Feature Article - April 3, 2008

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Feature Article -April 3, 2008 Municipal Budgets by Jeff GreenCentral Frontenac Budget Deliberations Continue

Councilors are going over small and large budget items in marathon sessions at the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake this week, hoping to trim down a projected tax increase in Central Frontenac this year.

Last month, staff presented council with a budget increase of 5.4% in the municipal tax rate.

By April 1, staff had made some cuts to bring the increase down to 3.9%

Council has been working towards eliminating another $100,000 from the budget, which would bring it down to a 2.4% overall increase over last year.

If they succeed in that task, the taxes paid for a property valued at $150,000, for example, would be just under $2,140 in Central Frontenac.

The township received a grant of $1,596,263 as the result of the recent provincial budget, and that money is being put towards an aggressive road construction program. The funding is part of a province-wide, one- time roads and bridges grant from the province.

Central Frontenac Council will continue working on their budget later this month with a view toward finalizing it before May 1.

North Frontenac Ratepayers: Saved by the Grant?

North Frontenac Council has been working on their 2008 budget for months, and had reluctantly concluded they would have to bring in a hefty tax increase this year.

The increase came about in order to continue a maintenance program on Hwys. 509/506. In 1998 the township received $3.5 million along with responsibility for the roads, and has spent $350,000 each year on a paving and maintenance program. The money is now gone.

As a result, the township share of the municipal budget was set to be increased by 17.55% this year, and even when mitigated by a cut in the county rate, the total tax rate was up by 8.93% over 2007.

This would result in a North Frontenac homeowner whose house is assessed at $150,000 paying $2030 in 2008, up from $1863 in 2007.

Then, the township received news of a $1,362,831 grant from the province of Ontario.

If only a portion of this money, $350,000 (the amount budgeted for maintenance of 506/509) is used to offset the 2008 budget, that same $150,000 property owner would pay $1915.

North Frontenac Council is holding a special meeting today, April 3, to revisit the budget in light of the new funding.

South Frontenac Budget Nears Completion

South Frontenac councilors had their last crack at the township’s 2008 budget on Monday evening, March 31. The budget will be up for discussion at a public meeting later this month before being approved.

The decisions with the most impact on the budget were made back in January, when a five-year road maintenance and upgrading program was approved. As a result, the 2008 budget will have different impacts for ratepayers of the four districts that make up the township, with the net result being a flattening out of the tax rate overall in anticipation of the amalgamation of the roads department next year.

Ratepayers in Bedford will see the largest increase in their taxes this year: 4.6%. 2008 is the first year of an aggressive paving program, which will see many of the arterial roads in the district being paved by 2012.

In Portland district, the tax rate will be up by 3.3%, and in Loughborough it will be up 1.4%. Storrington district ratepayers will see a tax decrease of 1.6%.

The net effect of all these changes is that ratepayers in all districts will be paying almost identical amounts in 2008.

Using a property valued at $150,000 as an example, taxes in Bedford will be $1780.67 in '08; in Portland they will be $1780.57, in Loughborough $1789.48 and in Storrington $1797.15.

These figures include charges of $150 for garbage pick-up in three of the districts. In Bedford, where residents bring their own garbage to dumpsites, the garbage fee is only $20.

The township learned last Friday that they will be receiving $2.5 million in one-time infrastructure funding from the province, but with the details not yet available, council decided not to include the money in their budget estimates for 2008.

Public works Manager Mark Segsworth said that a $300,000 application for funding to complete the Rutlege Road bridge under another provincial program, the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiaitive MIII, has been turned down, so some of the $2.5 million might go to that project. Engineering work is already being done for a major repair on the Loughborough Lake bridge, slated for 2009 or 2010. That project is expected to cost over $1 million, so the township should have no trouble finding uses for the new provincial money, which is earmarked for road and bridge repairs.

Among other initiatives in the budget is a three-year, $1.5 million salt containment plan, with the construction for three salt domes being anticipated. This work will not have an effect on the property tax rate because it is being funded through a federal gas tax rebate that the township will be receiving every year.

