Central Frontenac Council – Feb 8/11

Jeff Green | Feb 10, 2011

Central and South Frontenac townships are both coming into the modern age when it comes to waste management.

Both townships have held committee meetings over the past couple of years to design new processes for dealing with different streams of materials, from glass and plastic, to tires, electronic and hazardous waste, and household garbage.

Waste Diversion Ontario, which supplies rebates to municipalities based on the amount of recycled materials they collect as compared to the amount that ends up in landfill, has required that a “waste cycling strategy” be developed. Mark Segsworth, the Public Works Manager in South Frontenac, and Mike Richardson, who holds the same job in Central Frontenac, have both taken this requirement as the catalyst for revamping and modernizing the entire waste management systems in their townships.

Segsworth will be releasing his draft plan next week, and Mike Richardson presented his to Central Frontenac Council on Tuesday.

Richardson’s 40-page report, which takes as its starting the 16 recommendations from a Waste Management task force that completed its work in 2007, will be considered by members of council over the next two weeks.

“I know that some of these measures are going to be controversial,” said Mike Richardson. “Waste issues often are, so I want members of council to read the recommendations and send me their comments. If there are parts of the new waste management bylaw that council cannot agree on, I don’t think that should stop us from making those changes that council can accept now. At least that way we will have a current bylaw.”

Among the measures that are not likely to cause much disagreement are proposals to have the township accept household appliances, including fridges with freon still intact, at no charge.

The most controversial aspect of the plan is the recommendation that clear bags, with the township name on them, be sold to residents in place of the bag tags that are currently for sale. If implemented, this would mean that all waste in the township would have to be brought to the waste sties in clear bags, and waste attendants would refuse to allow any materials that can be diverted from the waste stream to go into landfill.

Proposed tipping fees include $1 for a 30” by 38” clear bag, and $2 for a 38” by 50” bag.

Before making any final decisions about changes to waste management, the township is seeking public opinion. A simple survey has been prepared by Golde and Associates, the township’s waste management consultant. The survey will be available on the township website late this week, and for News readers living in Central Frontenac, a copy of the survey has been inserted into this newspaper. Residents are asked to complete the survey and return it to the township office.

Mike Richardson’s complete report is available on the township website as well.

Budget process under way: Council looked at some preliminary numbers for the Information Technology, corporate and financial services, council, and recreation budgets at their meeting this week.

Treasurer Judy Gray, attending her final meeting before her retirement at the end of the week, again warned council that they will be facing a shortfall because of a cut in the Ontario Municipal Partnership Funding that the township receives from the province, and the fact that the township’s reserve funds have been depleted.

The recreation capital budgets include requests for improvements to facilities in each of the four districts as recommended by members of the four district recreation committees. Included in the request for new money are totals for spending that was included in last year’s budget but was never done by the committees.

“We wanted to show a commitment to projects over a long term, even if they cannot be completed in one year,” said township CAO John Duchene.

“Have those budgeted funds been held over in a reserve fund?” asked Councilor Frances Smith.

“Not this year,” said Judy Gray, “because our overall spending was higher than we budgeted, so we ran a deficit.”

“So it’s not real money,” said Smith.

In total, the District 1 (Kennebec) Rec. committee proposes $32,700 in spending, $2,600 of which is left over from uncompleted 2010 projects. The largest part of that request is $20,000 for the playground at the Arden ball field to be replaced. $6,200 is also requested for repairs to the Henderson Hall.

In District 2 (Olden) $41,500 is being requested, including $11,700 that was budgeted but not spent last year, and $5,000 from District 2 Recreation reserve funds. The largest project being contemplated is the construction of a new ball field near the Mountain Grove Fire Hall at a cost of $32,000.

In Ward 3 (Oso) $30,500 is being requested, including $7,350 in unspent funds from last year. Some large projects are included: $7,000 for a wood stove and chimney at the Crow Lake Hall, $6,000 for docks at the Sharbot Lake beach, and $9,000 for painting and refinishing the floors of the Oso Hall

The District 4 (Hinchinbrooke) request is the largest at $64,300. Of that, $4019 was budgeted last year but not spent, and $5,000 is slated to be drawn from District 4 Recreation reserve funds. The largest part of the funding request is for improvements to the Parham Fairgrounds and ball field: $25,000 for a new canteen/washrooms, $14,000 to enlarge the existing playground, and $6,000 for new bleachers.