South Frontenac Council - January 10

Wilma Kenny | Jan 18, 2023

(Correction: the December 20th council report was incorrectly posted. This is the correct report)

Private Lane Upgrade Assistance: 2022 Summary

In 2022, Council approved a total of $106,872 for a total of 25 private lane associations. These popular subsidies help associations to make lane improvements which improve access for emergency service vehicles.

In his year-end summary of the program, Manager of Technical Services Troy Dunlop reported that 22 of the 25 lane associations were able to complete their work requests and only 3 were unable to advance their projects due to financial considerations. This leaves a surplus of just over $30,000, which will be carried over to this year’s program. Mayor Vandewal asked whether the program should be scaled back, but Dunlop said it seems well tailored to community needs, and suggested waiting until the spring applications come in before deciding to make any changes.

Road Closure Denied

An application to close and sell an unopened road allowance between Concessions 5 & 6, Loughborough was denied on the recommendation of planning staff: the road allowance in question provides access to Loughborough Lake from North Shore Road. Staff has indicated to the applicant that it is the common practice of Council to not sell unopened road allowances that lead directly from a public road to a waterbody. (The landowner had purchased the property recently at a time when the market was moving very quickly, and said that they had little time to properly research the property survey and title documents, and had assumed that they owned the lands over which the unopened road allowance runs.)

Appointment of Public Members to Committees

Four community members were chosen from a list of 12 applicants to be appointed to the Committee of Adjustment: Mike Howe, Kevin Fox, Brett Moreland, and Alan Revill.

David Herrington was appointed (from 10 applicants) to the Police Services Board.

Council members Norm Roberts and Randy Ruttan were assigned ‘in an observer capacity’ to the South Frontenac Community Services Board.

Speed Limits in Bellrock Village

Last summer, the Public Services Department met with a representative of the Bellrock Village Association to discuss speed concerns within the village. Traffic surveys on Main Street arrived at traffic counts of between 170 to 215 vehicles a day. Although the average speeds were 48 to 52 km/hr, some were travelling at over 70 km/hr. The Township

has no record of regulatory signage in the village for many years, but a search by the Clerk’s office located a bylaw passed in 1989 by the former township of Portland which prescribes a 40km/hr speed limit for the village, and having never been repealed, is therefore valid. Mayor Vandewal questioned a limit this low, but Dunlop confirmed that this is the common limit for densely populated areas, and is in force in Sydenham.

This report was brought to Council to inform them that reestablishing the 40km/hr speed limit will require approximately six speed limit signs to be installed within the village limits, at an estimated cost of approximately $1,800 to be covered under the operating budget.

By-law 2023-001

The first By-law of 2023, to amend the Township of South Frontenac Official Plan in order to implement Provincial Bills 13 and 109, was passed with varying degrees of reluctance. Deputy Mayor Sleeth: “What we had didn’t seem to work, but (it looks like) we’re going to end up approving something we don’t want.” Mayor Vandewal: “I’m not sure how much choice we have.” Councillor Ruttan: “We really don’t have any choice in this: the Province is tying our hands.” (Eg, there will be no site control on developments of 10 units or less.)

CAO Fragnito reminded Council that the OP does need updating and there will be further discussion. (The full 4-page By-law can be found in the meeting agenda on the South Frontenac website.)

Budget Survey Feedback

Response rate (589) was considered good, although some Councillors were disappointed it was not higher.

Some highlights:

• 77.9% of responses prefer a reasonable increase of property taxes to maintain or enhance current services.
• The three most important issues were: Climate Change (well out in front), followed by Economic Development and Affordable Housing. Commuter transit services were bottom of that list.
• Main current sources of information are Frontenac News and the Township website, with an emailed newsletter at the top of preferred means of increasing communication.

Councillor Morey noted that although climate change was the main stated concern, there seemed no interest in public transportation: “These two responses don’t seem to fit together: what do people mean by climate change? Or economic development? ” Vandewal said “We do look at climate change, but we don’t get credit for it.” (No one seemed to remember the proposal for a Climate Change Advisory Committee that was brought to Council last year.)

Fragnito said the survey results would be revisited again later this year. They’ll be available for examination on the Engage Frontenac site, or in the January 10 meeting agenda on the Township website.