Ah_council_09-14

Jeff Green | Apr 09, 2009

Clear bags to come Aug. 1 – A plan to replace bag tags with clear bags that contain the township logo has been approved by Addington Highlands Council. Clear bags will be available from the township for $2 each, to be sold in the same way that bag tags are currently sold.

“If you open up 10 bags of garbage and look at what's in them, you still find over half of the volume is made up of recyclable material,” said Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath.

This is the case, even though Addington Highlands has a relatively aggressive incentive system in place to encourage recycling. Bag tags cost $2 each in the township, but not only is recycling free; a free bag tag is given for each bag of recycling. Effectively, any ratepayer who recycles 50% of the material they bring to the dump enjoys free dumping. The provincial target for recycling is 60%.

The clear bag will allow the township to audit what goes into the dump, and potentially refuse bags that contain recyclable material that can be diverted from entering the waste stream.

As of August 1, only clear bags will be accepted at township dumps; however people will have the option, for a time, of using clear bags they have purchased themselves so long as a bag tag is affixed to it. The township will also exchange bag tags for clear bags. Within the next year or so bag tags will be phased out.

Later in the meeting, Council received a report from Rosenblath concerning recycling totals for the past two years. It showed that after an initial increase in recycling, due in part to the recycling incentives put in place a few years ago, totals have settled at about 130 tons per year in the township.

In 2008, 48.6 tons of tin/plastic/aluminium, 10.4 tons of mixed glass, and 73.3 tons of fibres, for a total of 132 tons were recycled. The total for 2007 was 130.5 tons.

The clear bag system will be in place at all township dump sites, including the Cloyne waste transfer station, which is operated by North Frontenac Township. North Frontenac is instituting clear bags in May. (Note: The Cloyne site will be open from 10 am - 6pm on Sundays this summer, instead of 9am -1 pm as it was last year. Summer dump hours for all locations are posted on the townships’ websites.)

Despite procedural bylaw, June 14-20 declared Pine Meadow golf week – Len Tufford from the Pine Meadow Classic Golf Tournament, accompanied by Nancy Potyok, requested that council declare June 14-20 Pine Meadow Golf week, as part of increased promotion for the Pine Meadow Golf Tournament, which will take place on June 20 this year at Hunter's Creek. The tournament has grossed over $100,000 in its eight-year history, most of it from sponsorships from up to 35 local businesses each year, and in the past 5 years has netted over $12,000 each year, which has been spent on special needs at the 60-bed home.

The Pine Meadow Golf Week concept will have a commercial element, as the sponsoring businesses will put on special promotions that week. Len Tufford told council that the Pine Meadow Committee hopes the public will show their support for the businesses and the home by doing a little more local shopping from June 14 to 20.

Before council could vote on a motion to endorse the golf committee's proposal, Clerk Jack Pauhl pointed out that the township’s procedural bylaw precludes accepting requests from the public to name days, weeks or months; however, it is able to entertain requests directly from council members. Deputy Reeve Helen Yanch made a motion that June 14-20 be named Pine Meadow Golf Week and that motion was approved.

In his presentation, Len Tufford let it be known that the 9th Pine Meadow tournament will feature the permanent naming of the winner's trophy as the Bill Salmond trophy.

Bill Salmond was the Addington Highands deputy fire chief who lost his life in July 2007. He had a long-term association with both Pine Meadow and Hunter’s Creek. (There will be more on this in the coming months)

OPP report – Inspector Pat Finnegan from the Napanee OPP made a presentation concerning activities of the Kaladar detachment in the first two months of the year. He reported that things have been quiet in the township so far this year, with only one or two property crimes per month. At the beginning of his presentation, council went into a 30-minute closed session to discuss a recent traffic fatality, with the OPP, Fire Chief Casey Cuddy and Roads Superintendent Royce Rosenblath remaining in the room.

Budget almost set – Reeve Henry Hogg reports that the township is waiting for some final information before completing their budget for 2009, which will be approved in early May. The township portion of the budget levy will remain about the same in 2009 as it was in 2008, but there will likely be a small increase in the overall levy due to an increase in county taxes.