If Collingwood council wants the town to implement, develop, and lead more environmental initiatives, they’re going to need to make room in the budget for a dedicated staffer, according to a report presented to council.
The town’s executive director of corporate and customer service, Dean Collver, told council during a strategic initiatives meeting staff are meeting provincial requirements for reporting on environmental responsibility. There is also some “ad hoc” work being done by staff who have been volunteering to take on the extra work.
But increased demand from the community coupled with direction from council prompted Collver to suggest the town add a three-year contract position to its staff contingent to push environmental initiatives further.
“This is a larger program, overall, than we have the capacity to serve properly,” said Collver. “We’re really at our maximum capacity and need to have some resource support in moving forward.”
Collver added the town will also need particular expertise to further green initiatives.
Staff have already started a volunteer committee called Greener Collingwood, which has implemented a compost program at all town work sites.
By the end of 2020 more than $100,000 in LED lighting retrofits will be completed, and further assessments planned for 2020 may lead to recommended retrofits in other buildings owned by the town.
An upgrade the town’s wastewater treatment plant allows the plant to generate electricity from heat that was previously wasted.
The town has also been purchasing electric vehicles for its fleet, including two electric ice cleaners for its arenas.
Council passed a resolution to ban the use of single-use plastics in town facilities. As a result, staff gatherings (pre-COVID) used compostable cutlery, and plastic water bottles have been replaced by reusable bottles and pitchers of water at council meetings (again, pre-COVID).
The town has also joined the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Change Protection group, which encourages members to meet five milestones in ten years from creating baseline emissions inventories to setting targets, developing action plans, and monitoring and reporting results.
According to Collver, the contract position would carry a salary of $35,000 each year for three years, and the staff person would be responsible for coordinating and documenting all environmental sustainability and climate change initiatives for the town. They would also be applying for grants related to the initiatives.
Councillor Deb Doherty asked if it would be possible to reassign an existing staff member to the environmental initiatives coordinator position part-time.
“I don’t think so,” answered Collver. “Our resources were maxed out and at a premium before COVID, and now we’re struggling even more.”
Council will receive the report on the agenda for this evening’s meeting (July 20) starting at 5 p.m. They will not be deciding on a new hire, however.
Instead, staff will bring a budget enhancement request forward to council during budget deliberations later this year.
“There are lots of needs at budget time,” noted Collver. “It’s fair and safe to say we’ll struggle to achieve some of these objectives outlined in this report without additional resources.”
Nick Clayton, a local teacher and member of Collingwood Climate Action Team, noted it is likely possible the person hired for the new position could offset their salary costs by bringing in grants to the town for environmental initiatives.
“One of the objectives for [the position] is to get grants,” acknowledged Collver. “It would be a goal to offset, and beyond.”
You can read Collver’s report on the town’s green initiatives here.
