South Frontenac Council - Mar 05/24

Wilma Kenny | Mar 13, 2024

Blue Box Transition Update

Kyle Bolton, Director of Public Services, brought an update on the Provincial Blue Box transition to full producer responsibility for recycling.

The transition period will be July1/25 to Dec 31/25, during which time period municipalities can choose to ‘opt in’ or ‘opt out’ in order to to continue providing their own collection operations. Bolton recommended the ‘opt out’ choice, which means that the Township will continue their usual provision of service until December 31, 2025. After that, the program will be administered by Circular Materials Ontario (CMO). Most of the larger municipalities in the province have already been transitioned to the new program with seemingly little difficulty. Hawksbury and London had ‘no horror stories’: one had opted in, the other out, and both reported the transition had been seamless. 

There was considerable discussion: Deputy Mayor Leonard said “I hate all the unknowns, and fear roadside dumping will start again.” Mayor Vandewal countered: “Every time we’ve made a change, we’ve said that the ditches will be full, and generally, that doesn’t happen. What’s important is to reassure our taxpayers that nothing about their garbage and recycling pickup is going to change (before 2026).

A review of the Township’s industrial, commercial, and institution properties showed inconsistencies in current collection provided and Bolton recommended that the Township stop collecting non-eligible sources on the transition date of July 1, 2025. “Staff can continue to research options for non-eligible sources at Council’s direction.”

Council agreed with Bolton’s recommendation to “opt out”, as our neighbouring municipalities have chosen to do. More detailed information about this transition will be forthcoming in the next year and a half, before the new program begins.

Bolton’s Update on Recreation and Facilities: 

Accomplished in 2023: Inaugural Music Festival at Centennial Park;

Centennial Pad roof; new McMullen courts, & Glendower Court resurfacing completed, as well as carry-over Station 8 fire hall and two mill demolition projects. Can now focus on design work.

2024 Department Priorities 

Blue Box Transition: a lot of work to come. 

Asset Management Plan (AMP) Phase 2: for the non-core assets and includes things like facilities, equipment, fleet, IT infrastructure, park infrastructure and sidewalks. Development of the AMP for these assets will include proposed level of service, lifecycle management, and financial strategy and is required by July 1, 2024. The next phase due July 1/25 will address replacement and upkeep needs; a big undertaking (parks and sidewalks)

Building Condition Assessment; Needed by Oct 31/24 for developing next year’s capital plan. Last one was done in 2016: addresses heating systems replacement costs, etc: RFPs for this work will be coming to Council 

Climate Action Plan: Compile data on energy use and building info for baselines. Annual reports for 2022 and 2023 are required by the Province by July 2024; staff time will be needed to sort the historical data and produce these reports.

Environmental Compliance Approval: Stormwater Management System

This is the first year of mandatory reporting to the Province under the new ECA program. These new legislated requirements are expected to require additional and dedicated staffing resources going forward.

Recreation Fee & Facility Allocation Policy: A bit behind schedule: goal of May report with proposed options for fair & equitable fee structure for user groups to be implemented next year.

Occupational Health & Safety: Reviewing & updating policies & procedures (eg hearing loss: permitted decibels in work-day) When purchasing equipment & tools: need appropriate Personal Protective Equipment for noise level. It is urgent that a hearing loss prevention program be in place by May31/24 this year, before construction programs begin. 

Asset Management Plan phase 2: last year the Township completed the first phase of the AMP for the core infrastructure assets. The second phase is for the non-core assets and includes things like facilities, equipment, fleet, IT infrastructure, park infrastructure and sidewalks. Development of the AMP for these assets including proposed level of service, lifecycle management, and financial strategy is required by July 1, 2024. Building Condition Assessment is needed by Oct 31/24, for developing next year’s capital plan.

Winter Control Plan: last done in 2018, needs updating.

Bolton summarized his presentation by noting that every year the 5-year Capital Plan had to be updated by extending it one year out.

Councillor Morey asked how this information could best be shared with taxpayers. Clerk Thompson suggested that the Township website could be refreshed and a dedicated landing page for the public might make the information a bit easier for the public to access.

Council’s Reactions

“For the first time probably in the history of this Township,’ said senior Councillor Sleeth; ‘we’ve had a presentation like this with some specific goals, and plans for going forward…I think it gives those of us who sit around the Council table a lot better sense of where we’re going and what we want to accomplish. So thank you to Kyle and his staff for all their work.” 

“I’m exhausted, just listening to this list of where we’re going and what we want to accomplish,’ said Mayor Vandewal: “And thank you to all our staff for their work; the time Louise is putting into the Verona project. As a Council, we need to be careful when we want something new added; staff have to be able to say ‘We can’t do this right now,’ and we have to accept that. Thank you: we’ve never had this much information.”

New Director of Corporate Services and Treasurer

Mayor Vandewal introduced Arundhati Mohile, the newly-appointed Director of Corporate Services and Treasurer: “Welcome Aboard!” 

Naming of a Lane

The ongoing discussion of resident Bilkovski’s request to change the name of a small private lane on Bob’s Lake from Neill Lane to James Thomas Lane has finally been resolved. Contrary to the recommendation of the detailed staff report, the name change will be permitted, with all related costs of signage etc to be paid by Mr Bilkovski.

Noise By-law Amendment

Council approved an amendment to the noise by-law that adds the OPP as an enforcement agency for this by-law. Frontenac Municipal Law Enforcement will remain the primary body responsible for the enforcement of the Noise By-law. However, the amendment will provide Ontario Provincial Police officers with another effective tool to curb nuisance behaviour.

Cataraqui Conservation Authority Office Moves

The CCA has moved their offices into the ground floor of the newly-renovated County offices at Fairmount.