CommunityCouncil

ERSB willing to talk over the fence with Harbour Grace

By Mark Squibb

Harbour Grace councillor Brendan Chafe said he’s disheartened that the Eastern Regional Service Board (ERSB) has denied the Town’s request to fence in the dump site, and he wants to pursue the matter further.
Chafe broached the subject during last week’s public council meeting.
“Because of the cost of a fence to go around the property, they’re not going to be putting a fence up there,” said Chafe. “Now, I do have some reservations and some concerns about this. Our (drinking water) reservoir is Bannerman Lake. Lady Lake runs into Bannerman Lake and if you were to walk down towards the top of Lady Lake, it’s full of debris and garbage from our prevailing winds blowing it towards our reservoir.”
Chafe then moved a motion asking the Town Manager to set up a meeting with the ERSB to review the request once again and see if there might not be some government money available for the $57,000 project.
“To me, this is not a favourable answer for the Town,” said Chafe.
Councillor Randy Wrice seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
In an interview this week, meanwhile, ERSB Chairman Steve Tessier said the cost of installing a fence around the property was just too prohibitive.
Tessier, who said the board has recently worked with the Town to curb illegal dumping along the dump road and are currently in the process of installing a camera system at their own cost, said that berms, along with the natural tree line, should prevent garbage from blowing into the nearby lake.
He added that most garbage brought to the site is in the form of heavy bulk items.
“It’s fridges and stoves and washers and dryers and box spring mattresses and shingles off of roofs,” said Tessier. “So, it would have to be a pretty significant wind to blow that as far as Lady Lake.”
And although the Board has denied the request, Tessier said he’ll gladly meet with the Town to discuss the matter further.
“We’ve had a great relationship with the Town of Harbour Grace, and we’re willing to talk with them about anything really,” said Tessier. “My door is always open. We did partner on a gate system last fall, and they had asked to put another gate further on out towards the main highway and we partnered with them on that. We paid to get the gate made and they paid to get it installed. So, I’m open to a partnership if they want to chat absolutely. But, again, we have to be conscious and so does the Town of Harbour Grace, of taxpayers’ dollars. To put up a fairly expensive fence, I don’t know if that’s in the cards for either one of us, but it’s always up for discussion.”

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