Bill MacDonald Out, Then In, As Central Frontenac Councillor
Bill MacDonald has had a long political career. He has won and lost elections at the municipal and provincial level over a four-decade period. He has been a mayor, a county warden, and a councillor over that time. He was defeated in a Central Frontenac mayoralty election in 2008 (after serving for 10 years) he responded by running as a Liberal in two successive provincial elections, losing both times in a staunchly Progressive Conservative riding.
He returned to municipal politics as Ward 3 (Oso) councillor in 2014, and remained until 2022, when he finished in 4th place, in an election where the top two candidates win seats on council.
As fate would have it, one of the two elected council members from Oso Ward, Craig Middleton, resigned six months into the term, and the third place finisher, Duncan McGregor, was appointed by Council. McGregor sat on council for almost 3 years, and then he also resigned in early March, 7 months from the end of term.
Mayor Frances Smith called Bill MacDonald and asked if he would come back to serve out the term if Council chose him, and at the Central Frontenac Council meeting last week (March 24), Smith informed Council that MacDonald had said he was willing.
A motion was made by Councillor Bill Everett to Council, to offer up the position to the fourth place finisher. Mayor Smith said it was approved through a show of hands, but at that same time one of the councillors asked for a recorded vote. When the vote was tallied, it was a 4-4 tie, and the motion was declared defeated.
A second motion, to hold a nomination and selection process after seeking candidates from the public, also went down to defeat.
A third motion was then proposed, for Council to make a direct appointment, which was supported convincingly. 7 votes to 1.
When it came to choosing the person to be appointed, Bill Everett nominated Bill MacDonald, and when that was put to a vote, it was approved convincingly as well.
At one point in the conversation, Frances Smith said that MacDonald had told her that he will only serve out the term and will not be running for election to council this fall. So, after a long career of winning and losing elections, Bill MacDonald did both, in one ten minute stretch.
He will be sworn in at the next council meeting, on April 14.
Other Notes From Central Frontenac Council
There were three delegations to Council. The first was Lindsay Nash, from Quinte Conservation, with a presentation she has already brought to North Frontenac and Addington Highlands about a cost sharing tree planting program Quinte is sponsoring. Council received her presentation, and also received a presentation by Jim White of the White Lake Cottagers Association, outlining how the lake, and its role in fish conservation as the location of the White Lake fish station, would be at risk if Alto rail comes through in its vicinity.
The final presentation was by Cindy Steele, about a request she has made to the township to make use of the Bertrim plot at Piccadilly cemetery as the location for four sets of ashes, from close family members with a long history in the township, going back almost 100 years. She said that when she approached staff, they said it was not a use that was contemplated in the township’s cemetery bylaw, and she came to Council to see if the bylaw can be removed.
Her presentation was received by Council, and later in the meeting Council asked Staff to prepare a report on changing the bylaw to come back for Council consideration.
EORN Cell Gap Update
EORN, the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, is coming to the end of a large cell gap project, which is bringing cell coverage, and cell-based Internet service, to almost all locations in Eastern Ontario. The project is slated for completion this year.
As of the council meeting last week, 13 upgrades to existing towers in Frontenac County had been completed, and 8 of 14 planned new towers had been installed. Of six planned co-locations for new equipment at existing sites, 4 of 6 had been completed.
The remaining new towers to be built are located at Ardoch Road and 509, Long Lake Road and Middle Road, Mattawatchan Road and Wilson, Sunday Lake Road and Cruise Road, Westport Road and White Lake. And Moreland-Dixon Road and South Frontenac Road 12. All of them are to be completed this year.
The co-locations and Smith Road and Canonto Road at Ompah, both in North Frontenac, will also be completed this year.
The project is being completed by Rogers, who won the EORN bid to be the construction partner. New service has come on stream for Rogers customers as the project has brought new equipment on line, and the towers will eventually improve service on other carriers as well.
Township to sole source insurance services to AON Insurance
Treasurer Michael McGovern prepared a report outlining efforts by township staff going back over ten years, to secure affordable and reliable insurance coverage. In that time the township has worked with its neighbors to seek better pricing, and has looked at a number of options, always determining that AON is the best option.
McGovern asked Council for leave to seek pricing for a three year term, with two optional one year extensions, directly from AON, thus saving up to $20,000 in consultant fees and significant staff time, according to his report. Council said yes, and McGovern will proceed.
On-Call Part-Time Firefighters
Councillor Philip Smith proposed a motion for Central Frontenac to explore transitioning its fire department from a volunteer firefighter model to a part-time paid on-call model.
This process has recently been completed in South Frontenac. In part it is a recognition that the phrase ‘volunteer firefighter’ is itself outdated as firefighters in Central Frontenac are paid and are considered township employees.
Smith’s motion asked Staff, mainly the fire chief and his support staff, to look at all of the implications of the change and report back to Council, in later May.
In discussing the matter around the council table, Mayor Smith said it might be a lot to ask, saying this might be something with budgetary implications and maybe it will be the new council who completes the process.
Philip Smith said he was fine with an extended timeline, he just wanted the township to look seriously into it.
The fire chief will be tasked to report back in August.
