Council uneasy as Higgins plans to take a look at planning practices

Jeff Green | Jan 19, 2022

At their regular council meeting on Friday (January 14), some members of North Frontenac Council expressed their concerns about an initiative that Mayor Ron Higgins is taking on to review the land use planning process that governs what kinds of building projects are permitted on each parcel of land in the township.

The initiative was not an agenda item at the meeting, but it surfaced as the result of comments that Higgins made on two seemingly unrelated items.

Early in the meeting, Council received an information report from Mississippi Valley Conservation (MVC) about a provincially mandated transition plan that MVC is undertaking. The plan will be the subject of public meetings, later this year, in municipalities within the Mississippi Valley watershed.

“I find that MVCA sometimes requests additional studies that are not required, for the development proposals that are in front of them, and this results in extra expenses for people who are making investments in North Frontenac,” he said.

Later, when the minutes to a recent meeting of the Committee of Adjustment came up for approval, he spoke again.

“I read these minutes closely, and there are a couple of items where the background reason for the decision is not as clearly explained as it could be,” Higgins said.

I think it is dangerous Ron, for you to comment on specific cases in front of the Committee of Adjustment,” said Councilor John Inglis. “For the mayor to look at a decision made by the Committee of Adjustment, which is designed to be independent from council, and takes its input from other organisations and the Provincial Policy statement, I don’t think it is appropriate.”

“I am not questioning the work of the Committee of Adjustment. They do an excellent job. It is really the planning process, from the Conservation Authority, to the County, and the Province, that I am thinking about. I plan to meet with the County Planning Director, and both CAOs, to go over this. The Planning Director agrees that we have to make changes going forward.

“We should leave planning to the planners,” said Councilor Wayne Good. “I'm not in favour of you discussing this with the county or the province.

“I don't need Council's permission to ask questions about the planning process,” said Higgins.

When contacted later by the News, Higgins said, in an email, that

“Planning issues are at 25% of all our official confidential complaints for 2021. I also get calls and emails from frustrated residents, businesses and new proposed businesses that do not file a confidential complaint so the problem is higher than reported … we seem to make some residents and businesses jump through hoops when severing properties, renovating or building,” he wrote, in part.

He said that he thinks the committee of adjustment lacks the tools they require to make decisions and part of the problem lies with the township's Official Plan and zoning bylaws.

Higgins added that “MVC does not report back on time, and input to the committee from MVC or the county planners varies from application to application.”

He then said that he will not be pursuing the matter formally at this time, based on Council’s response at the meeting, but said he plans “to move this forward by using it as an election platform item for the upcoming elections this fall. I am starting my research on it this week.”

Other items from North Frontenac Council.

Seniors Housing

A delegation from council met recently with representatives from Central Frontenac about the possibility of North Frontenac participating in a senior's housing project in Central Frontenac. As a result, Mayor Higgins said that it would be premature to remove senior's housing from the proposed update to North Frontenac’s Strategic Plan.

Several years ago, Frontenac County earmarked $300,000 for each township to support a senior’s housing project. North Frontenac went so far as issuing a request for proposal (RFP) for a senior’s housing building project, but no one submitted a proposal, and the money remains unclaimed, hence the idea of participating in a Central Frontenac project.

Central Frontenac is willing to take the money from North Frontenac, but is not offering to give North Frontenac a say in how the project unfolds.

“I’m not really surprised by the lack of control in their offer,” said Councilor John Inglis, who attended the meeting with Central Frontenac, “it makes sense from their perspective, but I’m disappointed that we would lose the opportunity to build in North Frontenac.

At the urging of CAO Cheryl Robson, Council will invite Ken Foulds, the consultant who worked on the failed RFP, to a meeting to talk about a made in North Frontenac solution.

Communal Servicing – public meeting

One public meeting is being scheduled for all of Frontenac County to discuss a proposal for a communal servicing corporation to be set up, which would make it easier for developers to construct private water and sewage systems.

Councilor Vernon Hermer said he thought each township should hold a meeting.

“It says the ‘municipality’ must engage the public. To me that means each municipality should hold their own meeting.”

“In this case, Frontenac County is the municipality that is doing this, so one meeting is sufficient. All of our residents are invited,” said township clerk Tara Mieske.

“I don’t agree,” said Hermer, “but I’ll leave it at that.”