Senior Power Alive And Well In South Frontenac

Wilma Kenny | Jan 22, 2014

“Pick a fight with a young person and they’ll hurt you; pick a fight with an old one and they’ll kill you.” On Tuesday evening, when Ron Sleeth passed along this warning his father gave him when he first entered local politics, there was loud applause and cheering from the audience of more than 50 Storrington and Perth Road residents, most of whom were seniors. They all had come to a South Frontenac Committee of the Whole meeting to protest the new rental rates for Storrington Centre and Harris Park Hall.

On December 3, Council had approved standardized user fees and user agreements for township facilities (halls and playing fields), as recommended by the South Frontenac Recreation Committee, in consultation with the four district Recreation Committees.

The fee agreed upon was $50 for four hours for the hall alone, or $70 if the kitchen was used. The rate for three hours or less was $25/hr (no savings here…) Eleven people spoke, briefly and eloquently, of the many community groups that have used these meeting facilities, some continuously for more than forty years, many of them seniors. Speaking for Leland Helping Hands and Perth Road Crafters, Cheryl Berg said, “Harris Park Hall is the heart of our community.” Built by the community, the hall had been turned over to the township in 1985, though the user groups have continued to make contributions to the upkeep and maintenance of the hall. However, none of the non-profit groups now using the hall can afford to pay $50 to $70 per meeting.

Sharon Paterson, of the Storrington Retirees, said that not only had the seniors’ group helped obtain the original provincial money to build the hall, but many of the furnishings, particularly in the kitchen, had been purchased through New Horizons for Seniors grants.

Sleeth, former Reeve of Storrington, had been Warden of Frontenac County at amalgamation. He reminded Council that at that time, there had been agreements that nonprofit groups would have free use of all halls, including Storrington, in perpetuity.

Representatives from group after group spoke of fundraising that went back into the community in a variety of ways, and of music, sewing, euchre, bingo, shared meals, 4H groups, Christmas baskets, blood donor clinics, and the varieties of social contact so vital to healthy communities, and particularly supportive to seniors.

All expressed their disappointment in the lack of communication throughout the whole process of setting up a fee structure.

Council also has received a letter from Don Amos, of Northern Frontenac Community Services Corp, describing the devastating effect hall fees would have on the programs for children, parents and caregivers that they offer free of charge at the Perth Road and Storrington halls. He asked whether, if hall fees could not be waived, a not-for-profit rate could be set up.

Mayor Davison said that the township’s annual building maintenance budget is $300,000: recently one of the halls was reroofed for $20,000.

Stowe led off the councillors’ responses by saying he had assumed too much; he had not realized how many non-profit groups would be seriously affected by the fee schedule.

He thanked the speakers for their clear but considerate presentations, and suggested that the policy be put on hold and returned to the recreation committee for review and revision. The rest of Council agreed.

Mayor Davison apologized for the poor communication between Council and the various user groups, via the recreation committees.

He held up the sheet with the fee schedule: “I see no way this document has any validity at all.” He assured the group representatives that they would owe no fees until the issues have been resolved.

Budget Update

Treasurer Fragnito brought Council up to date on the most recent MPAC report, the (higher) police costs, and the most recent estimates of gas tax funding. Council decided unanimously not to change any of the current budget lines until all the numbers are in.