Central Frontenac Council – Safe Properties Yards Bylaw

Jeff Green | Mar 05, 2025

The February 25 meeting of Central Frontenac Council was dominated by the latest draft of a bylaw formerly known as a “Safe Properties Bylaw”, now renamed as “A Bylaw To Provide Safe Yards”. Geoff Mitchie and Candace Herrington both addressed Council . Mitchie urged that the process to adopt the bylaw be slowed down, and that seasonal residents should have an opportunity to be involved in the process of developing the bylaw. Candice Herrington expressed a concern about the general tenor of the responses to the bylaw by some of the people who oppose it, mostly on social media.

She is generally supportive of the bylaw, “although it is not perfect, no new bylaw is,” she said, and that she has been on the receiving end of some rude and threatening comments on social media as a result. “I don't say this for sympathy, I say this as a concern for the way the discussion has gone. I have also had some very good conversations with people on the other side,” she said. “People seem to misunderstand that this bylaw is meant to keep us all safe.”

When the new draft bylaw was presented to Council later in the meeting, the first thing that jumped out was the number of new term definitions, 37 in total. The most significant is the definition of the word yard, included in order to make it clear that the bylaw is not focussed on rural lands in general, but on the areas around dwellings. “'Yard shall mean an area of land that is typically associated with a residence, building, or property. It is often an open, enclosed space, which may be used for various purposes like recreation, gardening, or landscaping.
Yards are generally found at the front, back, or side of a house or building.”

It is these areas that the bylaw is intended to control, for the safety of residents, visitors, and emergency personnel. Other areas of the bylaw have been altered and clarified in response to some of the public comment. For example, provision 5.14, concerning tree limbs and brush, which said the following in the previous draft “Trees, bushes, hedges, and any branches or limbs that are dead, decayed, or damaged, along with any brush, shall be promptly removed from the property” now includes additional wording “located beside roadways or sidewalks” which limits its scope significantly.

The bylaw also includes new provisions about lighting. In her comments on the bylaw and how it is to be implemented, Bylaw Officer Nicole Shorts, reiterated what she had said at previous meetings. I only care about safety, and protecting the environment. If a kid's bike has been thrown on the driveway, I'm not worried about that, kids will be kids. I’m not going to carry a ruler to measure lawns. That’s not what this is about,” she said.

Councillor Philip Smith said that he appreciated how the bylaw will be enforced by Shorts, but said if someone new is in her position in the future, they might not use the same discretion.

Chief Administrative Officer Cathy Mac- Munn said that a written protocol is being developed for the enforcement of the bylaw, and that will be shared with members of council. Staff had proposed a further period for public comment about this latest draft, until March 13, when the bylaw was set to return to Council.

After feedback from Council, mainly Councillors Nicki Gowdy and Duncan McGregor, Council decided to accept public comment until the end of March, with the bylaw returning to Council on April 8th. The draft has been posted on the township website and a link posted on the township's social media feed. 

Flag Protocol - There have been comments by the public in recent weeks about the United States flag that has been flying at the Sharbot Lake beach for years without sparking any controversy, until now. Without making any reference to the United States at all, township staff presented a new draft flag policy to Council. The policy states that when one flag is flown at a township owned property, it will be the Canadian Flag, when two flags are flown, the second will be the Ontario flag, which will be located to the right of the Canadian flag, and when
three flags are flown, the Canadian flag will be in the centre, the Ontario flag on the left, and the township flag on the right.

There is one designated flagpole at the Sharbot Lake beach that is designated for flag raising requests by the public and there are rules limiting what those requests can be for. An approved special flag will be flown for one week.

The policy will be back in front of Council in late March after a comment period, but in one instance it has already been implemented. 

The USA flag that had been flying at the Sharbot Lake beach was quietly replaced with a Central Frontenac flag late last week.

Concern over flooding and emergency management

Bill Wong and Terry Kennedy came to Council on behalf of the Kennebec Lake Association to talk about flooding and a road washout that took place in September of last year that was exacerbated by beaver dams in the Arden region. The washouts left people stranded, and communication was an issue as not everyone coming and going knew that the roads were washed out.

In the written report that was included in their presentation, Wong and Kennedy suggested that as part of a “provincially mandated annual review of the Emergency Response Plan (ERP, P.2), Central Frontenac undertake to supplement the Plan to provide for the anticipation, prevention, and management of second-level emergency incidents, including plans for community communications.”

Council Remuneration

Treasurer Michael McGovern presented the annual report on payment to members of council. Mayor Smith received $27,2109.16 and $1,200 in expense payments in 2024. All other members of council received $16,790.54 plus $1,200 in expenses. Councillors Meeks, Irwin, and Klages, and Mayor Smith received additional pay as per diems for conference expenses, as well as mileage [payments to travel outside of the township for conferences].

In the report on Councilor McGregor's pay, a payment of $9,000 is included under the heading “payroll other” and Treasurer McGovern pointed out that payment is not for McGregor's role on council, but is his remuneration as a member of the township fire department.

Lease With Fisheries and Oceans

Council approved a new 5 year lease with the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the dock at Crow Lake and the so-called “Government Dock” in Sharbot Lake. The lease is for $500 per year.