Referendum On Curbside Pickup In Central Frontenac?
The agenda was light and the open meeting was short, for members of Central Frontenac Council on November 11, but a proposal aimed at facilitating a township-wide referendum on whether to establish a garbage pickup system, picked up some momentum.
Council had directed staff to report back on the logistics of costing a garbage and recycling pick-up system at their previous meeting.
Staff came back with a preliminary report that outlined a number of steps that need to be taken in order to put a curbside pickup system in place.
The list is long, including looking at household density, either to service all properties in the same way or through group receptacles in some cases, collection frequency, service delivery by township staff or an outside contractor, equipment costs, all operational cost, environmental regulations, and more.
Given other constraints on staff time, the report to Council, prepared by Amanda Fellows and Lance Gowdy, concluded that Staff is not currently in a position to provide a final report on the costs implications that Council is looking for.
“Presenting incomplete or preliminary data at this stage would not provide Council with the accurate information required for informed decision-making,” said a report to Council prepared by the public works department.
Citing some of the pressing issues before the public works department, “including 2026 budget preparation, planning for the new sand dome, and the year-end review of non-eligible funding sources” staff proposed bringing back a report on costs for May 1, 2026..
Councillor Nicki Gowdy said May 1st would be too late if Council wants to put the question to the public, as part of the 2026 municipal election next fall.
“I believe we have to approve a question by the beginning of March, to be included in the 2026 election as a referendum question," said Gowdy. “In that case we need to amend this, so we hear back from staff in early February,” she said.
Councillor Duncan McGregor, who brought the matter forward in the first place, as a way of satisfying a demand from the public that was brought to his attention during the 2022 election campaign, said that it is not necessary to have all the details worked out by the beginning of February.
“All we need to know is enough for us to put a question on the ballot next fall,” he said.
“I think if we are going to propose this, it needs to be a service that will be provided to all residents, not just those living in the villages,” said Councillor Susan Irwin. “We do need to know Council directed staff to report back on the feasibility and cost of curbside pickup by the meeting scheduled for February 10, 2026.
October Construction Report
A strong October, with permits for $2.5 million in construction value being sold, has improved the 2025 construction year in Central Frontenac.
The yearly total is still only 60% of the total from 2024 at this point in the year, $11 million as compared to $18 million. But last year was a bumper year. When compared to 2023, the total this year is comparable. At the end of October in 2023, the total was $12.5 million..
And in terms of housing starts, there have been 28 so far in 2025, the same as the first ten months of 2023, and only two behind the total last year.
The township has collected $211,000 in permit fees this year.
Election Voting System
Council accepted a staff recommendation to join with the other Frontenac municipalities in a combined tender for an electronic/telephone voting system for the 2026 municipal election, the same system that has been in place for the past three elections. ■
