Central Frontenac - Kennebec (Ward 1)
Cindy Kelsey
Cindy Kelsey is now the longest active serving member of Central Frontenac Council, having served since 2014.
In the 2022 election she said she was running for a third term in order to deal with unfinished business, road work on both the Henderson and Arden Roads that she had been advocating for, throughout the previous 8 years.
While those projects have been accomplished, there is still the matter of the Kennebec Lake bridge on Henderson Rd., that has been put off and is becoming a critical project.
But aside from that, she said that she might have more time to devote to her council responsibilities because she is planning on winding down her role as Arden Post Master.
“I am pleased that were able to get those roads improved, and when I look back over the past 12 years we have done quite a bit in our area, including the boat launches on Kennebec and Big Gull Lakes, new LED lighting that [former Public Works Manager] Tysen Myers and I got the grant for, among a lot of other accomplishments.”
She said that one of the issues she had with this previous council was the organisational review that was completed.
“We don’t have enough money to keep up our roads and bridges, and it called for creating new positions that we do not have the money to sustain. And you can’t really hire someone and then get rid of them a year later if you don’t have the money to pay them. You end up having to cut back even more on those road and bridge projects.”
She said that the tax level in Central Frontenac, which is higher than other rural jurisdictions, is having an impact on the cottager community, who pay the lion’s share.
“I spoke to someone with a cottage on Kennebec Lake who told me that he is selling his cottage and has bought a cottage elsewhere with a lower tax rate. I think we are losing out on development because of the tax rate.”
She said that if re-elected, she will be focusing on how to make money for the township, either through grants or other means.
“I also think we should look at the road network to see if there are any that we can stop maintaining, because they are no longer being used.”
She has found this last term of council to have been more “cliquey” than previous councils, and hopes to see less of that in the new council.
She also pointed out that she will not change the Kennebec lens that she brings to council.
“I am on council to work for the entire township, and I do, but I will still vote against anything that is not good for my area. I am here to represent the people from Ward 1 and that is what I am going to do.
Lynn Klages
Lynn Klages sees her role as a member of council as an extension of her community activism in Arden, where there has been a lot going on, over the last four years.
The Kennebec Rec Committee, which she chairs, has had a lot of momentum recently. The Arden Legion is now on very solid footing and hosts busy events week after week, and the Friends of Arden are working diligently on the Kennebec Memorial Project.
“One of the roles I can play on council is to act as a liaison for the people making things happen in Arden. Sometimes that is only about letting other councillors know what is going on, and sometimes people are looking for support from the township,” she said.
A new collaboration between the economic development committees of North and Central Frontenac to work together, which led to partnering at trade shows in Ottawa and Belleville, is another positive aspect of being a member of council, and was a factor in her decision to seek a second term.
“We have just been getting rolling along nicely with our idea of going to trade shows together. Just getting Central Frontenac’s name out there, gives a bit of a boost to our tourism-related businesses.”
She also said that among members of the current council, she is the only one who comes from a seasonal waterfront-resident background.
“I came here as a summer resident for decades, before moving to Arden full time, so I bring that perspective with me as well. This is valuable for Council, since waterfront ratepayers pay high property taxes and their interests are important for Council to consider.”
If she is re-elected, she will want to take a new look at the short-term rental issue.
“In the last term, we decided to hire a full-time bylaw officer to see if proper bylaw enforcement is enough to deal with issues that arise from short-term rentals. Now that we have a couple of summers with a bylaw officer in place, we can revisit that issue to see if we need to do more. The possibility of a Municipal Accommodation Tax is another factor to consider.”
Another project, centred in Sharbot Lake, that has implications throughout the township, is the Sharbot Lake Public School property, and the potential to use communal servicing.
“That would be a great step forward for the township,” she said.
She is hopeful that the tone on council improves after the election, however.
“One of the big things I hope for, is to ensure that the four districts can work as a team on council. It wasn’t always teamwork, in this last term. That is one of the reasons I questioned whether I wanted to come back. I don’t why we can’t draw on each other’s strengths in this next term, in the interest of moving the township forward.
Cindy Kelsey is now the longest active serving member of Central Frontenac Council, having served since 2014.
“I also think we should look at the road network to see if there are any that we can stop maintaining, because they are no longer being used.”
Chase Matson
Chase Matson is a busy guy. He works for Kennebec Tree and Lawn, a part of the Matson family of companies. With his wife Mallory, he has 4 young children, and he is building a new house for all of them to live in Arden.
He also coaches U-13 baseball in Flinton and plays ball himself.
On top of all that, he has decided to run for council to address some local, and some township-wide issues.
One of them is the state of the two township beaches, in Ward 1 (Kennebec).
“The beach at Big Clear Lake needs more sand and a new guard rail, and the Kennebec beach is not accessible. To me “public” means accessible to all who would like to use it. It has some old rock steps that are dangerous for anyone with mobility issues. I have been trying to get this addressed for 12 years, and if I get on council, I will keep trying,” he said.
He would also like to see a grading schedule implemented in the township, and more training for the grader operators.
“The township has four graders, and they should be on the road every single day. They should also look at a seminar or course on using the grader in the slower part of the season,” he said, citing a section of the Hughes Road, a gravel road near Arden, for example.
“They need to grade that road properly, by not leaving high shoulders where the water cannot escape, causing the road to wash out again. Other options would be to also re-ditch and/or resurface it with recycled asphalt so the water can drain properly. It would be cheaper to maintain, by fixing this problem once, rather than making several trips for a recurring issue,” he said.”
While critical of grading operations, he said that wintertime plowing workers do an amazing job, and should be given more daytime off in the winter, when it’s not snowing so the workers are well rested for an overnight plow. This keeps our workers and other drivers safer with less fatigue on our operators.
He is concerned with the “reckless spending on the new township office. In general, I think there is too much spending going on, without questions being asked.”
His other concerns are not so much centred on the way Council operates, but on the recreational opportunities for kids in the community.
“What draws me to run for council is that when I was a kid there was so much more to do than there is now, and I would like to work with Council to bring more for kids and families to enjoy, and to encourage other families to move to the area.”
Chase Matson is a 6th generation resident of Arden. With his children being the 7th, “to love and enjoy this town.”
