Nf_twp_07-37

Jeff Green | Sep 20, 2007

North Frontenac Council, Sept 13by Jule Koch Brison

Maria Lee of Head Road and two neighbours attended the meeting to find out if their road would be in the future budget. They said that calcium has only been applied to the road once this year and they have been suffering greatly from the dusty conditions. They feel that they have been neglected ever since the township worked on the Shabomeka Road and that they have been unfairly treated.Mayor Maguire said that it was too late for this year but their request would be taken into consideration when budget deliberations begin, hopefully this fall. He said that the Shabomeka Road project had been deferred for many years before the last council finally got to it. Township CAO Cheryl Robson said that budget constraints only permit the application of calcium once a year. Councilor Fred Perry also said that it has become a priority to stop applying calcium on roads close to water and tar and chip them instead.Deputy Mayor Jim Beam reported that Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has decided to dispose of the K&P Trail Conservation Area because it can no longer afford the maintenance. MVC feels the trail is an important public asset that should remain in public hands and is seeking an appropriate not-for-profit institution to manage it. Mayor Maguire said the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance would probably be the first organization to show interest in the K&P and asked if they would fit the criteria for an appropriate organization. Beam said the suggestion of EOTA wasn’t too well received.A by-law to authorize the mayor and clerk to sign an application to the MoE for private sewage works for Woodcrest Resort Park, thereby giving municipal consent to the project, was deferred until the next council meeting. Woodcrest presently has 100 serviced seasonal trailer sites and is applying to add another 100 sites to its 40-acre park.The members of a task force on beaver dam management have been discussing creating a by-law for beaver dam management; however they are currently not leaning towards making a by-law as no other townships have one.Council balked at signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the Crown Land Stewardship Program in the Crotch Lake Conservation Area that would have given them $10,000 for the work. The problem was that the schedule included “Constructions and placement of selected privies at access points and campsites”, along with maintenance and improvement to roads leading into the Crotch Lake Reserve and crown roads in North & South Canonto, and Clarendon & Miller Townships.

Mayor Maguire said, “It seems to me that if taxpayers see this agreement – with so many people wanting maintenance on their roads…” “If we don’t take the $10,000 we won’t get it and the MNR will have to return it to the treasury”, said Township CAO Cheryl Robson. “Schedule A comes from the ministry… This is all the funding we’ll get for this year,” she added.

Councilor Cole said, “This is dynamite if it gets out to the people, maybe it should have been discussed in closed session.”“There’s no reason to put it in closed session,” replied Robson. She suggested that council amend the agreement and get the ministry to initial the changes. Council agreed.Council supported a resolution from West Grey Township to extend the period in which municipalities may initiate legal action against people who build without permits from the current one-year period to two years.Three log cottages on Head Road will be demolished next week, and the township was contacted by someone who was trying the stop the demolition and/or salvage some of the logs, because she felt they were of historic value. The contractor doing the demolition was going to use the logs for fuel, and council decided to convey the message to the person that she could negotiate with the contractor for the logs.