Feature Article July 18, 2001
LAND O'LAKES NewsWeb HomeContact Us
North Frontenac Council News July 9
by Will CybulskiOn July 9, NF Council continued its practice of holding summer meetings in the outlying wards. This session of Council, held at Barrie Township Hall in Cloyne, was well attended, with some three dozen people in audience. Mayor Stan Johnston opened the meeting by calling for a moment of silence in respect for Tom Neal of Harlowe, a former long-time reeve of Barrie Township, who recently passed away.
Private lot trailer fees
Ken Gilpin, Enforcement Officer for North Frontenac, presented Council with a proposal directed at collecting fees from those people who have recreational trailers situated on private lots. He indicated that such units have the same impact on our roads and waste sites as do cottages and permanent homes, but the trailer owners pay only vacant land taxes. Mr. Gilpin stated that there are provisions in place to impose a fee of $20 per month, up to a total of $220 annually, on the trailers. All fees collected would go directly to municipal coffers. He advised Council that a six-month project, based on a 40 hour week at $18 per hour, plus transportation, would be necessary to complete a census and inventory of such trailers. Based on a rough, conservative estimate of the number of these trailers located within the municipality, Mr. Gilpin stated that it would be feasible to bring in at least $33,000 in fees yearly.
From Mr. Gilpins presentation to Council, those in attendance, as well as readers, could be left with the impression that the proposal to collect fees would be a new program. When I discussed this with staff at the municipal office, I found that was not so. The municipality has, in fact, been invoicing these trailer owners for some time. However, collection has not been carried out in a consistent manner, as there was insufficient staff to follow up on delinquent accounts. It is expected that with a more detailed plan in place, any owners with unpaid accounts would be facing further action from the Enforcement Officer.
No go to Camp Gesher's Cloyne dumping
Although he made an impassioned plea, Council unanimously denied Camp Gesher representative Shaul Zobary, a special dispensation to continue using the Cloyne waste disposal site this summer. The non-profit childrens camp, which has operated on Skootamatta Lake Road for 37 years, has a seasonal 7 week schedule. During that time, it disposes of an estimated 70 bags of kitchen waste per week. Until the start of this summer, when notice was issued to cease doing so, that garbage had been taken to the Cloyne site. In making his presentation to Council, Mr. Zobary stated that, when notified at the start of the season that garbage had to go to Kaladar instead, the operating and budget plans of the camp changed. He said that a complete return trip to deliver garbage to the Kaladar waste site took four hours of staff time, and asked Council to allow the Cloyne arrangement to continue for this season only; he would rearrange his budget and staffing needs for next year. In their denial of the request, Council reminded Mr. Zobary that, in reality, the camp should not have been using the Cloyne site for the past ten years. They then cited the small footprint (useable space) of the site, as well as increasing MOE restrictions, as the main deterrents to permitting substantial quantities of dumping there by a single user. Councillor Dick Hook, from the Municipalitys Waste Management Committee, commented that If you give this to one, you have to give it to all, and that statement was agreed upon by all his colleagues at the table.
Building fees indicate healthy growth
A report presented to Council by Building Inspector Ken Lindey shows substantial investment in our municipality. To date this year, there were 91 permits issued, for a total of some $25,000 in related fees. New structure value exceeded $1.3 million on three permanent and 11 seasonal residences, 19 additions and 58 accessory buildings.