Segsworth revealed that the winter maintenance budget proved inadequate this year, as the result of an unprecedented number of storms. Fortunately there was a $270,000 winter maintenance reserve fund to draw upon, which was entirely depleted this year, along with an additional $8,000.

In 2009, the winter road maintenance budget will be the same as the actual costs for this past year.

“I can’t see us getting a winter next year that is worse than the one that is almost over,” said Segsworth, “and if we have an easier winter next year then we will be able to build up that reserve again.”

The fire budget had a 0% increase, thanks in part to a transfer of $30,000 from a fire salary reserve fund, which had risen to $100,000 in recent years.

The most contentious issues in the budget meeting had little impact on the overall thrust of the document. Council remains divided on a plan to hire a third full-time building inspector when the contract for a temporary worker runs out in May.

In a 5-4 vote, council approved the building department budget, which had a 0% increase. They will have another chance to debate the hiring of a third full-time inspector in May, however, as the budget approval only put the money in place. The decision to hire or not will come back to council.

Strorrington councilor John Filion also took exception to a plan to have the bylaw officer actively search out people who do not purchase tags for their pet dogs, which could include home visits.

“You three are communists,” he said, pointing across the table to Councilors Hahn, Hicks and McPhail, who had voiced their support for the idea.

Feature Article - May 1, 2008

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Feature Article - May 1, 2008 Harrowsmith sign contestBy Jeff Green

The village of Harrowsmith is going to be the recipient of new signs, courtesy of the Sydenham High School Student Council, and the public is being asked to come up with a three or four-word motto to grace the signs.

The contest is open until the end of this month, and entries can be sent to Lance Gibson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The sign project was initiated by the student council in 2007, when Stephanie Doornekamp, one of a triumvirate of council presidents, was so impressed with the signs in Perth Road Village that she brought the idea to the council of funding signs for the school's host village of Sydenham. With the help of the students from Gord Darling's shop class, in particular Brad Hornbeck, two signs were built, and art student Steven Michaels painted a representative image to go with them.

A time lag as the image was prepared was one of the sources of a mix up. As the new business association began looking around for signs, the Sydenham students’ signs were somehow forgotten, and the buisiness association commissioned other signs for the village of Sydenham.

That's where Harrowsmith comes in. The 2008 Student Council, and their staff advisor, Scott Gordon, have decided to revamp their signs and place them on high-profile locations on Road 38 as a gift to the people of Harrowsmith.

“We contacted Portland Councilor Bill Robinson, and he expressed an interest in placing signs in Harrowsmith, so we're happy to shift gears since many or our students come from Harrowsmith,” Gordon said.

The student council wants this to be accomplished by the end of the school term in June, and that's where the people of Harrowsmith come in.

“We have some images on hand, but we need a three or four-word slogan that best represents Harrowsmith,” said Gordon, “and we would even look at images if people have them. We want the community to participate with the students in making this happen.”

Local merchants have donated prizes for the winning entry, which might reflect Harrowsmith's history as a farming and railroad community, or something more contemporary.

Feature Article - May 1, 2008

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Feature Article - May 1, 2008 North Frontenac Council: Apr 24/08By Jeff Green

Strategic planning offer

Ron Higgins, a consultant who has a company called the Wren Group, is offering his services for economic strategic planning in North Frontenac. Wren has done work for customers as diverse as the Ottawa Senators and Ontario Power Generation,

The normal fee for the sessions he is proposing would be about $3,600, but as the founding president of the Malcolm Lake Association, Higgins is offering to forego his fee if the township will instead provide some support in areas such as septic monitoring, water testing, fish management and liability insurance for the newly-formed association.

In a presentation he made at a North Frontenac Council meeting last Thursday, April 24, Higgins described a process whereby he would actively solicit public comment on the kinds of business and commercial activity that would likely succeed in North Frontenac before conducting a one-day planning session that would include council, staff and key stakeholders.

The ultimate goal would be to try and find a way to address the lack of commercial activity in the township, which has led not only to a dearth of local employment, but also a tax base that is skewed overwhelmingly towards residential assessment.

