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Five public members appointed to new waste steering committee

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In Simcoe County
Nov 18th, 2009
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By Kate Harries WaterWatch
The four members of Simcoe County Council’s waste management subcommittee went into closed session with staff first thing this morning.
After an hour-long in-camera meeting, chair Phil Sled (Severn) and committee members Doug Little (Adjala-Tosorontio), Gord Wauchope (Innisifil) and Warden Tony Guergis (Springwater) came out to announce the public appointees to the new waste management strategy steering committee.
Three people have been appointed as at-large representatives: Mark Guthrie of Clearview who works for Ainley and Associates in Collingwood, John Nychuk, vice president of the Tiny Trails Lions Club and Nickolas Rowe of Medonte, a retired family counsellor.
Contacted later by phone, Guthrie said he applied to be a member because he wanted “to make a difference.”
He rejected the idea that his work for a consultant firm that does business with Simcoe County does not make him a typical representative of the public.
He said he applied as a private person. “There’s no bread coming onto my table” from the county, he said, adding that his work for Ainley is mainly in waste water and water treatment and he has no direct involvement in county work.
Guthrie said he doesn’t believe the garbage stream can be reduced to zero. “There’s always going to be residuals,” he said, adding however that “I have to compliment those people who spoke up on Site 41 and did what they had to do.”
Rowe also said in a telephone interview he was “delighted” that people stopped Dump Site 41. He said he wants to see what he can do “for the great cause of the day,” namelt dealing with the waste crisis.
Gordon McKay, a Midland councillor, is the member on behalf of Zero Waste Simcoe and Mary Munnoch is the representative of the Adjala-Tosorontio Ratepayers Association.
Munnoch is the only woman on the committee, something that a group of SDS41 observers felt is at odds with the key role women played this summer in protecting the water and stopping Dump Site 41.
It was also noted that there appears to be no representative of the agricultural community despite a statement of support for the idea at the last corporate services committee meeting from chair Doug Little.
The subcommittee passed a resolution agreeing to appoint whoever was recommended by Guergis as the First Nations representative. Guergis said afterwards that this is because negotiations are ongoing. He said the county has also been in touch with Barrie and Orillia to suggest that they appoint a councilor rather than a staff person.
“This is a political committee,” he said, its members expected to provide direction rather than solve technical problems.
Subcommittee members, who are also member of the news committee also passed the terms of reference for the new committee. One requirement is that at least three of the Simcoe County elected members be present in order for there to be a quorum.
The Barrie, Orillia and First Nations representatives will be non-voting members, as will the federal and provincial representatives (neither level of government has yet responded to Simcoe County’s invitation.)
The committee will elect a chair and vice-chair at its first meeting, set for Wednesday 25 November at 9 a.m. at the Midhurst administration building.

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