Unusual beginning to North Frontenac Council meeting

Craig Bakay | Mar 25, 2020

Last Friday’s North Frontenac Township Council meeting began with a definite air of surrealism.

Before entering the Council chambers, everyone, councillors and staff included, was led by firefighter Robert Rutherford, one at a time, to Geoff Culp and Marc Guilbault, who asked questions (have you been out of the country, have a sore throat, etc) and took people’s temperatures. (The reporter’s temp was 36.5 C.)

Once screened, it was inside to a skeleton Council consisting of Mayor Ron Higgins, Coun. Fred Perry and Wayne Good. Coun. Fred Fowler arrived 20 minutes late to complete a quorum. Dep. Mayor Gerry Martin along with Coun. John Inglis and Vernon Hermer were advised not to attend due to underlying medical conditions.

Friday was actually two meetings, the first of which was a public meeting to present the 2020 budget.

“We have continued to maintain a great fiscal outlook for the Township with healthy reserves, fiscal management and priority setting based on our strategic plan,” Higgins said in his opening remarks. “I would like to thank Council and management for their continued commitment and management of our fiscal responsibility. That commitment and our healthy reserves has allowed us to keep our annual levy at, or close to, the annual consumer price index and avoids higher than necessary taxation. Doing so has not been easy based on the continued level of Provincial and Federal policies that at times puts a huge strain on how a municipality can respond and sustain our municipal responsibilities.”

For the record, the 2020 budget is set at $6,197,558 to be raised in taxation or a 3.09 per cent increase over 2019’s $6,001,535.

“This has gotten right out of hand,” said Herbert Kent, when the Mayor asked for comments from the public (Kent was the lone member of the public who attended). “Our businesses can’t handle it.”

Once the budget was passed into law, the regular meeting continued.

Higgins told Council that on March 17, he was part of a conference call with several other heads of council and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark.

“The Minister told us that a bill has been passed that will allow us to hold electronic meetings,” Higgins said. “Everybody knows our bandwidth in NF isn’t that great.”

“Another push for better internet,” said Perry.

“How will the public be able to listen in?” said Fowler.

Higgins said that all that would have to be determined.

“We’ll have a meeting with staff after this meeting to discuss what we need to go about this,” Higgins said. “If we can’t get it done soon, we’ll probably have to cancel the April meeting.”

CAO Cheryl Robson they did have funds to potentially upgrade the computer systems.

“We’ll see what we need to buy.”

One aspect of such a system would be that the public must be able to track it online and likely all votes would have to be recorded votes.

• • •

Council and committee members remuneration figures for 2019 were released, including mileage, conference expenses, training and office expenses.

Coun. Fred Fowler received $22,310.15; Coun. Wayne Good — $18,179.74; Mayor Ron Higgins — $28,561.54; Coun. Vernon Hermer — $19,181.83; Coun. John Inglis — $20,935.94; Coun. Gerry Martin — $19,610.94; Dep. Mayor Fred Perry — $23,281.09.

• • •

Coun. agreed to draft a letter signed by the Mayor and Coun. John Inglis (Economic Development Task Force)to present to a potential private donor for a substantial amount of funds towards the building to house the donated Fred Lossing telescope at the North Frontenac Star Gazing Pad near Fernleigh.

“It was advised that it may be helpful to offer a possible large donor an opportunity to have the potential building named after him/her . . . and a plaque be mounted on the building advising same,” said a report from the EDTV.