Committee to mull BIA request for recycling pick-up

Town council last night referred a request from the Downtown Scott Street Business Improvement Association for recycling pick-up to the Operations and Facilities executive committee for its recommendation.
“In the Downtown BIA, we have 53 different buildings housing over 84 businesses/offices creating recyclable waste,” BIA chair Russ Ling wrote in a letter received by council.
“Now, consider that most of this recyclable waste is presently being disposed of in our local landfill,” he added.
“After polling all 84 businesses, the replies received were all in agreement with supporting a recycling plan for the downtown,” Ling noted. “Our board agrees with the membership and feel that the BIA and the town could work together in helping our downtown get ‘green.’”
Ling said roughly 80 percent of office waste is paper, and of that, 70 percent is not recycled. And yet, Ontario municipalities are requested to divert more than 60 percent of their waste from landfills to recycling.
A local solution would be alleyside pick-up once a week to all businesses located within the BIA (the 100-300 blocks of Scott Street).
“The BIA accepts the fact that we are a major contributor to the tax base and wish to help with the growing garbage problem,” wrote Ling.
“If approved, we will do our part by including recycling in our early budget and by purchasing recycling receptacles downtown to encourage use.
“We will also provide all of our businesses with recycling tips and a waste reduction plan that will help the whole community,” Ling pledged.
“We understand that the municipality receives compensation for any residential recycling, but not business recycling,” he noted. “However, we feel the cost to provide the pick-up service to us will far outweigh the cost to the local landfill.”
Also at last night’s meeting, town council:
•awarded a tender for the supply of a 2008 Caterpillar Model 930H front-end loader to Toromont of Thunder Bay at a net cost of $136,275.89 (GST not included);
•approved travel expenses for Coun. Andrew Hallikas in the amount of $600 (this was for attendance at the Rainy River District Municipal Association annual general meeting held Jan. 26 in Rainy River and the Ontario Library Association Super Conference held Jan. 30-Feb. 2);
•approved travel expense for Coun. Sharon Tibbs in the amount of $120 (this was for attendance at the RRDMA meeting on Jan. 26);
•authorized an amended 2007 child care service contract with DSSAB;
•agreed that a letter be written to Crystal Morrison regarding a taxation dispute at 1026 Scott St. (the letter would outline assessment reduction options that may be assessable);
•received a memo from the Police Services Board recommending the issue of downtown surveillance cameras be dropped by council as the board finds it no longer relevant;
•agreed to a request from the Canadian Red Cross (Dryden and District Branch) to proclaim March as “Red Cross Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•agreed to a request from the Kidney Foundation of Canada to proclaim March as “Kidney Health Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•referred a resolution from the Police Services Board regarding bylaw enforcement and the OPP to the Planning and Development executive committee for its recommendation;
•agreed to support a NOMA resolution regarding a Northwestern Ontario Immigration Portal application from the City of Thunder Bay;
•referred a request for financial support from the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•referred a request for financial support from the Rainy River District Music Festival Association’s 68th Festival of the Performing Arts to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•passed a bylaw to repeal a lease financing agreement for a telephone system at Public Works and upgrades to the voicemail system at the Civic Centre (the town has optioned to purchase instead);
•passed a bylaw to approve certain service maintenance agreements;
•passed a bylaw to authorize a merchant agreement for a Visa, Mastercard, and debit card payment system at various Fort Frances municipal service locations;
•passed a bylaw to approve a contract with Lakeside Process Controls Ltd. for support services at the wastewater and water treatment plants;
•received an invitation to attend a “Path of the Voyageur” planning committee meeting on Feb. 21 (Coun. Tibbs will attend); and
•referred an invitation from the Kenora-Rainy River Domestic Violence Co-ordinating Committee to attend a presentation on March 11-12 in Kenora to the Police Services Board.