Lame_duck

Jeff Green | Oct 05, 2006

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Lame duck AHcouncil can't hire chief administrative officer

by Jeff Green

Addington Highlands Council recently decided to increase the size of its office staff by one third, by hiring a chief administrative officer. A consulting company was hired to develop a job description and conduct a hiring search.

However, when it came to doing the hiring this week, it was too late. During a closed meeting before their regular October council meeting this past Monday, council determined that they could no longer do the hiring.

With the September 29th close of nominations for the upcoming municipal election, Addington Highlands became a lame duck council, able to carry on the township’s business but unable to initiate new spending, fire or hire new people.

“Since there is no guarantee that 75% of the current council members will be on council after the election, we determined we could not do the hiring,” said outgoing Reeve Ken Hook during the open session of council.

Council was, however, able to approve the job description for the new position, which can only be filled when a new council is in place at the beginning of December.

Waste Issues Deirdre Johnson, a scientist with Quinte Eco Consultants, has had a look at the Denbigh waste disposal site, and determined that the site could be extended to the south, and that mining/compacting the site is also a possibility. In a letter to Jon Morrish, a Senior Environmental Officer with the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) in Kingston , which was copied to the township, Johnson requested that a deadline to complete documentation regarding an amendment to the ministry’s certificate of approval for the Denbigh site be extended until December 1st.

Council is hoping that the new documentation will persuade the MoE for an increase in the life of the site.

Mileage rate held at 40 cents Last month council deferred a proposal to increase the mileage paid to councilors and staff to 45 cents, because gas prices seemed to be easing after remaining above $1 per litre throughout most of the summer. With prices having moderated further since September, council decided to maintain the 40 cent rate.

Comprehensive Zoning bylaw In a review of the draft AH comprehensive zoning bylaw, Mississippi Valley Conservation recommended several changes, but Reeve Hook said it should still be possible for the bylaw to be passed by council before the end of their term in late November.

Election Forum The first opportunity to hear from the 11 people who are running for office in Addington Highlands will take place on October 12th at the Business Breakfast sponsored by the Addington Highlands Economic Development Committee. Candidates will be allotted two minutes each to speak on Economic Development.

All-candidates meetings have been scheduled for Monday, October 23rd at the Denbigh Hall, 7 pm, and October 26th at the Flinton Recreation Centre (downstairs) also at 7 pm.

The official candidates are: Bill Cox and Henry Hogg (Reeve), Eythel Grant, Janice Kerr, and Faye Mieske (Ward 1) and Ibra Cuddy, Larry Pealow, Louise Scott, Charles Snider, T.W. (Tommy) Thompson, and Helen Yanch (Ward 2)

There are two candidates for school board trustee (Limestone District School Board) Ann Goodfellow and Jamie Riddell.