Addington Highlands Adopts Asset Management Plan, Official Plan Next
In the waning days of the current mandate, Addington Highlands is putting the pieces in place for the next council to implement.
At their meeting on August 4th, Council adopted an asset management plan. The plan, which calls for the maintenance of roads and township buildings in much the same state that is in place now; and calls for the next council to increase taxation by 1.7% each year for an asset management reserve fund, in addition to all other required spending increases for staffing costs, or inflationary pressures.
Clerk Treasurer Christine Reed said that this level of tax increase for asset management has already been in place throughout the current term of council, so it will not be a new burden for the next council.
Deputy Reeve Ken Hook asked if accepting the asset management plan will bind the new council to the 1.7% increase even in years when other costs jump beyond expectation, and Reed said that it does not. “The plan sets a target, and with each budget, Council is not bound by it,” she said.
Asset Management Plans have been mandated by the Province of Ontario for almost a decade, and new legislation now requires that they include an implementation component, which Addington Highlands is now in compliance with.
The Government of Ontario has indicated this compliance will be a prerequisite for municipalities to be eligible for provincial grant programs.
Official Plan Update Goes Public
Last October, Mark Touw from the Boulevard Group, spent two hours with Council going over an initial draft of the Official Plan (OP) update. Much of the conversation at that time centred on Council’s desire for the new OP to permit more lots to be created from existing lots, provided those new lots comply with minimum lot size and setback standards.
As the result of that conversation, the OP that Touw brought back in draft form includes a provision that an existing lot (as of the adoption of the first Addington Highlands OP in 2004) in either a hamlet or rural zone, can be made into a total of 5 lots, if all conditions are met. Those 5 lots include the retained lot and up to 4 new lots.
Lots within the waterfront residential zone can only be turned into 3 lots, including the retained lot, and the stricter rules regarding waterfront lot creation and setbacks also apply.
In addition to this change, within a lot, the new OP includes provisions for 2 additional residential units (ARU) on an existing lot, and one ARU on a waterfront lot. These units can be contained within an existing residence, such as so-called granny suites, or in a free-standing building.
The Official Plan is being presented to the public this month, and with any changes stemming from public comment, it will return to Council in final form, in September. Council will have the option to adopt it, or request more changes, at that time.
There were no substantial comments about the plan at this time, apart from a couple of questions for clarification.
New Process for Library Board Appointees
Based on a conversation with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Addington Highlands Library, Christine Reed recommended that the way library board members are appointed be changed. Until now, at the beginning of each term, Council has asked residents to come forward to sit on the board, and then chose from the list of people who answered the call. The new plan, which Council accepted, will include a set of intake questions for candidates. The answers will be available to Council and the CEO, who will also be invited to the meeting, where the selection of board members is made.
Roads and Waste
Roads and Waste Manager Brett Reavie is on vacation but submitted a written report. The township has taken possession of a new backhoe which is now in service. Reavie also reported that the design and tender documents for the Bridge Street culvert replacement, in Denbigh, will be before Council in September, and that the submission to the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans has been submitted.
CBO and Facilities Report
Chief Building Official David Twiddy reported that he has been quite busy since July 1 with new permit applications, but that 2026 continues to lag behind 2025 in terms of building activity, and 2025 saw a drop from the high levels of the post-Covid building boom.
In terms of facilities, he pointed out that the roof repair at the Family Health Team building in Northbrook has been completed, and he is very happy with the job and the conduct of the roofing company.
Electrical Upgrade for Flinton Community Garden Deferred
A project to provide power to the garden shed that serves the community garden near the Flinton Hall was the subject of a ten-minute conversation among members. This ended up becoming a larger project, with a plan to bring a 60-amp service from either the Flinton Hall or a Hydro Pole at the adjacent ball park. Two contractors bid on the project, one for $3,500 and one for $4,200. Council discussed the merits of both proposals, and Councillor Leveille asked if Staff had considered a solar panel and battery system, which would be sufficient to power a pump.
Council decided to defer the matter to go back to the committee and explore the solar panel option.
Mandatory or Voluntary Septic Assessment
Having been asked to report back on the feasibility of a septic inspection program on the scale of either the voluntary program in North Frontenac, or the mandatory one in Central Frontenac, Twiddy brought back some statistics. He said that the stats show that the changeover in ownership of waterfront properties most often results in dubious or non-existent septic systems being replaced with approved systems, an inspection is not necessary, as the matter is being resolved.
He said a program would be costly to manage and those who it is intended to address would be the ones most likely to avoid it.
Deputy Reeve Hook said he will address the matter more fully at a future meeting, but for now Twiddy's report was received by Council.
Levac Propane
After exploring the market for propane vendors, Council voted to extend the contract for the supply of propane to Levac for the next 5 years, at a fixed price of 52.9 cents per litre.
Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) for Denbigh Fire Department – Council decided to purchase an Arctic Cat UTV for the use of the Denbigh Fire Department to help with wildfire response, from Nowell Motors in Cloyne. The fact that Nowell Motors is local was considered an advantage as they have a full repair shop, along with a competitive price, $32,724+hst.
Denbigh Fire
Fire Chief Casey Cuddy reported that 17 members of the Denbigh department have achieved accreditation from the Ontario Fire Marshall's office, a significant achievement for a department that was severely depleted of fire fighters, a couple of years ago.
“Credit to Staff and to the firefighters. It took a lot of time and dedication to achieve this,” said Cuddy.