In response to Higgins’ proposal, Mayor Ron Maguire first pointed to something he championed in his first term of office: bringing seasonal residents into the mainstream of township life.

“There are two things to discuss in this particular instance. The first is the economic development planning proposal itself, and the other is the trade off,” Maguire said. “It almost seems like this has been studied to death. At the same time we haven’t come up with something unique to North Frontenac yet. There are some possible benefits to be achieved by going to the First Nations with this, so we could look at it from a different perspective. I would want to make sure they would be among the principal stakeholders, at least.”

“Things have been studied, but never with broad public input,” Higgins replied.

“I think this might fit in with some of the other planning we are involved with,” said township CAO Cheryl Robson.

“Perhaps the department heads can look at this and bring a report back,” Maguire said, “and we can handle the trade off you are looking for once the report comes back.”

Big Gull Lake Access – David Pattendon, an island cottager on Big Gull Lake, brought a request to council that came about after two years of work by a group of 12 island property owners on the west end of the lake.

When two marinas on the lake closed, the cottagers were left with no place to dock their boats and park their cars, and they have been negotiating with the Ministry of Natural Resources to obtain permission to build 12 docks near a public boat access that MNR owns on the lake. This process is nearly complete, and Pattendon came to council to seek the use of two small pieces of land on the township-owned shoreline so the islanders can pass from their parking lot to the docks they are going to construct.

“We would like to get this in place before the summer season, as you can well understand,” Pattendon said. “We realise that the township is not in the dock business, and we have assumed all costs related to this from the start.”

There is an added urgency to the situation, David Pattendon explained, since one of the people involved is 97 years old and still goes to his cottage, with the help of his 70-year-old son.

“For someone who is that age, this is a pretty important summer,” Pattendon said.

A draft agreement has been prepared, and staff will determine if surveys are needed before bringing the agreement back to council.

Rural Routes Revisited (funding denied again) – the Rural Routes transportation service is nothing if not persistent. Six weeks after North Frontenac Council turned down a request for $7,000 to help the program get through 2008, a new request was sent to North Frontenac Council, along with a copy of the agency’s 2008 budget.

Deputy Mayor Jim Beam urged the township to reconsider its decision to deny funding to Rural Routes.

“We have stated that funding for Rural Routes is something that the county should be doing. I believe the Mayor of Central Frontenac supported that idea, but there they are (Central Frontenac) putting in $15,000. I don't want to be seen as cutting off our nose to spite our face. I would hate to see the program go under because we are making a point to the county,” Beam said.

Councillor Fred Perry proposed that North Frontenac approve the request, and then demand the $7,000 back from the county in September, once the county completes a transportation study they have undertaken. The county has put $20,000 aside to go towards transportation once that study is completed.

“The transportation study is going to be much broader than that,” said Mayor Maguire. “We have no idea what it is going to come up with. I think it's a dangerous precedent for us to be pouring taxpayers’ money into social programming. It's the same reason why I don't think we should fund Pine Meadow. These things are county responsibilities.”

Maguire fought for funding for both Rural Routes and the Pine Meadow Nursing Home during county budget deliberations this past winter, eventually voting against the budget because a request for $25,000 towards renovations at the home had been rejected by the other members of county council.

“Besides, what force do we have with the county by doing this?” Maguire asked.

In the end, Maguire's argument won the day. Even though several councilors voiced support for Rural Routes, Councilors Watkins, Good, and Cole sided with the mayor and the request was defeated in a 4-3 vote.

Feature Article - May 8, 2008

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Feature Article - May 8, 2008 South Frontenac CouncilBy Wilma Kenny

High-speed Internet Subsidy Voted Down

Council discussed the recommendation "that Council authorizes the reimbursement to Council members who wish to take advantage of high-speed internet connection and reimburse the installation costs plus the monthly charge for this service." The motion for this, and the amendment that would have had taxpayers cover only the monthly charges were both defeated. "I don’t want charity," commented Councillor Fillion. Councillors will continue to receive their information from the township via fax machines.

