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Inside News
Sparks fly at council Pg. 3
News
Survey of shoreline Pg. 5
DAYTRIPPER
New digs
EMC Events – Matson Insurance, which has been in business in Arden since 1965, has moved its location to Elizabeth Street in Sharbot Lake. Staffers Sherri Scott and Marilyn Scott were joined by David Watson of Wawanessa Insurance and Rob Brown of ISG Kingston to welcome the public to an open house last week. Photo/Craig Bakay
Safe properties bylaw back with ‘minimum maintenance’ aspect added By Craig Bakay Reporter
The real Farmtown Pg. 18
EMC News —“We have to show common sense — if we have one bylaw that says you have to let the grass grow and another that says you have to cut it, that’s not common sense, that’s nonsense,” said Coun. Norm Guntensperger at the regular meeting of Central Frontenac Council last week in Sharbot Lake. Guntensperger was responding to staff’s presentation of a proposed Property Safety and Minimum Maintenance Bylaw which is being floated as an alternative to a Property Standards Bylaw
and was suggested last year primarily by groups in the Arden area. The Minimum Maintenance part is a new addition. “There is a lot of power in a bylaw like this,” Guntensperger said. “And it still seems designed for urban areas. “Our Official Plan stresses that we’re a ‘natural area’ and we require lakefront to be natural, but this bylaw seeks to outlaw long grass as well as brush, clippings and rodents — which are a big part of our natural environment. “To reflect our Official Plan, it should be the person with long grass complaining about mani-
cured lawns.” However compelling his arguments, Guntensperger was something of a lone voice in opposition to the proposed bylaw. “If we have someone growing 100 acres of nothing but thistles, we should have the authority to go in there,” said Coun. Tom Dewey. “There is the Weed Act for that,” said bylaw enforcement officer Ken Gilpin. Although he voted in favour of accepting the report, Coun. John Purdon was somewhat sympathetic to a couple of Guntensperger’s points. “You mow 100 acres,” Pur-
don said. “I’m wondering if this situation is urban versus rural.” Gilpin said that he’s dealt with “10-15 issues per year” for a total of 61 complaints over the past five years. “Of that, about 25 per cent are in the hamlets and mostly have to do with garbage or grass,” Gilpin said. “The majority of issues are in rural areas.” Mayor Janet Gutowski also rejected any suggestions of creating two sets of rules for urban and rural areas. “I think we would be reopening a can of worms if we try to treat two areas differently,” she said. “We have to treat every-
body the same.” She added that she’d like to see “boats destined for the scrap yard” added to the list of items prohibited from being kept on private property. For his part, Gilpin argued for the new bylaw, saying that “it expands on definitions and is complaint driven.” The draft bylaw is available for viewing on the township website, as part of the May 14 agenda under “Council.” Residents can make their feelings known to their councillors and comments received will be discussed at the regular June 25 meeting of Council.
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