Jeff Green | Dec 16, 2015


Concerning the Wild Parsnip

Ken Gilpin, who is the weed control officer as well as the bylaw control officer for North Frontenac, came to council to talk about options for dealing with the problem of Wild Parsnip, a noxious roadside weed that has been gaining ascendancy throughout southern Ontario and can be found in North Frontenac.

Gilpin said that Lanark County has introduced a herbicide spraying program to deal with wild parsnip, and that South Frontenac has put money in their 2016 budget to deal with noxious roadside weeds, although they have not yet decided whether or not to go the route of spraying.

As far as the obligations of property owners who have the weed on their land is concerned, Gilpin said that there is an Ontario Weed Act that requires him to order weed removal when an infestation on one property threatens to impact the functioning of a farm, “but aside from agricultural uses, the Weed Act does not prescribe anything else” he said.

“The township does not deal with the poison ivy problem. We just ignore it. I'm wondering why we seem to want to deal with just wild parsnip,” said Councilor John Inglis.

“There are numerous noxious weeds, and they don't stay in one township. Unless every other municipality does, I don't think we should touch it,” said Councilor Wayne Good.

Council received Gilpin's presentation for information, and Mayor Higgins said he will see what other townships of Frontenac County is doing before bringing the matter back to Council.

Rural mayors to look at OPP funding model

Mayor Higgins said that the new Rural Mayors' Forum of Eastern Ontario (RMFEO)) will be addressing OPP funding at their January meeting. Based on a report prepared by three of the mayors in the 13-member organization, the intention is to point out a number of errors in the funding formula to the provincial government.

“We recognize that the funding model is here to stay, but there are flaws that we can address. For instance if someone puts in an apartment above a small store, it is considered two residences, but an urban shopping mall is only considered one, and cell towers are also counted as residences,” said Higgins.

Higgins also said that since municipalities pay 40% of the cost of running the OPP, “We should have a say in the OPP budgeting.”

He said that once a decision is made at the January meeting of RMFEO, a presentation will be made at the Ontario Good Roads Association/Royal Ontario Municipal Association meeting in Toronto in late February.

No refuge in NF

Council decided to receive, but not act on, a request from a group based in Addington Highlands that is trying to bring Syrian refugee families to Cloyne, to be housed for a time at the Bon Echo Hotel. The request was for the use of the Barrie Hall, which is located across the road in North Frontenac, as an administrative center.

“I don't think there is a chance that the government will send refugees here,” said Councilor Vernon Hermer.

“It is probably the worst place for them. No work; no one from their community; no resources,” said John Inglis.

“They also want us to let them know if there are any empty houses for rent in the township. I'll tell them to contact a realtor because we don't keep that information at the township,” said Ron Higgins.

Speed limits changed

Based on a report by Public Works Manager Jim Phillips, a proposed schedule of road speeds on gravel roads in the township was tabled. Phillips recommended the limit be set at 60 km per hour on some roads, 50 on others, and 40 on some smaller, more treacherous roads and sections of roads.

“I suggest that, based on what I've been hearing from residents, we amend the schedule by putting a 40 km sign on Sunday Lake Drive, because the residents there have been clear that it is what they want for their children,” said Councilor Denis Bedard.

“I did this on a technical basis for all the roads, not on the basis of requests,” said Phillips.

When it became clear that an amendment to the schedule was not going to get the support of Council, Bedard asked for a recorded vote on the main motion. It passed 7-2, with Bedard and John Inglis, the two representatives from Ward 3, where Sunday Lake is located, both voting against it.

Mileage rates to stay at 48 cents; pay increase at 2.4%

Council decided to maintain the mileage paid to council members driving on township business to meetings and events other than council meetings at 48 cents per kilometre.

As well, staff and council will receive a cost of living increase of 2.4% in their pay next year. The increase will be calculated based on a 2.4% increase to the average township staff salary, which works out to a 33 cent per hour increase for all staff members.

“Just so everyone knows, what we do is different from what the county does, and the County CAO is dead set against it. What we do is give the same increase to all employees, not matter how much they make, instead of a percentage increase. So an employee making $15 an hour would go to $15.33 and an employee making $60 an hour goes to $60.33. [Former mayor] Bud Clayton said that if the cost of a loaf of bread goes up the same amount no matter how much an employee makes, a cost of living increase should result in the same increase,” said Councilor John Inglis.

The concern expressed by County CAO Pender when Bud Clayton proposed this kind if increase was that it would tend to compact the salaries from the top to the bottom of the scale, and in time could lead to senior managers leaving for greener pastures in other locations.

“There are other ways to deal with that,” said Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, “perhaps through changes to the salary grid or merit increases.”

“This is something we should think about,” said Mayor Higgins, “but we can leave it for this year.”

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