South Frontenac Council Oct 19

Wilma Kenny | Oct 27, 2021

Council Vacancy

Following the passing of Councillor Barr, Council is required to declare a vacancy and choose a means of filling it. In two other relatively recent situations where a declaration of vacancy was made by Council, the decision was made to offer the seat to a candidate who ran in the previous election but was not elected. However, in the case of the race for Bedford District Councillor in the 2018 Municipal Election, there was no third place candidate, so both seats were “acclaimed”. Council chose to advertise the vacancy, inviting interested persons to provide their credentials and reasons for applying. (Further information on the Township’s website, or by contacting the Township.)

Councillor Sutherland suggested that the office of Deputy Mayor should be passed to the other Bedford Councillor, Alan Revill, for the remainder of Pat Barr’s term (until May 31). Councillor Leonard will then resume as Deputy Mayor. This was agreed to.

Hartington Subdivision

The developer of the Hartington Plan of Subdivision has applied to the County of Frontenac for a two (2) year extension to their draft plan approval which is set to lapse on November 15, 2021. The County has requested that Township Council provide a recommendation to County Council as part of their decision-making process.

The draft plan is for thirteen (13) residential lots and an internal street, with frontage on Boyce Road within the settlement area of Hartington. Claire Dodds, Director of Development Services reported that although many conditions have been met, the process has been slower than usual, due to the many discussions between multiple levels of government, and between the planning department and the developer. Currently, staff is waiting for the results of the engineering study.

Councillor Morey asked “for the record” whether the community had been kept informed throughout. Dodds assured him that Planning has been meeting regularly with the Community Association, although there were no legal requirements to do so. “There has not been comprehensive sharing of all material; these records will be shared in due process.”

Councillor Sutherland said the map still made it look as if the proposed subdivision included all the developer’s property, and asked if the map could be amended to more clearly indicate the property currently under consideration, all of which falls within the bounds of the hamlet. Dodds acknowledged this was an oversight, and would be corrected.

Council voted in support of the draft plan extension request.

Truth and Reconciliation

Council agreed to join other municipalities across Canada in responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action by adopting the principles of reconciliation to strengthen its relationship with indigenous communities and residents. South Frontenac will recognize September 30th as a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in accordance with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action; and directed Staff to develop and implement a land acknowledgement along with staff from the other Frontenac municipalities thereby creating a unified approach to a meaningful partnership with regional indigenous community partners and residents.

Building Inspector Appointment

Ryan Morgan, a resident of South Frontenac, was appointed Building Inspector: through his previous work as a supervisor for RJM Classic Homes, Morgan is already acquainted with township staff. He began his work for the Township on October 18.

Hinchinbrook Road

Following the dramatic failure of part of a newly-installed culvert just north of Spring Rock Lane, which closed down a portion of Hinchinbrooke Road in mid-July, the township engaged Groundworks Engineering Limited (GEL) to evaluate the site and develop an action plan towards reopening the public road crossing. GEL boreholes found that bedrock was between 2m (approximately 6 feet) and 7.5m (23 feet) below ground surface; the failed areas were situated on pockets of peat and soft soil. This necessitates the removal of an area approximately 4m(12 ft) wide and 3m(9ft) deep, which will need to be replaced with rock fill and geogrid material to prevent ongoing settlement.

However, the remaining culvert crossing is structurally stable for single-lane traffic. Due to several factors, including the lateness of the season, the need to coordinate with material suppliers, Quinte Conservation, Bell Canada, guard rail installation, and increased project funding, the decision was made to prepare the site to reopen for single lane traffic until spring. The only remaining steps for a re-opening are the introduction of temporary barrier systems and the installation of temporary traffic controls.

The draft report from GEL identified that the excavation and removal of the failed zone of the roadway will carry an estimated cost of $217,580 plus HST. Once the existing expenses (engineering/construction) and added costs for temporary traffic signage and barrier systems are considered, the full project cost is expected to be in the order of $260,000 to $325,000 with the majority of the overall expenses to be incurred in 2022. It was noted that Township staff are continuing to review the outcomes of the GEL report to identify any/all possible measures to reduce these costs when and wherever possible.

The Public Services Department acknowledged that the Hinchinbrooke Road closure has created significant inconvenience for residents and school transportation providers.

Acknowledgement

Councillor Ruttan said he had heard a lot of positive feedback about the township’s funding the Ice Stock pad: Mayor Vandewal said they are hoping for grant assistance to roof the area, which will make it more useful for a range of community activities.