|
Kincardine council dumps solid waste management proposal By Liz Dadson |
Kincardine council To Comment on this article Click Here |
||||
|
Residents of Kincardine will continue to receive 26 "free" bag tags each year, and the Ward 3 landfill site will remain open. That means the major portion of the proposed solid waste management "user pay system" was dumped at last night's council meeting (Oct. 5). The proposal came to council Sept. 7, recommending the following:
These changes would provide enough funds to cover all the operating and capital expenses for the new waste management centre, slated for Ward 2 (former Kincardine Township) at Armow, over a seven-year period (2012-2018), plus contribute more than $1-million to a reserve. Last night, in committee-of-the-whole, council managed to agree with everything in the proposal except getting rid of "free" bag tags and laying up the Ward 3 landfill site. Councillor Randy Roppel (Ward 3) said discontinuing the "free" bag tags and then charging up to $3.50 per tag was not a good idea. "We should leave the 26 in place because people think they're getting something for their taxes," he said. As for the Ward 3 landfill, he said it is still a useful site and closer for the people at the north end of the municipality. Plus, there would be no cost-savings because the employee wages would be paid if they were working at the Ward 3 or Ward 2 landfill. Public works manager Jim O'Rourke clarified that the bag tags would increase to $3.50 from the current $2 charge over a seven-year period. And the financial cost of the Ward 3 landfill was a minor consideration. "Our efforts are focused on getting people to reduce, reuse and recycle," said O'Rourke. "At the Ward 3 site, everything is just dumped in a hole." "There are still (recycling) bins there for people to use," argued Roppel, "so the opportunity is there for people to recycle. When you increase a fee, it's a tax, plain and simple." Councillor Candy Hewitt asked what the life expectancy is of the Ward 3 site, and why it's being closed. "We're not closing it," said O'Rourke. "We could open it back up if we needed it. We would never give up that operating licence. If we went with the Ward 3 site only, the capacity would be 35-40 years." As for bag tags, Hewitt said council is splitting hairs on removing the "free" tags. "It's one real thing the taxpayer can hold in his hand and say 'I got something for my taxes'." Councillor Ron Coristine said a municipality did an experiment in which it picked up bags of garbage early in the morning before the garbage truck arrived, and went through the contents to see how much was recyclable. The municipality then educated one neighbourhood about what could be recycled. Weeks later, it picked up bags of garbage again and found that the one that had been educated had no recyclables in the garbage bags. "We have to give people a chance to change their behaviour about recycled material, composters and green cones," he said. "In a municipality that desperately needs affordable housing, there's also a need for affordable garbage pick-up." Deputy mayor Anne Eadie said that some municipalities have gone with clear bags so garbage collectors can see if there is recyclable material in the bag and not pick it up. "It certainly encourages people to recycle more," she said.
|
Paul Bennett, a resident of Ward 3, asked for permission to speak to the issue, and council agreed. He said the municipality has supported a landfill in the former Bruce Township for years. For him to travel to the new waste centre at Armow is an hour round-trip. Also, the Ward 3 landfill takes materials, such as wire, wood and metal, that would otherwise be dumped at the back of farmers' fields. Councillor Maureen Couture disagreed with Bennett's remarks and okayed mothballing the Ward 3 site. "Ward 1 (former Town of Kincardine) is a half-hour round-trip to Armow." However, she was fine with keeping the 26 "free" bag tags, and said it's important to educate people about recycling. Councillor Jacqueline Faubert agreed, saying that in most households, people start to cut back on their garbage, and are more careful about recycling, when they see the number of tags dwindling. She okayed the increase in the fee for the bag tags. "There's no such thing as 'free' bag tags," argued councillor Kenneth Craig. "Our landfill site is a precious space and must be used wisely. We need to encourage people to recycle. I'm sure we have some seasonal residents who don't even use all the 26 'free' tags they receive each year." "We should leave the 'free' bag tags alone," said councillor Mike Leggett. "It's poor timing. And unless there is huge cost-savings to be had, leave the Ward 3 landfill site open." Mayor Larry Kraemer said the municipality should leave the 'free' bag tags in place, but lay up the Ward 3 landfill. "The average person would go the landfill once or twice per year," he said. When asked about the hours of the new waste centre, O'Rourke said the plan is to have it open five-and-a-half days per week. "The Certificate of Approval states 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday," he said. "If we were want evening hours, we would have to amend that certificate." In the final analysis, the proposal to lay up the Ward 3 landfill site was defeated by a vote of 5-4; and discontinuing the 26 "free" bag tags per year was defeated by a vote of 8-1. The increased tipping fee, to $95/tonne, was okayed. This amended proposal is to be considered by council at its Oct. 19 meeting. Scrolling stops when you move your mouse inside the scroll area. You can click on the ads for more
|
||||
|
 for
world news,
books, sports, movies ...Wednesday, October 05, 2011 |
