Lanark Highlands & Tay Valley Townships receive funding to embark on Waste Management Service Reviews

Each municipality will embark on a Waste Management Service Review with the intention of developing a Waste Management Master Plan, made possible as a result of the successful joint application by the municipalities for funding support from the Municipal Modernization Program. The province announced on June 30, 2021 that the project was approved for funding under the Ministry program in order to increase efficiency in waste management for residents of both Townships.

On January 26, 2021 the Honourable Minister Steve Clark noted that the Province of Ontario is investing $40 million dollars to help small and rural municipalities with service delivery reviews and modernization efforts. The initiative supports projects that help municipalities become more efficient with taxpayers' dollars, such as service reviews, implementing previous recommendations from service reviews, IT upgrades, or process improvements.

Lanark Highlands Reeve Peter McLaren states, “This funding received is very positive for both Tay Valley and Lanark Highlands. The joint application for the funding is motivating to be able to investigate the possible savings and efficiencies that would be benefited by the residents in both of the Townships.”

“We are excited to have been selected as a recipient of this funding stream,” Tay Valley Reeve Brian Campbell continues, “it will enable the municipalities to become more efficient and better serve the residents in how we handle waste management services for years to come.”

To develop the Master Plans, a third-party service delivery review will be conducted, involving data collection for 8 waste transfer stations and 2 active waste sites (in total between the two Townships), along with curb-side pickup programs and the Hazardous Waste facility. The Waste Management Service Delivery Review is needed in order to identify the best possible efficiencies available. Although the project is a joint venture, the final report will be specific to the waste management services of each township.

Timelines set out in the application start with a Request for Proposal period that will close at the end of August. It is anticipated that both Councils will award the project in early September. Once the third-party has been selected, there will be at least two months allocated to complete the required studies, data collection, public consultation, and reporting. The intent is to administer the cost saving measures in time for the 2022 municipal budget cycle.