the county at that time,” he said.
While he is not promoting a signature project on which to hang a new vision, a new brand for Frontenac County, Jim Vanden Hoek is trying to create the political atmosphere where a project or a series of projects will arise.
Among possible outcomes of such a strategy are: the creation of stronger community hubs to rival such centres as Westport and Picton; the development of Highway 38 as a county road with improved signage and standards; or an increased focus on marketing locally produced food.
“Getting the money for this is the easy part,” he said, “I think the biggest challenge is to convince the politicians to take it on.”
He sees the semi-regular joint county council meetings as an opportunity to do some convincing, but says the meetings will have to change, and participants at the meetings should have some authority to approve certain kinds of proposals.
“We don’t need 30 township councilors to oversee day-to-day county operations,” he said, “but when we are talking about economic development, they should have a say.”
In promoting his vision to the townships, Vanden Hoek has run into some reluctant councils.
When he presented his ideas to North Frontenac Council last week, resentment over county council decisions regarding the Rural Routes Transportation Service and Pine Meadow Nursing Home overshadowed any positive response to Vanden Hoek.
South Frontenac councilors were less hostile than their counterparts in North Frontenac when given the same pitch this Tuesday, Feb 5, but there was not much out and out support either.
Councilor David Hahn voiced a common South Frontenac position when he said, “South Frontenac has 25% of the votes at the county, and pays 58% of the bills, and the perception is that we don’t have a reasonable amount of control over the money that is spent at that level. It’s hard for us to see a bigger role for the county. Now, if we had another vote, we would have 40% of the vote …”
“The way things are at the County now, with Fairmount Home and the ambulance being the major programs, with few exceptions, most decisions made at the county level are made by the Ministry of Health, so I’m reasonable comfortable with the way the county runs, but I would have no trouble making changes along the lines you suggest,” Vanden Hoek responded.
Deputy Mayor Bill Robinson found the whole thing a bit esoteric.
“My constituents say, what’s in it for us? I don’t know what to tell them,” he said. “Where I come from I see something here that is hypothetical. We’re being asked to put money into something we can’t even see.”
Sf_council_08-05
Back toHome
Feature Article - February 4, 2008 South Frontenac Council By Wilma KennyFishing from Municipal Bridges
A note brought forward from the Buck Lake Association asked council to consider passing a by-law forbidding fishing from bridges and township right-of-ways after dark. This was in response to fears that commercial fishers from Toronto were taking illegal quantities of fish fromlocal lakes at night. They referred to a by-law passed by Leeds and Grenville on December 2007 forbidding dusk to dawn fishing from bridges. CAO Burns noted that Leeds and Grenville have already rescinded that by-law on the grounds that it would be impossible to enforce. He went on to say that enforcement of fi shing regulations is a Ministry of Natural Resources responsibility, and that this sort of by-law would encroach on the rights of local citizens. Council agreed unanimously not to proceed with the fishing by-law.
Rutledge Street Bridge Upgrade
Council passed a motion to apply for a Provincial grant to cover the full cost ($300,000) of the repair of the Rutledge Street bridge on the western edge of Sydenham. This infrastructure funding was announced with a short deadline, and only construction-ready projects are eligible. Township money has already been delegated for the project, so if the grant is received, this money will be freed up for other township projects.
A Moment’s Excitement
Councillors Vandewal and McPhail and Deputy Mayor Robinson all expressed interest in representing the township on the proposed Trails Committee for the development of the K&P Trail within Frontenac County. This led to a local version of Survivor: each candidate made a brief statement, then paper ballots were handed out, collected and counted. Vandewal dropped off in the first round, but the tie between the other two persisted through a second round of voting. The matter was resolved by asking an impartial bystander (a member of the press!) to draw the winner. Councillor McPhail will represent South Frontenac on the committee.
Rezoning for Central Frontenac’s Proposed Yard Waste Composting
South Frontenac has been notified of a public meeting Feb 11, 7:00 pm in the Mountain Grove community hall, to consider a zoning by-law amendment. If passed, the amendment would allow a waste management site located in Central Frontenac near the corner of Westport and Hinchinbrooke roads to accept brush and yard waste from outside that township.
They are proposing to hire Casey and Jerry Shea of Earthworx, the company that manages Kingston’s composting, to set up a similar composting program. Councillor Hahn recommended that the Sustainability Committee be kept informed.
Nice try, but no cigar...
Mayor Davison brought forward a request from the OPP for $2,500 to upgrade their fitness centre. Council said no.
Township Recreation Guide Discontinued
At the last Committee of the Whole, Ralph Boston, Chair of the township’s Central Recreation Committee, asked for $4,000 to pay for printing of the Recreation Guide. This guide has been published several times during recent years to keep residents informed of groups and activities in the township. Only Councillors Stowe and York spoke in its favour, and a straw poll showed insufficient support to bring the request to a formal council meeting.
Nf_council_08-05
Back toHome
Feature Article - February 4, 2008 North Frontenac Council - Jan 31/08 By Jeff GreenLibrary, township still at odds over Plevna branch
North Frontenac Council and the Kingston Frontenac Library Board don't seem to be able to communicate very well.
A letter from Library Board Chair Claudette Richardson, dated December 17, provoked an unhappy response at a North Frontenac Council meeting last week (January 31).
The letter outlines why the library is not planning to re-open the Plevna branch any time soon, based on a site visit by library staff.
“In early November our staff noted that the humidity was around 50% (outside it would have been around 30%) and there were a small number of pockets of mould growing on one wall ... The books have been removed and cleaned, but the libary would need to have the township HEPA vaccum all surfaces in the library, and replace the carpet. More importantly they need to confirm the removal of the debris in the crawl space, and have some plan to address the water intrusion of the basement and crawl space. Certainly the library would require new air testing to determine the health and safety status of the building before the Plevna branch could be re-opened.”
