North Frontenac Council

Jeff Green | Mar 23, 2016

North Frontenac tax increase sneaks in at under 3%

It was only by the slimmest of margins, but in spite of an increase in OPP costs of $173,000, which in itself represents an increase of 3.16% of the overall North Frontenac budget, staff managed to bring in a budget with an increase of 2.98%.

Although the OPP increase was offset by a $75,000 increase in provincial transfers, flat-lining the rest of the budget took months of effort from staff as well as council, which met numerous times in the fall of 2015 and again this winter to fine-tune the numbers.

By partnering with Frontenac County for IT services and waste management consulting, and Central Frontenac for building services, cost savings have been realized. There was also a reduction in heating costs.

The township was also one of 77 municipalities in Ontario (out of 144) to receive a grant under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund this year. The grant of $288,000 will cover 90% of the cost of a new culvert on Buckshot Lake Road. The township will also purchase two pickup trucks and a Sterling tandem truck.

The planned re-build and renovation of the township office is not included in this year's budget. The project will remain in the design stage this year.

Community Improvement

Once Council had approved their 2016 budget, Anne Marie Young and Reid Shepherd presented the final version of a Community Improvement Plan, which will be available for businesses in the entire township.

The program will include funding under four different categories: facade improvement, accessibility enhancements, commercial space funding, and municipal fees granting program. While in other Frontenac townships, individual hamlets were chosen for funding, such as Verona in South Frontenac and Sharbot Lake in Central Frontenac, all businesses in the Township of North Frontenac are eligible for funding support for improvements to their business location, including renovations and expansions of existing buildings. However, the program does not apply to new construction. There is a $2,500 limit for any single project, and an additional $2,000 for grants to cover municipal fees, such as building permits, for renovations and expansions.

Frontenac County is providing a $70,000 pool of money for the program, which will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis for projects that fit the criteria of the program. Once that money is spent, the township may choose to invest its own money to extend the program. Most of the grants will require matching investments from the businesses involved. The Community Improvement Plan also includes municipally generated projects. For further information, contact the township.

Electoral reform – North Frontenac style

Based on a request from Mayor Ron Higgins, a document was received by Council about reviewing municipal ward systems by Quinto Annibale, a Toronto-based planning consultant.

Higgins said that if the township is interested in changing the current system, they need to do so by the end of 2017 in order for the changes to come into effect in time for the 2018 municipal election.

“Although I think we are striving to work together towards a common goal at council, and I have found this council has made great strides in that direction, I don't see us abandoning the ward election system,” said Higgins. “What we might do is cut down to one member from each ward, and a mayor and deputy mayor elected at large, by the entire township.”

Since there are two representatives for each of the three North Frontenac wards, and Barrie Ward is home to more than twice as many people as Palmerston Ward, Councilor John Inglis said, “What we could do is have two representatives from Barrie Ward, and one each from the other two, and the mayor elected at large.”

The matter was deferred.

Independent Electricity Service Operator (IESO)

North Frontenac will take the lead in the municipal response to the IESO regarding mandatory municipal support for renewable energy projects. Last week, the locations of wind and solar projects that were awarded contracts under phase 1 of the Large Renewable Procurement process were announced. Consultations are getting underway to determine the rules for phase 2, a process that will take over a year.

Mayor Higgins has been asked to develop a position paper on behalf of a number of townships, and Council gave him leave to do that work.

“The main goal is to ensure that municipalities have a veto over the location of wind or solar projects within their boundaries,” said Higgins.

Resistance from South Frontenac

Mayor Higgins said that it caught him by surprise when, at a meeting of Frontenac County Council, the mayor of South Frontenac did not want to allow him to report on the activities of the Rural Mayors’ Forum of Eastern Ontario, a group that Higgins founded.

“He seemed to feel that we were undermining the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, and I explained that we are not trying to do that; and that we are working collaboratively with other organizations on a set of common issues,” said Higgins.