ELORA – Business owners worried about a new garbage pilot project proposed in downtown Elora can breathe a sigh of relief.
Approved at a council meeting Monday evening, Centre Wellington councillors have decided to follow staff recommendations and proceed with a tourism washroom project on East Mill Street without a recently proposed garbage pilot project after business owners asked for another location to be considered at an Elora BIA meeting earlier in the month.
The pilot proposed installing Molok containers behind the new public washroom facility planned next to the Tourism Information Centre building to address issues with the volume and lack of storage for garbage and recycling in downtown Elora and Fergus.
A report on the project update said the consensus was that Moloks are "a good option for the commercial downtown area," but finding township-owned property where they can be installed is "challenging" due to the amount of underground infrastructure under township-owned property.
Staff were also directed to work with the Elora and Fergus BIA's and discuss downtown garbage with the Wellington County Solid Waste Department for possible solutions and participation as part of the 2025 Business Plan for the township.
"The township is on board to help support local residents and businesses toward a solution for the challenges of the downtown garbage, however Wellington County Solid Waste will need to take a leading role in providing options," said staff in the report.
While supportive of staff recommendations, Coun. Kim Jefferson asked for recycling to be a part of the downtown garbage conversation considering the producer pay transition.
"We know that (recycling is) going to become an issue for the businesses in the downtown cores as well," said Jefferson. "And if we can start looking at more environmental solutions for organic waste, and working with different innovations...we can open up the channels of communication for the businesses and the BIA is as well so that...we can curb our garbage situation and be more proactive, instead of reactive with it."
Kat Florence, the project donor, supports staff recommendations to return to the original design and build the public washrooms. Staff said the donor has committed to helping with the garbage problem as much as they are able and willing to.
Construction of the washrooms is anticipated to begin in January 2025.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
