Central Frontenac Council - Jun 8/10

Jeff Green | Jun 10, 2010

E-waste recycling coming to Central Frontenac

Central Frontenac was one of the first municipalities to have an e-waste recycling service up and running when the Frontenac E-Waste Recovery Centre (FEWR) opened in October of 2004. That innovative program combined e-waste recycling with a program to provide computers to schools and to third world countries.

But it was too for ahead of its time, and eventually fell by the wayside for lack of funding.

Now courtesy of government and industry creation Ontario E-Waste Systems (OES), a division of Stewardship Ontario, e-waste recycling is returning to Central Frontenac. Within the next month a depot will be set up at the Elbow Lake Transfer station on Road 38 south of Parham.

At their meeting on June 8, Central Frontenac Council approved a detailed 17-page agreement with OES that outlines what kinds of materials can be collected. Complete information will be available soon, but from the look of the agreement the standard kinds of items, TVs, desktop and laptop computers, video and DVD players, telephones of all kinds, radio and stereo equipment, printers, vehicle sound systems and more, will be eligible for disposal free of charge. The township will receive payment of $150 per ton of material that is collected, and OES will provide a roll off bin where the items will be stored.

SOLAR PANEL FEES – In bringing a routine amendment to the schedule of fees for building department services, Chief Building Officer Ian Trickett proposed a $100 fee for a permit for solar panel installations on buildings. Because the installations require a site visit by a building official, a permit fee is required, Trickett said

All costs of the building department are supposed to be covered by permit fees and not property tax dollars, according to the Ontario Municipal Act.

“Does the fee have to be $100?” asked Councilor Gary Smith. “Shouldn’t we signal that we want to be green by making it a lower fee, say $80?”

“I think we should wipe it out altogether. We want people to do this sort of thing. We should send a signal,” said Councilor Norm Guntensperger.

After further debate, Council decided to set the fee at $60.

$4,000 / WEEK FOR A COTTAGE IN ARDEN – A letter was received from Ken Clark raising a concern about several large luxury cottages on Big Clear Lake that were built for the rental market, and are rented out on a weekly basis at a premium rate, up to $4,000 or more per week in the summer (plus $300 for the use of a boat) and $2,000 in the off-season.

Clark wanted to know if these properties should be considered commercial and taxed accordingly.

In a report to council, staff pointed out that the tax rate for commercial and residential is the same, so there is no point making any change.

The report also pointed out that a tourist establishment is defined as a single lot containing four or more dwelling units, and that even though the cottages in question sleep up to 12 people, they are single units.

“That being said, I think when we review our comprehensive zoning bylaw, we could look at other issues relating to these kinds of properties, such as parking and noise concerns,” said Chief Administrative Officer John Duchene.

MANDATORY SEPTIC INSPECTION ON HOLD, VOLUNTARY PROGRAM TO BE EXPLORED –

A bylaw has been prepared that sets out a septic inspection program. Councilor Bob Harvey said it is a “bylaw that has teeth,” But, he asked, “Will it hold water?”

The bylaw would permit the township to compel residents to maintain septic systems to a certain level and submit to inspections. This would differ from the voluntary inspection programs that are in place in Tay Valley, North and South Frontenac townships, wherein property owners can refuse to let inspectors onto their property.

CAO John Duchene recommended deferring the mandatory aspect of the program after talking with Dave Cooke of the Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington Health Unit. Cooke told him that the province is planning to bring new regulations next June which will provide for mandatory septic inspections to existing systems and the township would be better off to wait and ensure their own program dovetails with the new regulations.

“We can proceed to gather information this summer, particularly on trout sensitive lakes,” Duchene suggested.

Deputy Mayor John Purdon said, “If we are going to wait for the province, and we know what our neighbours have been doing for years, why should we reinvent the wheel? If it is not too late we should get a voluntary program started this summer.”

Purdon’s suggestion was adopted, and John Duchene will report back to the next council meeting if he can set up a program with one of the two agencies that provide septic re-inspection services in the region.