Body: Council Type: Document Meeting: Regular Date: March 31, 2026 Collection: Documents Municipality: Central Frontenac
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The Corporation of The Township of Central Frontenac
14216 Road 38, P.O. Box 89, Sharbot Lake ON K0H 2P0 Tel: 613-279-2935 or 1-800-300-6851, Fax: 613-279-2422 www.centralfrontenac.com Thursday, March 26, 2026 RE: Article 2 — Minor Variance Application APPN-2025-0054 Mr. Morton, Further to your inquiry, the following responses are provided for factual clarification with respect to the minor variance application submitted by Mayor Frances Smith (property owner) and Abigail McKinnon (tenant and agent). Responses to your questions are set out below.
- Mayor Smith authorized Abigail McKinnon, the Township’s Planning Coordinator and CoA Secretary-Treasurer, to act as her agent on this application. Can Mayor Smith explain why a Township employee in that dual role was chosen as her personal agent? This response is provided for factual clarification. I reside at the subject property and am in the process of purchasing the property. In that context, I was authorized to act as agent for the application. To address any potential conflict of interest, I declared a pecuniary interest and did not participate in the administrative processing of the application in my capacity as Secretary-Treasurer. The Deputy Clerk assumed responsibility for issuing all required notices, including the Notice of Decision, and acted as SecretaryTreasurer for this file. The application was processed in accordance with standard Committee of Adjustment procedures and applicable legislative requirements.
- At the January 13, 2026 Committee of Adjustment meeting, Mayor Smith was present and voted on other business. Her application was already filed and scheduled for the next meeting. No pecuniary interest declaration was recorded. Can Mayor Smith confirm whether she believed a declaration was required at that meeting, and if not, why not? This response is provided for factual clarification of the record.
This application was circulated on January 23, 2026, after the January 13, 2026 Committee of Adjustment meeting, at which time it was scheduled for consideration at the February 10, 2026 Committee of Adjustment meeting. A pecuniary interest declaration was submitted by Mayor Smith in relation to this application and is recorded in the Township’s registry in connection with the February 10, 2026 Committee of Adjustment meeting, at which the application was considered. I am not in a position to speak to Mayor Smith’s considerations at the January 13, 2026 meeting. 3. Mayor Smith was not present at the February 10, 2026 CoA meeting where her application was heard. Did she formally declare a pecuniary interest and recuse herself? If so, is that declaration recorded anywhere in the Township’s public registry? Yes. A pecuniary interest declaration was submitted in relation to this application and Mayor Smith did not participate in the February 10, 2026 Committee of Adjustment meeting at which the application was considered. The declaration is recorded in the Township’s public registry in accordance with the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.
- Ms. McKinnon is listed as both agent for the applicant on APPN-2025-0054 and as Secretary-Treasurer of the Committee of Adjustment. As SecretaryTreasurer, she would issue the Notice of Decision on an application she filed as agent. Can Ms. McKinnon explain how she managed this dual role? This response is provided for factual clarification. In relation to this application, I was authorized to act as agent for the applicant. To address any potential conflict of interest, I declared a pecuniary interest and did not participate in the administrative processing of the application in my capacity as Secretary-Treasurer. The Deputy Clerk assumed responsibility for issuing all required notices, including the Notice of Decision, and acted as Secretary-Treasurer for this file. The application was processed in accordance with standard Committee of Adjustment procedures and applicable legislative requirements.
- Ms. McKinnon’s job title appears differently across Township records — “Planning Coordinator,” “Secretary Treasurer,” and “Planning Services
Assistant” — and she does not appear on the Township’s Departments page. Can she confirm her current official title and her reporting relationship within the Township? This response is provided for factual clarification. I have been employed with the Township since December 2023. I was initially hired as a Clerical Assistant in the Treasury Department and subsequently transitioned into a planning support role as Planning and Development Services Assistant. As my responsibilities became focused on planning matters, my title was updated to Planning Services Assistant and later to Planning Coordinator to reflect the scope of my current role. In addition to my planning responsibilities, I serve as Secretary-Treasurer to the Committee of Adjustment in accordance with the Planning Act. My contact information can be found on the Township’s contact us page.
- Section 6.1 of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act requires municipalities to maintain a public registry of pecuniary interest declarations. NFNM was unable to locate such a registry on the Central Frontenac website. Does the Township maintain this registry? If so, where is it publicly accessible? The Township maintains a registry of pecuniary interest declarations in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act. The Township’s registry is available for public inspection at the Township office. Best regards,
Abby McKinnon, ACST Planning Coordinator / Secretary Treasurer Township Of Central Frontenac 613-279-2935 x 260 613-279-2422 amckinnon@centralfrontenac.com www.centralfrontenac.com 14216 Road 38, Sharbot Lake ON, K0H 2P0
