Report to Ratepayers and Residents - March 2021

Hello, all

As the weather improves and we roll into spring, I wanted to touch base with you on some Township activities.

First and foremost, the Township passed the 2021 budget. My thoughts, which I voiced during the meetings, are available for viewing online. Specifically, my concerns are about the two ‘W’s – Westport and Wilkinson Roads. During earlier negotiations, I had asked about immediate plans for Westport Road in 2021 to get us to the planned major reconstruction in 2022. In the leadup to the vote, I recommended that plans be developed for longer-term solutions for Wilkinson Road. I would like to see a plan for a more involved rehabilitation for that road and will eagerly vote for it.

On the topic of the budget, although I voted to pass I do agree with those who voted in opposition and feel their points are well taken. Our ability to respond to emergencies and extraordinary circumstances means we always need to have some financial leeway. We must also recognize that this year is going to be challenging for a lot of people. There are those who have seen their incomes drop. Once federal income supports end, if they don’t see a “return to normal” for their household income, they will be placed in difficult circumstances. Rates still must increase to meet the service delivery levels we have committed to, but in a year that is likely to be as financially difficult as the last – possibly more - a balance must be found.

I also agree that a new township office is not what we need. Not proceeding with plans for a major reconstruction was the right decision, and I believe that such a project is well beyond our scope for many years to come.

I do, however, believe we need to invest in digitizing our records and reducing the amount of floor space we require for physical storage. Not only do we create more room to work, but by making records digital we can improve turnaround times for service. Anyone who had tried to look up a by-law for a given issue knows that we need to improve accessibility for staff and the public alike. A much smaller amount of money invested in that area would make a bigger difference. Being able to go online and quickly look up bylaws and other documents when you are thinking about buying a property, building a new house or renovating an existing one, could potentially reduce the time it takes to get from start to finish. If we can make the existing municipal building footprint work better, and shave off valuable time for approvals, that is a worthy goal.

On other issues, we approved a recommendation to maintain the Amnesty Load program for our waste services for 2021. I agree with this decision. I look forward to the recommendations of the committee looking into the issue but believe that the strain on our sites is driven more by an increasing year-round population and longer stays by seasonal residents due to COVID. Every municipality in Ontario is in the same boat, so I believe that the long-term answer may be at the provincial level, and the possibility of allowing more electricity to be generated by waste-to-energy conversion, or incineration.

Some committee work continues in the meantime. The Economic Development Committee has been meeting frequently, and the Management Board of the Frontenac Community Arena met this week as well. While I have been serving as the Chair of the first one, I also took on the Chair of the FCA Board for 2021 – at a time when we are undergoing the largest refurbishment project in the facility’s 45-year history. Work is proceeding and we expect to be able to welcome back our hockey teams in the fall.

To close, it’s been a tough year. If you’re tired and frustrated – and angry – that’s normal. We are all in that boat, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit to wanting to go outside and yell obscenities as loud as I could. That’s just being human. On the other hand, some pretty good people have fought all that and shown kindness and care. Community hampers, the local Caremongering group that has organized dinners this year – that’s being human too.

With vaccines approved, being manufactured and distributed, there is hope that we can get back to normal. But even if our normal routines resume, we will be forever changed from this experience.

My hope is that the change will encourage all of us to be kinder, more patient and more understanding of one another. Like everyone else, I will have my homework cut out for me!

In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and one another.

Brent