Future Library and Municipal Offices

In reply to Councillor McPhail’s query about the status of an expansion to accommodate the library and municipal offices, Mayor Davison said he had a new report related to this on his desk, and was trying to fit it into a busy agenda. "There’ll be a lot to talk about." No date was set.

East Bedford Residents Unhappy

Councillor Hahn said that the residents of Eastern Bedford feel they will be badly served by the cancellation of the emergency response agreement with Westport. (Westport is the only municipality that charges a fee for automatic aid.) A heated and inconclusive discussion followed: the Fire Marshall will be consulted for his assessment of the situation.

Harrowsmith Storage to Expand

Council approved a zoning by-law amendment which will permit expansion of the industrial storage operation just south of Harrowsmith. A site plan and agreement will address the issues of demolishing one house on the expanded property and relocating the other house from the original property.

Feature Article - May 8, 2008

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Feature Article - May 8, 2008 Addington Highlands Council,may 5/08By Jeff Green

Talking trash and budget increases

Addington Highlands Council has scheduled an extra budget meeting for this week to deal with requirements the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MoE) has placed on the township’s dump sites.

The township is considering the purchase of a used machine for compacting garbage at its three larger and two smaller waste sites, at a cost of about $100,000.

“I think I read that it was a matter of compacting weekly, and covering monthly,” said Reeve Henry Hogg, “and beyond the equipment costs there is the labour cost. It will likely be a union position, mostly in the summer, but it will cost $20,000, at least.”

“If we levy for the wages, do we have the reserves to cover the machine?” asked Councilor Janice Kerr.

“That's a political decision,” said township clerk/treasurer Jack Pauhl. “I've left the budget at the same rate as last year, but even if we are looking only at wages it will mean about a 2 or 3 per cent increase.”

A meeting was set for Wednesday, May 7, to look again at the budget. The budget is still scheduled to come forward for final approval at the May 20 meeting, at 7 pm in Denbigh.

Bag tags – A discussion about the different protocols for the township’s bag tag system led council to conclude that all bags that go over the hill should be tagged. Since waste attendants give out a tag for every box of recycling, some people bring untagged bags and boxes of recycling to cancel them out. Council agreed that for consistency’s sake the garbage bag should be tagged, and a new tag should be handed out for the next bag of garbage. As well, truck or trailer loads should not be filled with untagged garbage bags.

“The trailer fee is intended for loose material, brush etc., not bagged garbage,” said Reeve Hogg.

Although council agreed that in future all bags should be tagged, it was recognised that enforcement of this will be difficult.

Scrap metal pickup – Council will be considering an offer from Kimco to pay $180 per ton of scrap metal at township waste sites, including pick up. The Waste Management committee will consider the offer at a meeting to be held later this month.

Wildfires down – Fire Chief Casey Cuddy reported that there has been only one “actual wildfire thus far this year as compared to 15 or 20 last year at this time. That's not really surprising considering that we still had snow on the ground when the wildfire season started this year, and a snowstorm on the very day.”

Cuddy said the department is struggling for available firefighters during the day because many of the fighters are working more now that the good weather is here.

Reeve Hogg expressed concern about the condition of the Northbrook Fire Hall. “It looks pretty bad,” Hogg said.

“We can replace the fascia, but we should redo the roof if we do,” Casey Cuddy replied.

“I think it's going to be a year or two before we put a new Fire Hall up even after we approve it,” said Hogg.

“I'll get a cost on replacing the roof and the soffits and fascia,” said Cuddy

“In the meantime we are setting some money aside for a new fire hall,” said Reeve Hogg.

Feature Article - May 15, 2008

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Feature Article - May 15, 2008 North Frontenac Council -May 8/08By Jeff Green

Fire grants for North Frontenac

North Fronenac Fire Chief Steve Riddell learned recently that an application for a matching grant under the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) has been approved. The township will receive 40% funding for new radios in each hall and a generator for the Emergency Operations Centre.

A further application for a chair lift at the fire hall to provide handicapped access to the second floor meeting rooms, was denied.

Amazing race put off – Dave Winney has informed the township that his plans for a rally for a military motorcycle club will be put off until 2009.

