Latest / North Shore News / October 9th, 2024

Transcript

October 9th, 2024 · North Shore News

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  Welcome to North Shore News and Interviews on Amherst Island Radio.
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  Each week we keep you updated on newsworthy events, happenings, and conversations that
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  we've had with people in the local community and beyond.
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  Loyalist Township will be applying to the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure
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  Fund to help complete the W.J. Henderson Recreation Center renewal project.
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  Staff recommended making an application under Stream 1 for the ice pad, boards, and glass
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  with a total estimated cost of approximately $1.5 million.
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  They also recommended applying under Stream 2 for the renewal project in its entirety.
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  Director of Corporate Services Strategy and Innovation at Loyalist Township Jenna Campbell
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  explains the possibility of being funded for both streams.
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  If we are to apply to both streams as is recommended and were successful under both streams,
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  we would need to decline the Stream 1 funding and accept the Stream 2 funding only.
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  Campbell notes how all work included would still be funded.
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  Staff have reached out to staff from the province and understand that since these streams are
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  reviewed and intended for one another, the work that is contemplated under Stream 1, which
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  is the lower cost program, is included in the Stream 2 project as it's presented.
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  To put another way, the pad, boards, and glass that are contemplated under the Stream 1 project
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  are included in the $15.8 million work plan identified for the Stream 2 application.
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  The focus of the fund is to foster healthier and more active lifestyles for families and
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  to make sport more accessible.
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  Stream 1 of the program is focused on extending the lifespan of existing facilities, maximizing
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  the use of existing facilities, and improving health and safety, accessibility, and environmental
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  standards of facilities.
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  Under Stream 2, the program looks to help more communities across the province host
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  local, national, and international sporting events and competitions.
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  Staff noted that the renewal project aligns well with the objectives in Stream 2, as upgrades
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  could see the potential for investment and economic growth.
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  The program explains why applying to both streams made sense for staff.
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  It would be a reduction of about $1.5 million from the ask under Stream 2.
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  It's just the question of what's likely to be successful.
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  The project unfolds of align very well to the objectives of the Stream 2 program, which
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  include things like competition, ready facilities, accessibility, like a number of things that
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  the project really focuses in on for the Stream 2 application.
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  So I wouldn't want to remove it from Stream 2 and then not the successful in Stream 1,
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  as we said, on the potential funding associated with that work.
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  According to their report, staff estimates that by April 1, 2025, 32% of project costs
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  will be unspent, representing $15.8 million of the total $49.5 million project.
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  The Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund would fund 50% of eligible project costs
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  up to $10 million per project.
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  For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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  This is North Shore News.
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  At their meeting this week, Loyalist Township Council agreed to apply to Round 2 of the
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  Housing Enabling Water Systems Fund in the coming weeks.
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  The funding will help with peak flow equalization and headworks upgrades at the Amherst View
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  Water Pollution Control Plant.
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  The township's application to Round 1 of the program was unsuccessful.
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  After a corporate services strategy and innovation at Loyalist Township Jenna Campbell notes
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  their application will be focused on the same project.
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  Although we were unsuccessful in the first round of application, that recommends submitting
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  the same project to Round 2 because the project had best aligns to the objectives of the program.
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  So that project is the Amherst View Water Pollution Control Plant's peak flow equalization
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  and headworks updates, which has a budget of $4.3 million.
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  Senator Paul Praderick mentions the importance of provincial funding.
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  Mayor Jim Hagedorn describes the work taken on by staff to make the application.
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  While going ahead with the application to Round 2 of the Housing Enabling Water Systems
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  Fund, Council decided to not go ahead with an application to Round 2 of the Green and
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  Inclusive Community Buildings Program.
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  With the township having secured $16.5 million in funding for the W.J. Henderson Recreation
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  Center Renewal Project under the first round of this program, Campbell noted that approval
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  of additional funding is unlikely.
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  This is a second round of that same funding program.
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  It's a very involved application process that includes energy modeling and a whole bunch
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  of other things.
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  And so staff's recommendation is not that we don't have something that might align to
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  the program objectives, but that doesn't work.
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  Not likely to be successful a second time.
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  And so spend that much time on this very involved application is probably not an essential
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  center.
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  Campbell went on to explain there were no major changes in Round 2 of the program.
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  The objectives of the program have not changed and the plan for the project have not changed.
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  We just feel that it's the project that has elements to the program of everything that
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  we have that's in the budget.
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  And that wasn't another project that felt like it really aligned with the program objectives.
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  For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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  This is North Shore News.
