South Frontenac Council – Oct 18/16

Wilma Kenny | Oct 19, 2016

Harrowsmith Community Improvement Plan

Council passed two by-laws necessary to formally approve the Harrowsmith Community Improvement Plan (CIP).

Residents of Verona, Sharbot Lake and North Frontenac will already be familiar with CIPs, which make it possible for the County to provide financial assistance in the form of grants and loans for property improvement projects. A maximum of $70,000 will be available over the course of four years. During this time, the township roads department will be redesigning the “scramble intersection” in the middle of the village to improve both pedestrian and vehicle safety. A full copy of the detailed plan is available on the township's website.

Solar Projects Supported

Council agreed to support 15 proposed small solar projects under the FIT5.0 program. These would be located on: Wolfe Lake Rd, Buck Bay Rd, Wallace Road, Davidson Side Rd, Sands Rd, Round Lake Rd, Henderson Rd and Peters Rd.

Accounting for Carbon Tax Money

Deputy Mayor Sutherland brought notice of motion that: a) a portion of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Account money collected under the provincial cap & trade program be allocated to each municipal council, according to their population, to be spent on new carbon reduction initiatives; and that

b) the provincial government be asked for an accounting of how that money is spent in each municipality. Councillor McDougall said he agreed, based on his sense that a disproportionate amount of money raised in province-wide programs like this gets channeled to large municipalities. The motion passed.

MNRF and Johnston Point

(Note: Johnston Point is a recently approved subdivision on the north-east shore of Loughborough Lake) Emphasizing that he intends no criticism of the MNRF (Ministry of Natural Resources and Fisheries), Deputy Mayor Sutherland brought a motion directing the township to write to the MNRF to ask that species at risk habitat be preserved, rather than be destroyed in a trade-off, and that the township (and the Battersea-Loughborough Lake Association) be kept informed of any ongoing negotiations between the developer and the MNFR. Sutherland noted that the township is responsible, once the development is completed, for making sure the site plan requirements have all been met.

Councillor McDougall said he was uncomfortable with the term ‘trade-off’, but no satisfactory alternative could be agreed upon. The motion passed.

Industrial Storage Yard: Site Plan The Council agreed to enter into a site plan for a proposed industrial storage yard on Lambert Road.

Bedford Road Rehabilitation Public Works Manager Segsworth asked Council’s endorsement of the Bedford Road rehabilitation project as the township’s submission for Ontario infrastructure top-up funding. This funding is targeted toward projects with a strong health and safety component. The township has budgeted $1 million toward rebuilding Bedford Road from the Sydenham dam to Alton Road. Currently this is a narrow, heavily used strip of road with no safe space for pedestrians or cyclists. Plans are to run Bell and Hydro underground, and construct storm sewers, sidewalks and a bicycle path.

After a brief discussion, Council agreed to apply for 90% of eligible costs, which is the maximum allowable.

Humane Society Contract Renewed

Council agreed to a three-year renewal of their contract with the Kingston Humane Society for the provision of pound services, at a 5% per year rate increase. This increase is estimated, based on the last 18 months of service, to amount to approximately $175 per year.