Waste Site Amnesty program altered

Jeff Green | Mar 13, 2019

Acting Public Works manager David Armstrong submitted a report on the waste amnesty program, a free trailer load of waste that applies to occupied properties in the township. After consulting with the waste site attendants, Armstrong recommended that instead of allowing the load to be brought to the waste site at any time between mid - May 24 and mid- September, as has been the case for several years, two weeks be designated instead. He recommended May 20-26 and August 26 – September 1st.

“The site attendants said that not knowing when the loads were coming sometimes resulted in several loads coming in while the sites were already very busy, leaving them unable to keep up. By choosing two weeks during the season we can put extra staffing on during those weeks to make things run more smoothly,” Armstrong said.

Councillor Tom Dewey said he did not agree with Armstrong’s analysis, and thought the system should remain as it has been. Councillor Nicki Gowdy agreed, saying that it is better for residents to be able to make use of their free load when it suits them, not the township.

Councillor Bill McDonald proposed an amendment. He said that a third week should be added in the early summer for the summer residents.

A vote on MacDonald’s amendment was approved as was the motion to restrict free loads to specific weeks. Dewey and Gowdy both voted against the motion. The dates for the third week will be determined by staff.

Hall Projects

Alan Revill, Acting Manager of Development Services, reported that the Piccadilly Hall renovation will be complete by the end of March, and after a clean up the building will re-open for community use.

“The building will be much brighter inside with the painted walls instead of the dark panelling so it will be a very bright space to enjoy,” he said.

The Piccadilly Hall project will be completed within the revised budget that was approved several weeks ago.

The next facility that will be addressed in the township will be the stairs in front of the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake. Revill said that some excavating work will need to be done before the exact scope of the project is determined and can be put to tender.

“The entrance will be closed when the project is underway and we will try to minimise the time that it takes to complete because the hall is used very often. The kitchen door will be used as the entrance while the stairs are being done,” he said.

The project was budgeted and the money will go over to the 2019 budget.

Calcium Chloride

A joint tender with Frontenac Islands resulted in the bid from Morris Chemical being selected to deliver and apply Calcium chloride on gravel roads in both townships this summer. The projected cost of calcium chloride will be within budget expectations.

Pavement Marking

A joint tender with all three of the other Frontenac townships resulted in a winning bid by Trillium Pavement Marking for just under $54,000 to Central Frontenac. This a marginal savings of $41 dollars as compared to the bid by the only other bidder, Provincial Pavement Marking.

New plows ordered in 2019 and 2020.

David Armstrong made a request that Council approve the purchase of new snowploughs in each of the next two years. Armstrong explained that the company that has been contracting to make the truck will not be able to deliver a tandem truck until March of 2020, after the end of the winter season next year. But the company has a truck available now that does not meet the specifications in the tender, but would serve the township in the 2019/2020 season and be useful in the future as well.

When it was explained that staff already had intended to seek funds for new trucks in subsequent years anyway, to bring the fleet up to standard, Council approved purchasing both trucks.

No love for train whistle opponent.

Donald LaFleur, a resident of Crow Lake, brought two familiar issues before Council, speed limits and the trains that whistle when they pass over the Crow Lake road.

His proposal regarding speed limits was for a 50 km an hour zone to be put in for one kilometre to the east and one kilometre to the west of the 40km/hr zone that is in place within the hamlet area of Crow Lake.

That proposal was referred to the public works staff for comment.

On the issue of the train whistle, which he has been brought to Council in the past without success, LaFleur prepared a comprehensive submission. He pointed out, for example, that even in cases where there have been fatalities at rail crossings where the whistle does not blow, the missing whistle is not cited as the reason and trains still pass over the crossing without whistling.

He also pointed out, as he had when he came to Council two years ago, that the township would not create any liability if it asked Transport Canada to consider causing CP Railway to cease the trains from whistling at Crow Lake.

“The township only makes the request, it is Transport Canada who then considers whether it is safe, and if any changes are necessary. They make the decision and take responsibility,” he said.

Council did not see it that way.

“We look at it as a safety issue,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

CP trains cross over road 38 at two locations where there are clusters of households nearby, in Parham and Tichborne. The train whistles at those crossings.

Council decided not to act on Mr. LaFleur’s request.