South Frontenac Council - Jan. 18/11

Jeff Green | Jan 20, 2011

by Wilma Kenny and Jeff Green

Velo-Quebec sets its sights on Sydenham

Quebec has been promoting cycling in urban and rural Quebec for 40 years, and since 1994 Velo-Quebec Voyages has been organizing bicycle tours in Quebec, the US northeast and around the world. Tours range from 1-2 days to 30-day cross-continent cycling marathons.

This year, among the 70 trips being organized there is a 7-day Grand Tour of Ontario, which will start and finish in Brockville. Many of the Velo-Quebec tours include stays in hotels, but this one has a tenting option. The itinerary includes a planned stopover in Perth and if arrangements can be made with South Frontenac Township and the Limestone District School Board, it will also include a night at the Point in Sydenham on August 7.

Ashley Brown, the relatively new recreation co-ordinator for South Frontenac, was approached by Velo-Quebec about the event back in October, and she met with representatives from Velo-Quebec and Sean Lehman from Sydenham High School. She first informed council about the planned tour in December.

As Ashley Brown pointed out in her report to council, the impact on Sydenham would be large, because the stopover in Sydenham would take place on August 7, in the middle of the summer season, and there could be as many as 2,000 riders and 250 employees and volunteers.

Among the considerations for the township that she noted in her report were: the need for a liquor license for the bistro marquee tent that will be set up at The Point; the use of municipal equipment and services; excessive noise potential at The Point; The Point being closed to the public during the event; public concerns over usage of the park; and security concerns.

Potential benefits include an economic boost for local business, short-term employment for youth, and the promotional impact of exposing Sydenham and South Frontenac to 2,000 new visitors.

In making her presentation to council on January 18, Ashley Brown said she had just learned that the high school can’t be used because of construction planned for the summer, and that any further planning had been put on hold until the board decides whether or not Loughborough Public School would be available.

Councilor Bill Robinson expressed concern about the effects of having a beer tent for 2,000, and commented on the way another event, the Sydenham triathlon. obstructed roads last summer.

Councilor Vandewal asked what other local feedback there had been related to last year’s triathlon.

“The football field’s underground sprinkling system could be damaged by tent pegs,” said Mayor Gary Davison. Councilor John McDougall asked Ashley Brown to consider contacting communities where Velo-Quebec tours have overnighted to get their reactions to the event.

Budget time’s around the corner...

As a reminder to the new council of the next big challenge, much of the January 18 meeting addressed budget-related issues. Vicky Leaky, an accountant with KPMG, reviewed the 2009 audit. She explained that this audit had been delayed due to the huge task of assembling an inventory of all the township’s tangible capital assets, from trucks and tools to land and buildings, along with current values and depreciation rates, where relevant. She reported that the books were in good order, and raised no concerns or issues with township management. (For an auditor, this amounts to strong praise for a job well done.)

Mayor Davison followed with his thanks to CAO Orr and the department heads for their work.

Later, Treasurer Deb Bracken gave a brief year-to-date review of the 2010 budget: so far, all departments except waste management are coming in within budget, and the garbage overage was anticipated, due to the inclusion of Bedford, and other changes to the system. She added that nothing can be finalized yet, “for the bills still are coming in with every mail.”

Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth presented a multi-year plan for upgrading roads and bridges, based on an assessment of the township’s more than 800 km of roads. He discussed some of the benefits of a long-range plan, which could be changed to adapt to needs, and which has the primary goal of preserving the township’s considerable investment in its roads and bridges. The plan attempts to equalize expenditures over the four districts, and recognizes that road reconstruction is the best time to also upgrade existing related infrastructure such as sidewalks, guard rails, paved shoulders and types of surface treatment. Council gave conditional approval of the 2011 roads and bridges construction program in order to allow the roads department time to prepare to tender out this year’s work as soon as possible.

Verona Community Improvement Plan - Council passed a motion giving the green light for a consultant to begin work on the plan.