South Frontenac Council – Mar 24/15

Wilma Kenny | Mar 25, 2015

Fire hall discussions

Fire Chief Rick Chesebrough asked Council to “clarify their expectations for a master fire plan, before issuing an RFP for the new Perth Road Fire Hall.”

He reviewed the 2008 and 2013 fire studies, concluding with a projection of recommended upgrades to the Township Fire Halls. Councillors had questions about the need for double-length drive-through bays, and pointed out that the style of building chosen for Perth Road will set the standard for all future firehall upgrades.

Mark Schjerning asked whether an ad hoc sub-committee should be created to make final recommendations on building design. Alan Revill then suggested that members of Council might wish to visit recently constructed firehalls in neighbouring municipalities. There seemed some agreement that it was necessary to move forward as soon as possible.

Solar power presentation

Representatives from Invenergy Canada presented Council with a brief outline of their interest in developing solar farms in South Frontenac. South Frontenac’s lack of good agricultural land has made it attractive to companies hoping to win pending government support for large (ie, 100 acre) solar projects. All proposals have to be submitted by the first of September, and two requirements for a successful bid are land with low agricultural potential, and municipal approval. This is the second company in the past month to show interest in this area.

Sydenham Water annual report

Kevin Riley of Utilities Kingston presented his annual report on the Sydenham Water Plant. He said there had been no irregularities in the functioning of the plant over the past year, and reminded Councillors of their responsibility to become familiar with the plant processes, and remain informed of its operations.

South Frontenac Rides

“Cycling is the new golf,” said Scott Gordon, an enthusiastic supporter of the newly-formed SF Rides, a group of cyclists who plan to promote cycling in this area as a sport for residents and a tourist attraction. Gordon credits Councillor Sutherland with getting the group started. One of their first projects is to organize a children's bike rodeo in Sydenham on June 7th, the beginning of national Bike week.

Public Works reports

Mark Segsworth presented a chart with details on all partially maintained Township roads. He said a lot of the difference in present treatment of these roads had developed historically, often with no more than a handshake agreement. He also said that it was no longer the case that a private road could become a Township road merely because the Township had done some repair or maintenance on it: “after 2001, a private road can only be assumed by the Township through a by-law.”

Solid waste contract renewals

The current waste collection contracts expire at the end of August. Segsworth said that the new weigh scales at the Portland waste site should be running in a couple of months. He recommended extending the current contracts for another year, so the next contracts could be based on actual tonnage of waste, rather than the number of households. “I feel we have been getting excellent service from our current contractors; things have been working well,” said Segsworth. He will bring his recommendations to Council on April 7, along with comments and concerns from the current contractors. CAO Orr said it would be acceptable to renew a contract for one year with a ‘contractor of record’.

Road classifications and minimum maintenance standards

Segsworth said roads are classified 1 to 6 based on traffic volume and speed limits. South Frontenac has no class one roads , and currently only one class two: Road 38. The majority of Township roads are class 5 or 6. Figures show the Township considerably exceeds the minimum requirements for snow clearance.

Further discussion of road classification was postponed as the meeting had already been a long one, and no one seemed inclined to go beyond ten o’clock.