South Frontenac Council - Oct. 19/10

Wilma Kenny | Oct 21, 2010

Drainage Issues in (not-so?) Happy Valley

In response to Councillor Bill Robinson’s previously expressed concerns about the clogged state of a municipal drain in the Petworth Road/Happy Valley area, Alan Revill, the Township Drainage Superintendent, reported to Council that the drain did indeed need to be cleaned out. Since the drain was dug in 1985, it has had only one clean out. At the time of construction, the engineer’s report had contained two basic restrictions for the landowners: that there be no cultivation within 3 meters of the top of the ditch, and that cattle be kept out of the drain.

Revill noted that one landowner was allowing cattle to wander in the drain, thus contributing to erosion: the landowner said he was unaware of the provision to keep them out of it. The combination of gentle grades, build up of sediment, and heavy grass growth was significantly impeding water flow in the drain, leading to long periods of standing water, particularly after heavy rains. Although landowners are encouraged to cut the grass in the drains, not all have the appropriate equipment for the job, so it is not mandatory.

Council voted in favour of the recommendation that cleanout of 1200 feet of drain be undertaken under the supervision of the municipality, extending upstream from a point 100 feet south of the Petworth Road. The Municipal Drainage Act states that maintenance work such as this is to be paid for by the upstream owners (who benefit from the drainage of their properties), and can be done by a private contractor. Robinson objected, saying that this seemed unfair to the landowners, since this was a municipal drain, and asked for a recorded vote. All but Robinson and Fillion supported the motion: Robinson voted against it, and after some hesitation, Fillion abstained, saying he didn’t want the upstream landowners having to pay.

Building Report

The end-of-September building report showed value of construction in the Township for the first nine months of 2010 surpasses the total value of 2009 construction. “I thought this was supposed to be one of those fear-mongering (construction’s dropping) years,” commented Councillor Stowe, “But I guess not!”

Voting Registration Issues

There was inconclusive discussion about whether the township offices should be open Saturday morning, to provide PIN numbers to those who are not on the voters list, and to offer assistance to voters who are uncertain about voting by telephone or computer. CAO Orr reminded Council that running an election was not a political process, but an administrative responsibility.

He added that the offices have remained open until 7 pm, the last two Wednesdays: they have served a total of eight individuals on these two evenings. Residents who have any questions about the voting process are encouraged to telephone the Township offices.