Mackavoy landfill Sunday hours to change again

Craig Bakay | May 02, 2018

Addington Highlands Council has spent a lot of time talking about dump hours this year and Tuesday’s regular meeting in Flinton just added to that near-record total.

The latest debate centred on the Mackavoy site, with roads/bridges supervisor Brett Reavie looking for direction from Council.

After Council revamped hours at its landfills, in a move to keep attendants from having to work after dark in facilities without lights and power, a group from Ashley Lake requested a return to the 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Sunday summer hours from the rescheduled 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Most people seem to like the new hours but I don’t know how you’re going to please everybody,” said Coun. Bill Cox. “(But) the hours have to work for the employees as well.”

“Only 50 per cent of 84 cottagers want it open until 8,” said Dep. Mayor Helen Yanch. “Our township is so diverse.

“We try to accommodate each of the areas.”

“We try to make people happy,” said Mayor Henry Hogg. “I’ve been dealing with cottagers 40 years and after Labour Day, they’ll be up once between then and Thanksgiving.

“Beyond Labour Day, I don’t think it will be an issue.”

“We’ve gone through this hours thing so many times,” said Cox.

In the end, Council decided that Sunday hours at Mackavoy would be 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. from July 1 to Sept. 15.

Council passed the 2018 Township budget with a 2.46 per cent increase over last year. The impact to ratepayers is $13.91 for every $100,000 of assessment.

The compiled operating and capital budgets show an estimated aggregate expenditures and transfers totaling $8,632,695.37, pre-levy revenues of $3,810,556.07 plus an OMPF grant of $2,040,300 leaving $2.781,829.30 to be raised by taxation. (Editors note: While the townships own budget calculations derived a 1.46% increase, the increase in the levy to ratepayers, the total amount to be raised by taxation, is up over 5%. It was $2.37 million in 2017)

Roads/bridges supervisor Brett Reavie reported that his department is continuing to remove dead and dangerous trees and “we’re continuing grading as conditions permit — in between snow-storms and rain-storms.”

He said “most” of the roads in the Denbigh area have “been gone over at least once.”

Council approved a request to use the gymnasium at the Addington Highlands Community Centre in Denbigh free of charge on Thursday afternoons for ‘pickleball.’

“What the hell is pickleball?” asked Coun. Bill Cox.

“It’s a lighter ball they use with a net and paddles for seniors,” said Coun. Kirby Thompson. “I don’t know why they call it that but they’ve been doing it for awhile.”

“It’s like a whiffle ball with holes in it that they hit with paddles,” said roads/bridges supervisor Brett Reavie.

All five members of Addington Highlands Council received their papers to file for re-election with their council package this week.

Only one has filled them out and returned them — Mayor Henry Hogg. (See article on page 1)

When Clerk Christine Reed reported that the persons who did lawn maintenance in Ward 1 wouldn’t be returning and the job would have to be advertised for tender, the rest of Council was quick to suggest that it would be a good job for Coun. Kirby Thompson.

“But it would be a conflict of interest for me,” he said.

“You can volunteer without it being a conflict,” said Reed.

“It could be an election expense,” said Mayor Henry Hogg.