Cf_council_sept12

Jeff Green | Sep 15, 2005

Home | Local Weather | Editorial Policy

Feature Article

. | Navigate | .

ArchiveImage GalleryAlgonquin Land Claims

Gray MerriamLegaleseGeneral information and opinion on legal topics by Rural Legal ServicesNature Reflectionsby Jean GriffinNight Skiesby Leo Enright

Transfer stations debated: Central Frontenac Council Report, September 12, 2005

by Jeff Green

In August, Central Frontenac Public Works Manager Bill Nicol asked Council to decide if two of its landfills that are nearing capacity should be closed when they are full, or if they should be turned into transfer stations.

Council formed an Ad Hoc Committee, including Councillors Snyder, Gutowski and Murray, to consider the matter. Their report back to this week’s Council meeting made three sets of recommendations, and was ultimately tabled by Council, but the main recommendations had widespread support.

The Arden site, which will be full within a couple of years, is located within a short enough drive from the dump at Mountain Grove that the expense was not seen as warranted by the committee.

The Elbow Lake site is different, according to the committee.

“Some residents in the south western portion of the township are already travelling approximately 40 minutes to reach the site at Elbow Lake. When the Wilkinson site closed last year residents were not provided with new or alternate locations or options for disposal of recycling or household waste. It was felt that asking them to consider travelling to one of the other sites would be viewed as unreasonable and unfair and that there may be a risk of additional illegal dumping,” said the committee’s report.

For that reason the committee recommends asking staff to investigate the purchase of a garbage truck to drive waste from Elbow Lake to the township site at Crow Lake, and to maintain the recycling bins at Elbow Lake.

Closing costs for the Elbow Lake site are $160,500. The township will be facing these costs whether it sets up a transfer station or not. It will cost an additional $125,000 to set up a transfer station, (including the cost of a garbage truck) and an additional $550 per week to operate a transfer station.

While the above recommendations caused no controversy at Council, a proposal by the committee to maintain the Arden site as a recycling site only on a temporary basis was contradicted by a recommendation from Bill Nicol, and by several Councillors as well.

While Councillor Logan Murray said that “many people generate a lot more recycling than garbage and would appreciate the convenience of a recycling center free of flies and the smell of rotting fish”, Councillor Frances Smith asked, “If you are going to close the site for dumping, why would you want to keep it open for recycling? Don’t people want to make one trip, with their garbage and their recycling?”

The committee also made four general recommendations concerning waste management within the township. Mayor Bill MacDonald said these recommendations were outside of the mandate set for the committee, which was to consider what should be done about the Arden and Elbow Lake sites.

The four recommendations include: Making bag tags available at local retailers, setting up depots within the township for drop off of paints and batteries to encourage appropriate disposal of such items; moving to a clear bag system to encourage recycling; and directing the Public works Manager to put out a Request for Proposal for garbage pickup within the township.

With the Public Works Manager was not in attendance to discuss various aspects of the report, Council voted to table it to a future meeting.

Later in the meeting, Council decided to hold a Special Council meeting devoted to waste management on October 4th at 7 pm.

No dogs, please, and that means pigs as well – In response to several complaints about dogs at township beaches, Council decided to direct staff to prepare a bylaw prohibiting them from public beaches. Certain beaches apparently already have no dog signs, but they are not supported by a bylaw.

“Should we say ‘No Dogs’, or should we make it ‘No Animals’,” asked Mayor MacDonald. “There have been complaints in places about pigs, pet pigs I mean, and even about miniature ponies.”

A bylaw will be prepared prohibiting domestic animals from public beaches in Central Frontenac.

Oso Hall roof replacement – There was no response to a tender call by the township for the replacement of the leaky roof at the Oso Hall. Staff requested that Council allow them to directly solicit two quotes for the roofing job. Council agreed.

Kudos to swim program instructors – Council received a report from summer swim program instructors Aleris Cronk and Julia Kent. Attendance at the swim programs, offered at four locations, was 105 this year, up from 80 in 2004.

“The instructors did a first rate job this year; they are responsible for the improved numbers,” said Councillor Murray.

Winter Sand tender – Nedow Construction supplied the lowest bid in tendering for winter sand. Five hundred cubic yards will be supplied to two sites, the Godfrey and Olden Garages, at a total cost of $75,000.

Speed limit on Price Road – Councillor Nicolson told Council there is interest among residents in establishing a 40 km hour speed limit on the Price Road at Big Clear Lake and to the East past the Circle Square Ranch. Clerk/Administrator Heather Fox will look into the requirements for establishing such speed limits on rural roads.

Building boom continues – Even though the number of building permits issued in August, 18, was lower than the 24 issued in August of 2004, and 25 in August of 2003, the construction value of $750,000 for those permits far outstripped either year, pushing the year-to-date construction value to $6,247,000, a whopping increase of $2,300,000 over the same period last year.

Permits for 36 new residential units have been taken out so far this year, as opposed to 35 for the same period in 2004 and 21 in 2003.