$880 bill to be sent to Aborigial Affairs – A clean up that public works recently completed outside of the gate at the Robertsville mine cost $880. “I read somewhere that the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs is covering legal costs for the First Nations. I think we should therefore send them the bill,” said Mayor Ron Maguire.

Council will do just that.

Feature Article - May 15, 2008

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Feature Article - May 15, 2008 South Frontenac Committee of the WholeBy Wilma Kenny

A Second Building Inspector?

CAO Gord Burns introduced a report from Alan Revill, Chief Building Official, which recommended that council consider hiring a second full-time building inspector for the township. The duties of the building inspector have expanded to include playground inspection, the library expansion project, inspection, inventorying and maintenance of the various township buildings, and processing building permits. Councillor Stowe pointed out that with over 500 permits per year, the present ratio of staff to permits is much too high. Burns said the government’s focus on energy conservation is expected to lead to new programs and grant possibilities, and the building inspector will be the staff member responsible for preparing proposals, and supervising related programs.

For the past several years, the building department has used contract and part-time positions, but the present contract cannot be extended: "We must either eliminate the position, or move forward," stated Revill. During slower building periods, staff still has a backlog of over 1500 old files to be closed out.

Councillors Fillion and York both had concerns that the economy was slowing, and there would be less development in the township. Mayor Davison said he had seen no evidence of a slowdown in township growth, and Vandewal said that so far this year, there had been an increase in severances. Hahn said that if the township wanted to develop, it needed to offer prompt, efficient inspections. He reminded council that any costs, including staffing, were covered by the related fees. Burns reassured council that if there was insufficient work some time in the future, staff could be reassigned, or laid off. A straw vote showed support for the new full-time position, with only Fillion opposed, and Vandewal and Stowe refusing to participate in a straw vote.

The Future of Waste Management

"The Township of South Frontenac requires a long term strategy to effectively manage up to 250,000 tonnes of solid waste over the next 20 years." Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth introduced a draft Waste Management Plan Study directed by the Sustainability Committee and prepared by Guy LaPorte of Totten, Sims and Hubicki.

Primary objectives were to develop a plan that was: environmentally sound, compliant with regulations, feasible and easy to implement, cost effective and affordable.

Currently, waste management services in the township are area rated and the level of service in each district is different. The plan recommends that the current service, which is managed on a district level, should be changed to a township-wide system with a common level of service for all residents.

No one questioned the objectives of trying to divert 50% of the township’s waste stream from landfilling, or continuing to assess, monitor and manage landfill site impacts. However, the suggestion that all wastes generated in South Frontenac that could not be diverted from landfill (i.e. recycled or composted) should be landfilled in South Frontenac led to heated discussion over the pros and cons of paying to ship Storrington’s waste out of the township.

Deputy Mayor Robinson agreed with Councillor Vandewal’s statement that if all the other township landfill sites were filled, Portland would then be willing, perhaps obligated, to accept garbage from the rest of the township.

LaPorte noted that landfill capacity could be extended by more efficient compaction and covering. Another idea that generated discussion was the possibility of introducing a ‘pay as you throw’ system which would replace the present garbage fee with a charge for bag tags: residents would buy only as many tags as they needed.

Councillor Fillion stunned the room by pronouncing that he thought the report was excellent.

In conclusion, council agreed that the Sustainability Committee should proceed to prepare for public meetings to get input from residents. The resulting revised plan can then come back to Council for discussion and decision.

Feature Article - May 15, 2008

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Feature Article - May 15, 2008 Central Frontenac Council -May 13/08By Jeff Green

New public works manager promises change, fast

Central Frontenac’s new Public Works Manager John Simcock had only been on the job for six days, and his appointment had yet to be ratified by council, when he made his first presentation to a council meeting on Monday night.

He made it clear to council that he will be establishing what he calls a “chain of command” in the public works department, and his first priority will be to upgrade the level of education among public works staff. “As I start formulating a plan to basically attack the public works division, there will be an emphasis on education. It is something we are missing, and it is something that is required by law.”