The letter provoked an angry reponse from North Frontenac Deputy Mayor Jim Beam. “They seem to be changing the rules. What do they mean when they say it 'appears' there are problems, the humidity was 'around' 50%? Did they test the humidity? Was it 40%, 45%? It's unclear. I'm very disappointed with this letter,” Beam said.
“It seems the library is telling us when the libary can be opened. The fact that they are telling us what we can do with this building, when we've done everyhthing we can, is not reasonable,” said Mayor Ron Maguire. “Did they contact us when they came to visit?”
“Our staff wasn't involved,” said Chief Admininstrative Officer Cheryl Robson.
The Plevna branch was closed a year ago when problems were discovered at the Clarendon and Miller Hall, where the branch is located. In November, the books were removed for cleaning.
The township ordered a Humidex system for the hall last year, but it has yet to be installed. A representative from Humidex contacted township staff on January 16, and said they will look into the delays.
A township task force has been looking into the state of the township halls, and will be recommending further work on the Clar/Mill Hall for the 2008 township budget.
“I suggest we just send the library a quick note saying we are still working on the building,” said Councilor Fred Perry once other members of council had finished expressing their feelings about the library board.
Pine Meadow funding overshadows Warden's visit:
Jim Vanden Hoek, Mayor of the Frontenac Islands and this year's Frontenac County warden, attended the meeting to present his ideas about the future of the county, but a recent decision of county council dominated the questions North Frontenac council asked him.
At a January 23rd county budget meeting, Vanden Hoek, along with South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison, voted down a proposal by North Frontenac Mayor Ron Maguire that the county support Pine Meadow Nursing with a $250,000 donation over 10 years to help with required upgrades to the facility.
“I don't understand the vision of the county,” said Councilor Wayne Cole, “when 84% of Pine Meadow residents come from Central Frontenac, North Frontenac and Addington Highlands.”
“All I can say to you, and I know this will not make you happy, is that I think it would be worth stepping back and deciding if the county should get into this kind of business as a matter of policy before simply writing a cheque,” said Vanden Hoek.
No new signage for Cloyne – Community signs have been erected throughout North Frontenac Township, but have not been erected in Cloyne for two reasons. Highway 41, which runs through the village, is a provincial highway, so replacing the old Cloyne Village signs with new ones requires contacting the Ministry of Transportation and perhaps paying a fee. The second complication deals with the fact that only half of Cloyne is located in North Frontenac. The west half is in Addington Highlands, so a North Frontenac sign would only apply east of Hwy. 41. Council considered mounting a sign on the Barrie Hall, which is set back a little from the highway, but decided not to do so at this time.
Trails committee appointment – Councilor Bob Olmstead will be North Frontenac's representative to a Frontenac County committee studying the K&P and Trans Canada trails.
“The trail plans don't involve North Frontenac at this point, but we should have a presence there,” said Mayor Maguire in thanking Olmstead for taking on the responsibility.
Frontenac Centre project coming back – A plan to attract an investor to build an arts centre/resort somewhere in the northern part of Frontenac County, long shelved, may be coming back. Dianna Bratina, Manager of Economic Development for Frontenac County, will be attending a North Frontenac council meeting in late February to talk about the proposal. The plan was developed by Brian Ritchie, the first Economic Development Co-ordinator for Frontenac County, in the spring of 2002.
Of the current members of council, only Mayor Maguire was part of council the last time the Frontenac Centre was discussed.
Ah_council_08-05
Back toHome
Feature Article - February 4, 2008 Addington Highlands Council -Feb. 4/08 By Jeff GreenCouncil Backs out of Cross Lake Road concerns
Addington Highlands residents living on the Cross Lake Road, who have been affected by the decision of Brian Shier to block access through a road that runs though property he owns, made one more appearance before council this Monday; but council did not offer any prospect of a resolution to their concerns.
It’s not as if the township has not been involved in the issue.
Late last summer, they committed some gravel to a group of hunters to build a bypass road to enable access for the residents, but the road is not suitable for the trailer of one resident, Norene Traynor, nor is a propane truck able to pass over it. Traynor and her husband are also concerned that emergency vehicles would not be able to negotiate the bypass should they need to be called in.
The township has also tried to negotiate with Mr. Shier, to no avail.
So when another presentation was made to council this week, Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch said, “We’re sympathetic to the problem, but it is a matter of going to court. Is there something that can be done on the Addington Road [the bypass] to bring it up to some standard?”
“If anybody has any other ideas, if there is anything else that can be done, we would like to do something. We do need a little bit of help. We haven’t forgotten you,” said Reeve Henry Hogg.
“We’ll be back,” said Traynor.
The residents are considering legal action, but they are concerned about the cost.
AFAR gets committee status – Andy Anderson from the Adddington Frontenac Area Radio (AFAR) project came to council asking if the group could establish a formal affiliation with the township. This would allow them to apply for grants without undergoing an expensive incorporation process.
It was determined that the township already considered them to be a sub-committee of the Economic Development Committee, making AFAR formally a township affiliate.
OPP faces the music – Kaladar OPP Officer Pat Finnegan appeared before council to answer concerns about some illegally parked vehicles that were reported to the OPP over Christmas. The OPP did not address the problem and eventually the vehicles were moved by their owners, but in the meantime they were posing a safety risk, according to Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenenblath.
Finnnegan listened as the case was explained, and then asked Reeve Hogg, “Is this a formal complaint or is it something you want to fix?”
“We want to fix it” Hogg said.
Finnegan said he would make sure issues like that are dealt with in the future and agreed to come to council on a bi-monthly basis to report back and hear concerns.
