South Frontenac Council

Jeff Green | Jan 28, 2015

Perth Road fire hall

Ronald Awde, an architect from Bethany, Ontario, presented a report on prospects for a new fire hall in Perth Road. The first part of the report established first that the existing fire hall is inadequate.

“There can certainly be no question that the existing building is so totally inadequate for the purpose and is of such minimal quality of construction that it would be impossible to renovate or adapt in order to extend the life,” said the report.

Even the site where the existing hall is located was declared unsuitable, partly because of its location within the built up area in Perth Road and partly because it is too small. There are issues with the soil and the topography as well.

A brand new building on a brand new site was recommended, and the size of the proposed new four-bay building is 7,900 square feet, over twice the size of the existing building. The cost, depending on the final design, ranges from $2.2 million for a basic building to $2.5 million for an enhanced version.

In response to the presentation, Loughborough Councilor Mark Schjerning wondered if four bays are enough for the long-term needs of the department.

Fire Chief Rick Cheseborough said, “I feel that the size of the building will be adequate to the needs of the department for at least 20 years.”

“I think we need to include as much as we can, all the enhancements should be in place from the start,” said Schjerning in response.

Other members of Council asked questions about the options for layout of the building and other technical details. The cost was not questioned, however, perhaps because Council had been informed about it when they considered the 2015 capital budget two weeks ago. It included a $2.2 million line for this project.

Shoreline rehabilitation will mean loss of a sand beach at The Point.

Riggs Engineering presented a report and plan for a $100,000 shoreline restoration project at the Point Park. The plan includes replacing the existing wooden crib that forms a retaining wall on the water with a combination of stone seating and rock revetment, some grading and other landscape modifications, and the replacement of the existing sand beach with a pebble beach.

“The replacement of sand beach materials with pebble beach materials is not typically a desirable change, but is a reality of regulatory approval conditions,” said Brian Riggs in his report, adding that because sand is not native to the location and will need to be replaced at least once every two years because it will be washed into the lake, the conservation authority will insist on it being removed before granting approval for the project.

The project is likely to go ahead in the fall of 2015, after all the necessary approvals are obtained.

Chief Administrative Officer Wayne Orr said money for the project is available through the parkland reserve fund.

Partially maintained roads need more study

Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth presented a list of small gravel roads in the township that receive some maintenance from township road crews, but are not necessarily plowed in the winter. A consultant was hired to catalogue the roads, with a view towards determining what criteria should be used to decide which roads should be included for snow plow service and which shouldn't.

“It will take us another year to sort this out,” said Segsworth. “To be honest there is no rational explanation for why we do what we do now. Some roads have minimal maintenance, a grader once every two years. And there are other roads where we have full maintenance for no apparent reason. Maybe they are being done because of a handshake deal years ago, I don't know. We need to take a look at the whole thing and come up with a plan and a cost to make it consistent throughout the township.”

The Ladybush Lane conundrum

Planner Lindsay Mills brought the issue of Ladybush Lane, which is off Bedford Road, to Council's attention.

“The street sign for that lane keeps getting stolen,” said Mills. “It has happened five times. One option is to change the name of the lane; another is to eliminate the name entirely since there are only three properties and they could be named a, b, and c; and the third option is to leave it and replace the sign when we have to.”

“What do the signs cost?” asked Councilor Pat Barr.

“$150,” said Mark Segsworth.

“What about riveting the signs instead of just bolting them in place so it only takes a wrench to remove them?” asked Mark Schjerning.

“Does anybody have a new name in mind?” asked Deputy Mayor John McDougall, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of Mayor Vandewal.

No proposed names were forthcoming from Council and the matter was left for the time being.

Chain of office coming

Wane Orr reported that is will cost $5,000 for a chain of office that includes the crests of the four former townships, the township coat of arms, etc.

“I don't think we need to spend that $5,000,” said Councilor Alan Revill, and Councilor Ross Sutherland agreed.

“I think it is important. It is something we will have for 70 or 80 years,” said Mark Schjerning, and councilors Sleeth, Roberts, Barr agreed.

“We don't celebrate ourselves enough,” said John McDougall in expressing his support for the chain.

“We could celebrate quite a bit with $5,000,” said Revill. However, with a majority in favour the chain would seem to be a done deal.