Some required courses can be brought in to the township by the Ministry of Transportation, but for others township employees will have to travel to Ottawa or Peterborough. The education is needed both for health and safety reasons and so public works staff will be more productive on the job.

“Bear with us for four months, and I can show you a works process that will let you target any area that you want to deal with. In a year and a half, the people that are still here will deliver a lot of service.”

Simcot clarified his remarks in an interview with the News on Tuesday morning. “It is certainly not my intention to force anyone out of the public works department,” he said, “it’s just that some people do not want to take courses, but this is mandatory. There is no option to say no.”

Simcot will be holding his first meeting with the entire public works staff today, May 15, at 1:30p.m.

One other immediate change that John Simcot put to council on Monday was the surface treatment (hardtopping) of Zealand Road, which had been deferred during budget deliberations to next year. He argued that since Road 509 and the Ardoch Road are gong to be resurfaced this year, it makes sense do Zealand Road as well since it is so close by.

He said that over $100,000 can be saved by putting in a three-way stop where Zealand and Bell Line Roads meet, instead of building up the surface of the road to improve visibility, and that the $320,000 it will cost will be offset by savings in maintenance costs over 20 years.

“We spent two hours on Zealand Road last week, and it is a much busier road than most of our back roads. There is even large truck traffic on it,” Simcot said.

Councilor Philip Smith said, “When we were doing our budget we did decide that the money should be spread out, not concentrated on one end of the township. I don’t support this for that reason.”

“I agree with Phil,” said Councilor Bill Snyder. “It’s too much money to spend in one corner. Keep it fair. I’ve been here 27 years, and you just came and suddenly we’re spending all the money in one corner. It’s totally unfair for staff to be pushing this forward at this time”.

In a recorded vote, the Zealand surface treatment project was approved, with only Philip Smith and Bill Snyder casting dissenting votes. Councilor Frances Smith was not at the meeting.

WARREN LAKE – A site plan submitted on behalf of Peter Boomgardt was deferred after much discussion. Mr. Boomgardt plans to develop new lots that will have common access to a dock that he intends to build on Warren Lake, off of Bell Line Road west of Road 509. An opinion from Mike Yee of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority that the dock would not affect fish habitat was presented, but there are a number of issues that council wanted clarified by the proponent and the matter was deferred.

NOISE BYLAW RETURNS – A draft noise bylaw was discussed. The bylaw was prepared in response to a complaint to the township last year about the constant use of a generator, but once again the noise bylaw was the subject of some ridicule by councilors.

“The sounding of any bell is prohibited, so that means church bells as well,” said Councilor Purdon. “Or cow bells,” chimed in Bill Snyder.

“And then there is the prohibition against yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing before 9 am on a Sunday. What about early church services?”asked John Purdon.

“Bear in mind that bylaws are only enforced on a company basis,” said Mayor Gutowski.

“I don’t like these bylaws that you can’t enforce,” said Councilor Harvey

The draft bylaw will return again at a later date.

DUCHENE TO RESIGN – Interim Chief Administrative Officer John DuChene has informed council that he will be stepping down at the end of August, after serving for 18 months.

Feature Article - May 15, 2008

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Feature Article - May 15, 2008 Central Frontenac slows Earthworx composting planBy Jeff Green

Faced with a contentious zoning application by Casey Shea of Earthworx, Central Frontenac planning consultant Glenn Tunnock recommended that it be deferred, and council agreed.

Tunnock said that the applicant should be asked to file an application for an Official Plan amendment, giving the township an opportunity to require Mr. Shea to provide assurances and complete environmental studies before proceeding.

“In my opinion, there is no merit in council proceeding with this application until Mr. Shea has undertaken some studies. I do believe strongly that there are deal breakers in this case. The applicant needs to demonstrate that he can receive certificates of approval from the Ministry of the Environment. A significant issue is the noise issue, and air quality as well,” Tunnock said in presenting his report to council.

Earthworx is seeking a zoning change in order to make the site, which is located on the Westport Road in Hinchinbrooke district, available for the composting of what are known as source-separated organics. The company intends to answer a request for proposal from the City of Kingston to set up curbside pickup of compostable materials, including table scraps, bones, coffee grounds, eggshells, etc. The material would be trucked to the Westport Road site for composting.

