South Frontenac Council - Nov 20/12

Wilma Kenny | Nov 22, 2012

Way Now Clear for SHS Addition

After more than two years of apparently leisurely negotiations with the township’s building department, the Limestone School Board and their architect, A. Sardinha, have produced acceptable designs for a proposed addition to the high school. Discussions have included building location, fire access, drainage, terracing, landscaping, parking, etc.

This has made it possible for Council to pass by-laws rezoning the four lots upon which the addition will be built, and authorizing the Mayor and Clerk to enter into a site plan agreement with the Board.

The new addition will be almost 14,000 square feet, and will contain a theatre arts space with stage, a hospitality suite with a restaurant-equipped kitchen and classroom, a technology lab and a new gym.

Although the school principal advises that “the new portion would create 145 additional school spaces,” the actual enrollment is not expected to change.

Changes to Burning By-law

Council passed Fire Chief Chesebrough’s recommended changes to the burning by-law, which include eliminating fire permits, in order to provide consistency and some cost savings for the Township.

During a total fire ban, no camp fires, charcoal barbecues, fireworks or cooking fires will be permitted: the only cooking appliances that will be allowed will be those which have a mechanical shut-off: i.e. propane or naptha stoves.

The fire season covers the period April 1 - October 31: anyone planning outdoor burning during this time would be advised to check the new burning by-law soon to be posted on the Township website. The new bylaw is relatively brief, and Cheseborough said that it is much clearer than the previous one.

Chesebrough Named Deputy Fire Co-ordinator for KFL&A

Council approved Chesebrough’s appointment to this position which would help administer a Mutual Aid program across the two counties in unusual emergency situations requiring coordination of resources from more than one area. The appointment will not change Chesebrough’s role as Township Fire Chief.

Cemetery By-law Amalgamates District Committees

Despite resistance from the district cemetery boards, Council agreed to establish a single Cemetery Board for the township, with one integrated set of cemetery by-laws, beginning a year from this January.

Effective almost immediately (January 2013,) new, higher fees for cemetery lots and services will come into effect. Because rates for cemetery plots have not changed for many years, and because the Committee of the Whole did not feel it was appropriate to use tax dollars to operate the cemeteries, the new rates will be approximately three times the current ones.

Higher fees for non-residents had been recommended but were not set, because of the perceived difficulty in defining non-residents. (i.e. would a person who had lived in South Frontenac for all but their last few years be considered a non-resident? What about someone who had moved here a short time before their death?)

Effective May 1, 2013, the three service components, administration, grounds and excavation, will be tendered as separate contracts. All burial records for township-owned cemeteries will be held in one place.

Township to Move from Cheques to Electronic Funds Transfer

This dry-sounding topic provided the most entertaining quotes of the evening: when Councillor Mcphail asked whether, under this system, councillors might be paid on a bi-monthly basis instead of twice a year.

Councillor Vandewal retorted “If the township paid me every two weeks, it would seem like it wasn’t worth being here.”

Councillor Robinson said his wife managed the family finances, and she wanted a paper cheque for her records: “If you make (direct deposit) mandatory, you can go over and tell my wife.”

“That’s what we hire a CEO for,” replied Mayor Davison.

January Meeting Schedule

Township offices will be closed between Christmas and New Year, with staff using three days vacation time. Because New Year falls on a Tuesday, all January Council meetings will be moved forward one week: the first 2013 Council meeting will be January 8.