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  Loyalist Township Council agreed to include lower bulk water rates for users of a new
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  water station that's expected to be fully operational this fall.
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  The new low volume bulk water station will be located alongside the existing bulk water
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  station at County Road 6 and Taylor Kid Boulevard.
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  This site was selected for the convenience of vehicles being able to fill up their containers
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  and existing infrastructure to support the installation.
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  The existing bulk water station isn't capable of filling low volume containers due to the
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  high rate of flow.
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  The station will be open year round with the ability to fill containers up to 1,000 liters.
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  Staff are expecting significant interest in the station as many members of the public
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  have requested the service specifically.
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  Since 2016, residents have been able to fill small containers of water at the Odessa office
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  during the summer months.
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  The original intent of this tap being turned on was to provide relief to rural residents
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  during drought conditions.
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  But according to staff's report, the local demand for a station that can fill small containers
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  has grown steadily over the past years.
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  The tap is now in full time use by residents as well as some commercial businesses and
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  farms.
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  Director of Economic Growth and Community Development Services at Loyalist Township,
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  Marie-José Merritt explains that public needs have outgrown the old process.
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  Well, we've noticed here in the second or third year that we've altered the tap outside
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  as we can't really control where the residents are coming from.
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  At some point, even in some significant areas, advertise free water, I think that's obvious
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  to people from all over the place where we get a quarter, same with landscaping companies.
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  So I would imagine that for the long water, the long volume water station, you're going
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  to have the smaller tanker like with one cubic meter of toast that you have in the back of
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  the pickup truck.
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  They will be using the smaller station.
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  So it's not really for the residents, but you can control where people are coming from
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  and you're going to have some commercial use.
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  The current bulk water rate was initially approved by council at 77% of the overall consumption
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  rate to produce water.
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  This number has escalated annually.
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  Staff compiled bulk water rates of neighboring municipalities and provided analysis on the
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  overall cost of producing water.
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  They also looked at factors that may not allow for competitive rates unless a discount is
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  provided.
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  Merritt describes the decision to keep costs low for users.
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  It is a discount rate.
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  The last time that the rates were looked at in 2019, we knew that the bulk water was
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  about 77% of the rates for the users in the system.
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  Typically, you wouldn't have necessarily 100% of the distribution cost when you're using
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  the water volume station.
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  So it makes sense to have a discount rate for that type of use.
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  Staff estimated that upwards of 140 cubic meters of water per season was dispensed at the Odessa
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  office location with most of the containers being one cubic meter or less.
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  This amount of usage created traffic issues in the area that staff are hoping to eliminate
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  with the new location.
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  The new station will only accept electronic payment methods via a simple card tap system.
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  This is to mitigate any risk of vandalism or any attempts to break into the station with
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  the handling of currency.
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  For Amherst Island Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Tat Evans.
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  This is North Shore News.
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  I'm Sarah Bridger with Kingston's News and here are the top headlines that you need to
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  know.
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  A month-long investigation into drug trafficking in Kingston has resulted in the largest seizure
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  of fentanyl to date.
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  The seizure took place on Tuesday, October 8th, and three local residents were arrested.
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  Over 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl were confiscated, which carries a street value of approximately
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  $198,000.
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  A residential fire on Florida Road just northeast of Wilton on Monday, October 7th resulted
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  in extensive damages and sadly the loss of a pet.
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  The exact cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
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  Loads of fun launcher mad incorporated has launched its inaugural Coat Drive.
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  In partnership with Loving Hands Kingston, this initiative aims to address the pressing
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  need for adult coats in our community.
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  The drive will run until January 25th, 2025.
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  The City of Kingston is seeking informed advice from residents and business owners in the
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  Limestone City.
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  You can help guide decisions and contribute to Kingston's future by working on a municipal
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  advisory committee, board, or commission.
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  Submit your application online at cityofkingson.ca slash committees.
• 10:58
  Great deals await at the fall edition of the Kingston Symphony Volunteers vinyl record sale
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  from Thursday, October 17th to Sunday, October 20th.
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  For more on these stories and other local news, visit kingsonist.com and subscribe.
• 11:10
  Use my code THERBE2024 for 10% off.
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  This has been North Shore News and Interviews.
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  If you have an idea for a story or want to create stories for the show, consider joining
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  our 100% volunteer team.
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  Contact Amherst Island Radio for more details.