Central Frontenac Council - Oct 28/25
Steve Newstead appeared before Central Frontenac Council on behalf of the Central Frontenac Lions Club, which makes use of the Oso/Soldiers Memorial Hall for popular monthly breakfasts.
He talked about the value of the hall to the Lions, and to other community groups.
He then addressed the state of the kitchen in the hall.
“The kitchen is well stocked with dishes and cutlery, and glasses, but there is no dishwasher or sanitizer so people need to use paper plates. The stove is not vented, and it does not work. It hasn't worked in years,” he said.
He also pointed out that the electrical panel for the building is located in the kitchen, and it is not covered, the cupboards should be replaced or re-purposed, and there are pest issues to be addressed.
Further, he showed slides of two other rooms off the kitchen, which are full of unused items and broken furniture.
“My ask is that there be a recognition of the community asset, and that there be some allocation of funding, I understand that it is budget time, so that's one of the reasons that I'm here, to ask to keep this as part of your deliberations, to renovate the kitchen.”
His request includes the removal of the garbage and debris in the secondary rooms and use some of that space for a renovated kitchen space, put in a new range and vent, a new double door commercial fridge, a commercial dishwasher, new cupboards, and address the exposed electrical panel.
He told Mayor Smith that he has not costed out the project.
He said, the fridge, the range and the venting would be a good start.
Council accepted Newstead's representation and referred it to Staff. It will also be considered for the 2026 budget.
Winter Sand and Gravel
The contract with Gemmil Sand and Gravel for winter sand and gravel, which was tendered out last year, is being extended for another year at the same price, $85,000 for the Hinchinbrooke garage and $97,000 for the Olden garage.
Questions about temporary salt dome
Because of the decision to wait until 2026 to replace the SALT Dome at the Hinchinbrooke garage, a project that will cost over$750,000., Council followed the recommendation of Public Works Manager Steve Gould to put up a smaller shed at a cost of approximately $250,000, to store salt at that site for the coming winter. Construction on the new smaller shed is set to start up this week. But since the decision to put up the smaller shed was reached, South Frontenac has offered the use of one of their salt sheds for Central Frontenac.
Councillor Nicki Gowdy said, “since we now have use of the South Frontenac shed, and thanks to them for offering up some space, can we not avoid putting up that new building. It's taxpayers dollars, and $250,000 is a lot of money, in what we know will be a tight tax year.”
“The South Frontenac shed is 8 kilometres away, and we are only to store a limited amount there,” said Steve Gould in recommending that the small shed project proceed.
On further questioning about the projected use of the new shed once a proper sand shed is in place, Gould said it will hold equipment at the site that is currently let to over-winter in the yard.
“We have a use for it later on,” he said, “it will prolong the life of our equipment.”
Budget Schedule
Two factors are influencing the budget schedule for 2026. Council had asked the Treasury department to prepare the budget early this year, to be able to go to tender on projects early in the year and hopefully achieve some savings. Secondly, based on the new Strong Mayor provisions, the budget will be presented to Council by the mayor, instead of directly from township staff.
It became clear through the discussion of the schedule that the changes stemming from Strong Mayor powers will have an impact on the budget process.
“I will be meeting with department heads, starting next week, to go over the department budgets,” said Mayor Smith.
The budget will be provided to Council on November 20, and will then be released to the public within the agenda for the first December meeting of Council. The hope is to have the budget approved before Christmas Day.
Another change in the process is that the mayor is providing direction to staff prior to the meetings she is having with them in early November, which is something that Council did in the past.
“I asked the mayor to do this, instead of Council, as we used to do, as it is called for under the new system,” said Treasurer Michael McGovern.
“I asked staff to bring me a budget with a 5% overall increase, including capital and operations, and to indicate what that looks like in terms of any need to change our level of service, in any area, in order to get there,” said Mayor Smith. “We will get at it next week, and I will have a sharp pencil, so maybe we can save some Council time when we all look at it in December. No deer hunting for me this year.”
Councillor Duncan McGregor asked if, when the draft budget is presented to Council, and the public, any differences between staff recommendations and the mayor's budget changes, will be reflected in the document.
“If Staff and Council both want to buy a new truck, and the mayor vetoes it, for example, will that be shown in the draft budget that the public sees,” said McGregor.
Michael McGovern said he will work to make the draft budget document show how those kinds of changes came about.
Councillor Phillip Smith did not think the new process, which brings Council into the process only after a draft budget is presented to them, after having been developed and vetted by the mayor, was acceptable.
Both McGovern and Chief Administrative Officer Cathy MacMunn said that the township, and the mayor, do not have a choice in the way Strong Mayor powers are applied to the budget.
Nicki Gowdy said that the province is looking for Strong Mayor powers to result in new housing initiatives, mainly.
“But we are not in a position to do that here, unless they provide the grants,” she said.
In a recorded vote, the budget schedule was approved. Councillors Philip Smith, Nicki Gowdy, and Cindy Kelsey voted against the motion.
Sharbot Lake 150th Anniversary
A community group is preparing documents and photos for a 150th anniversary event to be held in May of next year (2026) and asked for free use of the Sharbot Lake Community Hall (Soldiers Memorial Hall) on the day of the event, and for two days before that to set it all up. Council approved the request.
Notice of Motion – Council approved a motion requesting that township staff provide a cost estimate by the November 11 council meeting for a township side garbage pickup service to be established.
Gowdy said this was promised in the 2022 election and it should at least be looked at before the next election.
Duncan McGregor, who seconded the motion, said that this has been talked about among residents, “for 25 years” and it might be something that needs to go to a referendum to see if the residents are willing to pay for it