Current zoning at the site, which was obtained in 2001, allows only for the composting of leaf and yard waste, and the material to be composted can only be sourced from Central Frontenac Township. Earthworx has never proceeded to obtain approvals from the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) to set up any large scale composting at the site, which is mainly used as a quarry and for topsoil extraction, and as a holding site for a variety of landscaping materials that Earthworx markets in the Kingston area.

Tunnock's report outlined the three certificates of approval that a composting site would need to obtain from the MoE, and talked about local considerations that the township could concern itself with as it considers an applicaiton for an official plan amendment. These included visual impacts and site layout, vermin and animal attraction, and traffic impacts.

“Further information that should be provided to the township as part of the process includes: site dimensions, setbacks from the proposed operation to property boundaries, expansion plans, setbacks from water and wetlands, on-site parking, buildings, if any, and proposed landscaping,” the report says.

I'd like to say this report is pretty good and thorough,” said Councilor Bob Harvey. “This shows us the hoops that Mr. Shea has to jump through. The only question I have is that when it talks about air quality, it talks about health issues, but there is also the issue of proper enjoyment of property. That's the only issue that I'd like to see looked at further. If there is a negative odour coming over, it is not what people expected when they bought their property.”

Glenn Tunnock agreed. “It boils down to an issue of land compatablity and if the land use is not compatible with other uses, then the township should not be approving this zoning, in my opinion,” he said.

In accepting Tunnock's recommendations, council approved a motion calling for site plan control, a hydrogeological study, noise asessment, the filing of a plan regarding occupational characteristics of the proposed operation, and said the municpality may require licensing of the facility under the municipal act and the establishment of a public commitee to deal with concerns that arise.

“I think it paves out a clear path for us to follow before a facility of this kind can be brought into operation. A poor site is a headache in the long haul,” said Mayor Janet Gutowski before council approved the motion.

A number of residents from nearby properties, including 13 Island Lake in South Frontenac, which is located one kilometre from the Earthworx site, attended the meeting.

Glenna Asselstine, who has become an unofficial spokesperson for the group, asked that the township make a better effort to communicate to the people who are concerned. “I only found out that this report was being presented tonight because I happened to call the township office on Friday. Otherwise we would not have been here,” she said.

Feature Article - May 29, 2008

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Feature Article - May 29, 2008 South Frontenac Council talks again about official plan, waste managementBy Jeff Green

South Frontenac Council spent the bulk of this week’s Committee-of-the-Whole meeting re-hashing issues that have divided them in recent weeks and months.

Well over a year after beginning what was to be a one-year review of their official plan, a proposal to change two provisions in the plan was once again debated. Both have to do with the creation of new lots. The first is a proposal to allow lots to be created on private lanes. Currently only waterfront lots can be created on private lanes, according to the existing official plan.

The second proposal is about resetting the clock. As of September of 2000, any existing lot can only be subdivided into three lots. Advocates of resetting the clock want three new lots to be allowed from an existing lot as of 2008. (All new lots must be the township minimum of one hectare in size no matter what the clock says).

Planner Lindsay Mills has recommended against the two changes.

Council spent the better part of an hour discussing how to resolve the diverging opinions that councilors hold on these issues, and finally decided to take a vote at a regular council meeting on June 17 on Mills’ recommendations.

Whatever decision council reaches will then be presented for comment to a public meeting before a final vote is taken.

Waste

A motion to receive a comprehensive waste management plan and refer it to a public meeting was rejected at a council meeting last week, and Mayor Davison proposed that the plan be sent to the waste management committee to be reworked and brought back to council.

The councilors who had defeated the plan said this was merely a way of sliding it back on the table, but Mayor Davison said that the sustainability committee, which includes public representation as well as members of council, would bring back an amended plan for council to consider.

A straw vote yielded a 5-4 result in favour of Davison’s proposal, and the sustainability committee will have an opportunity, at their June 5 meeting, to come up with an amended report which will be back in front of council on either June 17 or July 8.