South Frontenac Council

Jeff Green | Mar 09, 2016

Plan to rationalize the Harrowsmith intersection to two roads

Anyone who has ever driven north or south through Harrowsmith has experienced the confusion of roads that come together at the foot of the village. At Tuesday night's (March 8) Committee of the Whole meeting of South Frontenac Council, Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth presented a proposal to turn the six-way intersection into a simple two-road intersection by having only the Wilton Road reach Road 38.

“There have not been many accidents at that intersection but anyone you talk to can tell you about near misses, and when we looked at the school bus traffic there it was pretty scary,” said Segsworth.

The plan that Segsworth is recommending, and will bring to a public meeting at the S&A Club on March 21, will see Wilton Road intersect with Colebrook Road to the west of the intersection, and will see Ottawa Road become a dead-end road that no longer reaches the intersection. To the east of Road 38, Colebrook Road (east) will also be turned into a dead-end road. (see diagram)

“We are going to be meeting with everyone who is affected by this, including the store that is located at the intersection of 38 and Colebrook [Wilton Creek Fabrics] to see that we can accommodate their needs,” said Segsworth.

“We also have an opportunity to improve pedestrian crossing and improve the potential for a trailhead pavilion where the Cat and K&P trails meet just south of the intersection,” he added

The Public Works Department has reached out to the Cataraqui Conservation Authority and Frontenac County to talk about potential changes to the trailhead.

Township representatives met with Harrowsmith residents in September to talk about the process they were about to undertake to find a solution to the intersection.

Once the public is consulted again with a plan, public works will be back before Council to begin looking at the detailed engineering and environmental assessment work that will need to be done to make the changes. Wilton Creek runs under Road 38 at that location as well, and improving safeguards against runoffs into the creek will be an additional element to the project.

Coming soon to Sydenham – No-parking zones and parking tickets.

Area Supervisor David Holliday presented a proposal for parking restrictions in the Hamlet of Sydenham. The plan includes turning Cross Road into a one-way street with parking on one side of the road, as well as eliminating parking on one side of a number of roads, and in front of locations such as the Royal Bank. The plan also incorporates changes coming from the addition of bike lanes in the hamlet.

When the plan comes into effect there will be a grace period when vehicles will be warned but not ticketed. However, parking tickets will eventually be tucked into windshields in Sydenham.

Frontenac Law Enforcement, the bylaw enforcement company for the township, will be contracted to enforce the new parking bylaw when it is enacted.

For those living in other South Frontenac hamlets, who may feel left out, Mayor Vandewal said, “We are only starting in Sydenham. We plan to roll it out in other villages after that.”

Budget overage in 2015

Treasurer Louise Fragnito reported that township spending was over budget in 2015 by $429,214. The largest overages were in the public works department, where the roadside maintenance and safety and signage spending was $427,000 over budget and capital projects spending was $275,000 over budget.

The roadside maintenance came about because public works staff took on ditching work in November and December because the weather was so warm. The safety/signage overage is attributed to replacing guide-rails on Perth Road after an accident, and costs associated with two road closures. The capital budget overage is attributed to the unexpected need for blasting in one project; guide-rail upgrades on two roads; and widening of local roads.

Mayor Vandewal said that the overages need to be covered out of the 2016 budget, a feeling that was reiterated, though less forcefully, by other members of council. Works Manager Segsworth said he would bring some proposals for savings in the already approved 2016 budget to a future meeting.

The other overage that concerned Council was $118,000 in the Facilities and Parks Budget, which came from spending at Centennial Park that related directly to the Frontenac County 150th anniversary event in August. Treasurer Fragnito suggested the shortfall can be covered from the Parkland Reserve fund, an idea that was rejected by Council.

Councilor Ron Sleeth said the Parkland Reserve Fund is for the “entire township to use, not just one region, and it has been depleted enough in recent years. I have no problem with what was done at Centennial Park, don't get me wrong, but it must be covered in some other way.”

A number of councilors agreed with Sleeth, leaving Fragnito to look for another source of funds to cover that particular shortfall.

Council remuneration

Mayor Vandewal received $31,400 ($24,816 in honorarium and the rest for meetings, mileage and per diems) in 2015. Among Council members, John McDougall was the highest paid at $21,433 (he was deputy mayor in 2015) followed by Pat Barr ($20,750), Ross Sutherland ($19,800), Alan Revill ($19,600), Norm Roberts ($18,980), Mark Shjerning ($17,000), Bill Robinson ($15,950), and Ron Sleeth ($14,500).

Samsung solar farm

Mayor Vandewal said that a representative from Samsung met with him to talk about the next round of Large Renewable Energy projects, which will be announced in the near future.

“He said that the next time around they will not even consider building in townships where the Council is against the project, so he wanted to know, before they go any further, whether we are interested. They are going to go big, at least 500 acres, so I want to hear from Council tonight so I can tell them whether to put any more into finding a location in South Frontenac.

“I can't say until we see specifically what is proposed, just like last time. We approved most of them, but turned some down,” said Councilor Alan Revill, a viewpoint that was repeated by others at the table.

“You are sure you are open to a 500-acre solar farm in the township?” said Vandewal. “I don't want you all to say you are open to this, then delay forever and finally say no, like you do with subdivisions.”

When no one answered, Vandewal said, “Ok, I'll tell them you did not say no.”