North Frontenac Council - May 24/11

Jeff Green | May 26, 2011

Formal approval of North Frontenac budget

A number of people attended the May 24 meeting of North Frontenac Council as Mayor Clayton introduced the 2011 budget estimates for formal approval

The final budget numbers had been settled earlier in the month. The township will be raising $450,000 more this year for their own spending, and will also be collecting $50,000 more in education taxes. For Frontenac County, the amount to be collected in North Frontenac is down by just over $70,000.

All in all, the total tax to be collected from North Frontenac ratepayers is up by 7.2% in 2011.

As Mayor Clayton explained, the increase is due in large part to putting more money into reserve funds that will be used to replace tangible township assets.

“The Municipal Act gives us rules that we must follow,” he said, “and the Public Service Accounting Board [a provincial body] has brought the most change into the operation of our municipality. We have to list all our tangible assets; define a life cycle for them; submit them to the board; and conduct our business with these assets in mind. We have put more money into reserves to reflect the replacement of our assets and stopped some of the spending of the past.”

Aside from increasing reserve funds, the township will be purchasing a new tandem truck this year, and money has been set aside for a new fire hall in Ompah

Official Plan – The township planner, Glenn Tunnock, appeared before council as part of the effort towards updating the township's Official Plan. He highlighted two issues where the will of council has put them at odds with the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the body that must approve the plan before it can be adopted.

The first issue is lot size, particularly for waterfront properties. The township minimum is 1 acre, but Tunnock reported that the provincial government has set 1 hectare (2.47 acres) as the standard.

This standard is in place to assure room for a septic system, even on rockier lots. Tunnock's report said that he believes a compromise is possible.

“0.8 hectares (two acres) with a 30 metre natural buffer from any shoreline in the township might be acceptable to the ministry” Tunnock said.

The other issue of concern is housing development on private lanes, which the ministry is not going to allow.

“Infill developments on existing private lanes may be permissible, but extending residential development on private lanes without a plan of condominium in place to ensure the lanes will be maintained adequately is not going to be approved,” Tunnock said.

Council received Tunnock's report for information.

Ompah Library Transitional Plan: Helen Forsey made a presentation to council from the Ompah Library Users Group. In addition to asking the township to pressure the library board to be more accountable to the township and the county and to reinstate the Ompah branch if possible, the users group is also looking at keeping the site of the branch as a public space after the branch closes.

“If the branch does close, we ask that the present Ompah Library site be made into a transitional Community Resource Centre for June to September. Install two township-owned computers along with seating, tables and bookshelves for book swapping and hire a summer student to manage the service. This low cost, short-term solution would allow for exploration of longer term options,” Forsey said.

Mayor Clayton asked the users to come up with the costing for the option they are advocating and said council will consider it at their next meeting.

It was also revealed that MPP Randy Hillier has written to the library board, urging them to reconsider their decision to close the Ompah branch.

Emergency Service Grants – The township has received grants from the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) of the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety. One grant is for $1,716 to help equip the Harlowe Hall as an alternate Emergency Operations Centre, and second is for $10,000 towards a portable emergency generator.

Fire Hall – Councilor John Inglis informed council that the Ompah Fire Hall/Ambulance base project is back on the front burner. He prepared a written proposal to set out a township position regarding how to break down operational costs for the building, which is the sticking point that is supposed to be ironed out before the next county meeting.

“I think we need to push this to county staff so it will get dealt with quickly,” Inglis said.

His proposal was put off to the closed session.