ELORA – Not everyone thinks Molok bins are the solution to garbage problems in downtown Elora, even if a benefactor is willing to take on the capital cost of installation.
Council was presented with a report on Sept. 16 that suggested Kat Florence Canada, the company owned by Elora residents Kristy Hillis and Don Kogen, is willing to pay for the installation of Moloks behind the site of public washrooms, which the company has already agreed to install in the small parkette beside the tourism office on Mill Street East.
The report shows a reconfiguring of the site to accommodate the bins.
Moloks are a garbage collection system that are more attractive and cleaner than dumpsters, the report states.
On the surface is a cylindrical shaft with an opening for garbage but the larger portion of the system is hidden underground.
A crane lifts the lid from the container, lifts a large bag from inside the container and empties its contents into the garbage truck.
The Moloks are tidier looking than a dumpster and can potentially accommodate more garbage than dumpsters, thereby eliminating the piles of garbage that are set out to the curb on garbage day.
The township is looking at Molok bins as a possible solution to the garbage problem in downtown Elora and Fergus and views this opportunity as a pilot project.
“Staff is working with the BIA. We understand we have to solve the garbage problem; the Molok is a great option. And we have an opportunity here with the washrooms,” said managing director of community services Pat Newson.
Because the bins require a big pit underground, they are not suitable for locations where there is also infrastructure underground, Newson said.
So the LCBO site, situated near the wastewater treatment plan, is not a suitable option, she said.
John Kears, who lives next door to the tourism office on East Mill Street, said he and his wife spent “millions” of dollars renovating the Karger Gallery, turning the ugly duckling into a beautiful building.
“It’s seven feet from our property line. It’s 15 feet from our residence,” he said, noting there has been no public consultation on the matter and he was not informed of the proposal.
Elora BIA chair MacLean Hann said the BIA is in support of the Molok pilot project.
“The problem (right now) is space,” he said. “We have more garbage and recycling but only a few (businesses) have room for dumpsters, and they are unsightly.
“The BIA spends $12,000 for weekly pickup but it’s not sufficient … Because of geography in downtown Elora, there’s just nowhere to separate or hold garbage.”
Newson suggested staff would work with the BIA to develop policies and procedures on who can use Moloks and how they are collected.
“We would like to pause this decision to communicate with the BIA,” Newson said, asking council to defer its decision until Sept. 30.
Mayor Shawn Watters turned to the photos in the report that show the current situation – mountains of garbage by the street on garbage day, and dumpsters behind or beside businesses.
“That’s what Karger sees right now,” he said, referring to a photo of two dumpsters.
“These are systems from the 1960s. We need to modernize how we do garbage. 500,000 people come to our community. We need to handle garbage more efficiently.”
Council agreed to defer its decision to the Sept. 30 meeting.
