The following are brief reports of items discussed at the Feb. 15 meeting of Algonquin Highlands council.
Councillors unanimously voted to up the rate of pay for firefighters in Algonquin Highlands after a report from fire chief Mike Cavanagh recommended the increased compensation.
Currently firefighters are paid on an hourly basis at a rate of $17/hour for emergency calls and two hours of training.
A wage review that compared wages with fire services in neighbouring Minden Hills Dysart et al Lake of Bays Trent Lakes and North Kawartha. A report by Cavanagh to council said wages ranged from $17 per hour to $25.45 per hour with the average being $19.42. He recommended increasing the wage to $18 in 2018 and $19.42 (plus cost of living allowance) in 2019.
“Once these increases are complete we should be in step with our neighbours” wrote Cavanagh in the report.
He also recommended that practical training night hours be increased from two to three hours to allow for set up and clean up. Theory nights would remain at two hours.
“This year's budget increase is able to be accounted for in the budget as presented as there was a drop in call volume last year” wrote Cavanagh.
Hawk Lake landfill on last legs
Cambrium Inc. after reviewing the Hawk Lake landfill recommends the waste disposal site has a remaining site life of approximately four years.
Cambrium Inc. conducted an annual monitoring report required by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC).
“The volume of waste and cover material disposed at the Hawk Lake waste disposal site in 2017 was calculated to be 400 cubic metres” reads the report. “This resulted in a remaining site capacity of 1680 cubic metres and a remaining site life of approximately four years.”
According to the summary almost 75 tonnes of blue box materials were diverted from the waste disposal site last year.
Familiar firefighters resign
Chris Keene has retired as a member of Station 60 and Adam Thorn has resigned as a member of Station 80.
Soccer in Stanhope
Registration for youth soccer this year takes place on Tuesday March 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday March 24 from 10 to noon at the Stanhope Firefighters' Community Hall.
