Amnesty loads OK’d for 2021 at Central Frontenac waste sites.

Craig Bakay | Mar 17, 2021

The annual tradition of being able to take one free load of garbage to the dump in Central Frontenac will continue this year, Council decided at its regular (online) meeting Tuesday.

The ad hoc Waste and Recycling Committee concluded that it was “too late in the year” to cancel the long-running program.

The committee was set up at the Jan. 12 Council meeting to review the amnesty policy and solicited email comments from the public.

“In total, the committee received 27 emails, the majority of which were to keep the amnesty program in place,” said the committee report. “Along with these recommendations were quite a few suggestions on how to better manage waste diversion and ways to improve the landfill site operations.”

The report also said that while the program is running this year, a “comprehensive analysis of material brought into the landfill sites during amnesty load scheduled dates will be conducted, as well as ongoing research throughout the year.”

Public Works Manager Tyson Myers asked Council to continue the committee because there are “tons of waste and recycling things to look at” and the committee would return to Council with a report and recommendations in December.

“It makes good sense to me,” said Mayor Frances Smith.

Budget passed

Council passed its 2021 budget which will result in a $4 per $100,000 of assessment tax increase for landowners but it wasn’t without opposition.

Coun. Nicki Gowdy asked for a recorded vote, saying: “there’s no meat in it.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to raise taxes even more next year (and) I don’t think it’s equitable.”

Coun. Brent Cameron, although he voted for the budget, echoed Gowdy’s concerns saying that the Wilkinson area of Hinchinbrooke Ward needed work.

“I’m hoping we can build a game plan,” Cameron said.

For the record, Coun. Elwin Burke, Nicki Gowdy and Cindy Kelsey voted against the budget.

Summer camps

CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn reported that in the weekly telephone conference with Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore, Moore indicated that summer camps for kids and such might be doable in Central Frontenac in July and August.

“He said that probably by that time we’d probably be one of the first communities to have all our residents vaccinated,” she said. “He also said there were five cases of variants in our area but they’re on it.”

Serenity not necessarily easy

Mayor Frances Smith took a shine to the new name of “Serenity Pines Lane,” saying “everybody will want to live there.”

To which Coun. Bill MacDonald quipped: “It’s not as good as Easy Street in Verona.”

Old school snow

Public Works Manager Tyson Myers reported that the snow being removed from snowbanks around the Township was being taken to “the old school in Parham.”

For Sale

And speaking of the former Hinchinbrooke Public School, Coun. Elwin Burke reiterated his concerns about what was to be done with it.

To which, Mayor Frances Smith replied: “what would you do with it?”

“I’d put a For Sale sign on it and get rid of it,” Burke said.

CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn said there will be a report coming in April with recommendations for the school and some other properties as well.

Tandem truck

Council approved the purchase of a new tandem snow plow truck in the amount of $263,431 plus HST.

Joint Station

Council approved pairing with South Frontenac to apply for funding that would study the feasibility of a joint station location and fleet.