North Frontenac Council – Mar. 14/11

Jeff Green | Mar 17, 2011

Ompah library committee still wants their 2 hours

Marily Seitz and Janice Arthur came to a meeting of North Frontenac Council this week seeking further support in their battle to restore two hours a week to service at the Ompah branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library.

When the Plevna branch was closed for almost two years due to mould problems in the Clar-Mill Hall where it had been housed, Ompah's hours were upped from six to 10.

“During that time frame use at the Ompah branch doubled,” said Marily Seitz.

A new Plevna branch was constructed in what had been a portable classroom at Glenburnie, which was relocated to Plevna, and the new branch includes an enhanced computer area. In order to encourage use at the Plevna branch, the library board decided to open it for 10 hours a week, and cut the Ompah branch’s hours back to four a week, two less than it had before the Plevna branch was closed.

The Ompah library users want those two hours back, but several appeals to the library board have fallen on deaf ears.

“North Frontenac Council and Frontenac County Council have sent recommendations to the library board and they have not been responded to. Two motions to reinstate two hours were rejected by the library board,” said Marily Seitz. “We feel that we are taxpayers too and we are not receiving the library services we are entitled to.”

A petition asking for a return of the hours, signed by over 100 Ompah residents, was also sent to the library board.

“What happened with the petition?” asked Councilor Fred Perry.

“The library devoted staff time to vetting the list, and they determined that only 24 of the people who signed were library members and therefore they discounted it,” said Marily Seitz.

One member of Frontenac County Council sits on the board of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) and the council also appoints two community members. When the new four-year community appointments were made last fall, Paige Cousineau, a member of the Ompah Library users group, was one of the appointees, along with Sydenham resident Wilma Kenny. The county council member on the library board is John Purdon from Central Frontenac.

“So what do you want done now?” asked Mayor Bud Clayton. “We could restate our position by affirming our motion asking for the hours to be reinstated, and be prepared to look at further steps.”

“I think you will have to be prepared for further steps,” said Seitz. “Library staff say it will cost $3,000 more a year for two more hours and if the library won't budget for it maybe North Frontenac can.”

Other items from North Frontenac Council -

Business Development Association formed – Councilor Betty Hunter informed council that the first meeting of a new business group has taken place. The first thing they looked at was the township’s business directory, which requires an update. More meetings are planned and Hunter said that the Addington Highlands committee might be approached to work with North Frontenac. A second meeting is planned for March 29 (see Northern Happenings).

Policing Advisory Committee: Two members of council and one member of staff attended a meeting in Smiths Falls with the OPP Regional commander Gerry Salisbury. Councilor Gerry Martin reported that he felt better informed about how the OPP is funded by local tax dollars and provincial dollars, and said that once a policing advisory committee is up and running the township may be able to have more input into the strategic planning direction at the Sharbot Lake detachment.

The township received a letter from Bob Bateman from Shabomeka Lake about maintenance on an un-maintained township road that runs between two pieces of private land that is used extensively in the summer and periodically in the winter by seasonal residents. Township CAO Cheryl Robson proposed that the township respond to Bateman with a letter stating that the township is not going to do maintenance on that piece of road and that in order for him to do it he must demonstrate that he has obtained $2 million in liability insurance. Mr. Bateman will be invited to a meeting the township is setting up with a number of residents that have issues with maintenance on pieces of un-maintained township roads.

New deputy chief: The township has appointed Denis Bedard as Deputy Fire Chief for the Ompah station.

Bear Wise: the township has applied for funding from the provincial Bear Wise program to cover most of the costs for a 2,600 square foot solar-powered electric fence to deter bears at the Plevna waste site on Buckshot Lake Road. The grant would pay $18,244, leaving about $2,000 in in-kind costs for the township, such as for brushing, removal of trees, etc. along the fence line.