Bashing trash

Roni Smith (L) rallies her Trash Bash crew on Swamp College Road. The crew (L-R): Smith, Cassandra Elliott, Chad Elliott, Felicia Elliott and Sawyer Smith.

Navigating the murky waters of municipal liability

It was a bit awkward. A committee of council listened politely as staff from Belleville, Quinte West and Tyendinaga outlined the successful trash bash project in their communities. Becky McWhirter (Belleville) and Eldon Burchart (Quinte West) described the way volunteers and municipal staff work together to clean up the roadsides and parks in their communities.

The Quinte Trash Bash, according to McWhirter and Burchart, also successfully encourages schools and businesses to join in the effort. The program is promoted by local media and sponsored by local businesses. It all sounded good, though a bit familiar to some on council.

The County had a long history with its own successful Trash Bash event—volunteers, municipal staff, roadsides and parks—the works. It was a huge event each spring, formed more than two decades ago by the Prince Edward Round Table on Environment and Economy. At the end of a long day, volunteers enjoyed a barbecue. Councillors challenged each other to collect the most aluminum cans.

That all stopped a couple of years ago. Enthusiasm had begun to wane. There were some operational skirmishes. But mostly, council was persuaded that the liability risk was too great to bear. There were issues of volunteer safety, of boots, gloves, safety vests, etc. They were advised that volunteers picking up trash by the roadside would need traffic control to keep them safe.

Ultimately, the County’s senior engineer, Robert McAuley, couldn’t support the program.

That was then. McAuley is a now convert to the Quinte Trash Bash program.

“This describes just what we were looking for,” McAuley told the committee of council last week.

But the Quinte Trash Bash doesn’t employ traffic controls, nor does it offer explicit training to volunteers. Instead, they provide volunteers and school children with a pamphlet informing them to be mindful of vehicles and asking them to “please be safe.” The handout explains what not to pick up (heavy items and needles). On heavily travelled highways in Quinte West, the road department puts out Men Working signs where volunteers will be working. Each volunteer is presented with a litter bag and a pair of gloves.

Some councillors were confused.

“Are you now satisfied?” asked Ameliasburgh councillor Janice Maynard, unclear what precisely had changed, or what was different between the Quinte Trash Bash and the County’s Trash Bash. “Is it just the brochure? Does that cover the liability?”

McAuley assured the councillor that he could support the County joining the Quinte Trash Bash initiative.

Others seized the change of heart to suggest a trash bash event immediately—not to wait until next spring. Roy Pennell was among those urging immediate action.

“Our main highways are a disgrace,” said Pennell. “This is a huge issue.”

The committee directed staff to investigate a 2016 bash event as soon as possible.