North Frontenac OK with plan for communal (water, sewer) projects

Craig Bakay | Oct 27, 2021

At its regular (online) meeting Oct. 22, North Frontenac Council voted to accept the Frontenac Municipal Services Corporation — Business Case Study final draft which will now be posted on the Frontenac public engagement site for 30 days to allow the public to provide written comments before a virtual public meeting is held.

Under the plan, the four Townships (North, Central, South Frontenac and Frontenac Islands) along with the County of Frontenac, would create the Frontenac Municipal Services Corporation, which would become the entity that would assume financial risk in the case of communal services (water and sewer) being established in the case of multi-unit developments including seniors housing, subdivisions and condominium developments.

“There’s nothing we want to see changed before this going to the public,” said Mayor Ron Higgins. “We see no red flags.

“I also see a lot of movement from urban centres because of covid (and) I think this (plan) is proactive and environmentally progressive.”

But not everybody was on board with the decision.

“I have a real problem with how this would apply to North Frontenac residents and how this would be of any benefit to them,” said Coun. Vernon Hermer. “I’ve worked for years in road construction and you can’t go very far without having to drill and blast.

“This country is full of rocks.”

“You can build things in incremental installations,” said County CAO Kelly Pender. “There are many in the Muskokas and one in Prince Edward County.

“You can work around the geography.”

“The province has made it clear they’re in favour of communal services,” said Planning Manager Joe Gallivan. “The financial component is the make-or-break factor.

“We’ve been looking at five-unit seniors developments but with communal services, that could be 40-60 units . . . or 20-30 units with some other units.”

Gallivan said lots could potentially be a quarter acre instead of the two acres now required.

“Much of the space required now is to accommodate well and septic.”

He said the Sydenham water system won’t be a part of this unless South Frontenac decides they want to add it in.

He said the Ardoch Lake development (18 units)would have been “a really good candidate for this type of development.”

He said the County won’t be a voting member in the plan.

Coun. John Inglis asked about financing for this plan and Pender replied that there will be a draw on municipalities for five years.

In a related development, Higgins announced that Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith has agreed to a meeting to discuss a potential partnership with North Frontenac on the two five-unit seniors complexes it’s planning for the old Sharbot Lake Public School grounds.

Council Vaccinations

Coun. John Inglis attended Friday’s meeting online, saying he was uncomfortable not knowing who in the room had not been vaccinated for covid-19.

To that end, Council narrowly passed a resolution (3-2 with Mayor Ron Higgins and Coun. Fred Fowler against) to direct the Emergency Control Group to draft a vaccination policy for Council and staff which would include an education component, define medical exemptions and investigate the possibility to include a rapid test for unvaccinated employees to get into the building.

“We have a policy to get into community halls but I’m not there today because I don’t know the vaccination status of some people in the room,” Inglis said.

“I’m hesitant to implement mandatory vaccination for employees because of potential litigation from employees,” said Higgins.

K&P Trail

County manager of economic development Richard Allen updated Council on the progress of extending the K & P Trail to Snow Road Station.

“We’re currently in discussion with five landowners and have sent letters of interest to six other landowners,” he said.

He said the development budget is in place for 2022, and hope to be in construction that summer with a fall completion.

“I’m sure you’re all aware one landowner has closed his land to a section of the trail near Robertsville,” Allen said. “It had been used as a trail in the past when the railroad closed but there have been no agreements in place.”

Allen said there are two bridges that will need work and they’re looking at keeping as much of the trail east of 509 as much of that land is already Township-owned and they’d like to keep the number of road crossings to a minimum.

Short Term Rental Policy

Mayor Ron Higgins said he, Dep. Mayor Gerry Martin and Coun. John Inglis have agreed to meet with Addington Highlands Reeve Henry Hogg and Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch for a group discussion with the NFLAA on short-term rental accommodation.

Mould Remediation

Council approved $421,000 for the Mould Remediation Project for the Ward 2 Shop.