No takers for Eastern Waste board

By Craig Westcott/October 21, 2021

He did nearly everything but beg, but Mayor Dan Coombs could not find a volunteer on Harbour Grace council Monday night who appeared willing to serve as the town’s representative on the Eastern Waste Management Board.

Coombs noted the provincial government agency, which directs how garbage is collected and disposed of throughout the Avalon peninsula, is calling for nominations for its board of directors and that provides an opportunity for the town. 

“It’s very important to me and to you and the citizens of Harbour Grace, because we have one of their facilities in our town,” said the mayor. “And I think that with it being in our town, we get a lot of drop-offs that are maybe not being dropped off in a proper way and it gets stuck in our town. And for people who own land in that area, I feel for them. Their properties are dirty and everything else. So, I would really like to see a councilor offer himself to sit for nomination on that board… With that site being in Harbour Grace, I think it’s imperative that we offer somebody to it.”

Coombs outlined some of the other concerns about the site, including its operating hours, restrictions on the number of loads that residents are allowed to deposit, and so on.

“I think the only way we can get it addressed is to have a voice at the table,” he argued. “Is there anybody who wishes to put their name forward for that?”

Coombs’ request was met with 10 seconds of silence as nobody responded.

“We have until October 29,” he pointed out and asked again that if anyone is interested to contact Town Clerk Amy Parsons. “Give it some time to think about it,” Coombs added. “I say it again, I think it’s imperative that the Town of Harbour Grace have somebody sitting on that committee.”