Time to fix garbage problem in Molega, Labelle areas, Queens councillors say

(Submitted)

By Rick Conrad

Region of Queens councillors want a long-term fix to garbage pileups in Queens County cottage country.

District 6 Coun. David Brown says it’s a huge problem. He asked staff for recommendations on how to resolve it.

He said the 40 so-called “grey box” sites on private roads throughout the county consume half of the region’s garbage collection budget. Brown said the problem is more pronounced this time of year because the region picks up the garbage once a week, compared to three times a week in summer.

“Our population has outgrown the garbage box system,” he said. 

“We’ve Band-Aided the system together and done a great job. But we’re victims of our own success by having a very popular area that people want to come to. We have a lot of people coming with garbage.

“It’s not completely a region problem, it’s a people problem. … There are people that are just too lazy to put the garbage in the boxes.”

Brown said some people truck in waste from other places when they arrive at their properties for the weekend.

He said the municipality doesn’t have the staff resources to police these areas. And while they’ve posted cameras, the problem persists.

“We need staff to look at this and come back with possible solutions for a long-term fix for this,” he told councillors.

Garbage piled up at one of the ‘grey box’ sites in Queens County. (Submitted)

Mayor Darlene Norman said the Molega Lake and Labelle areas have had the region’s highest housing growth of both full-time and seasonal residents.

And those properties represent a large chunk of tax revenue for the municipality. But they tend to be on private roads, so garbage collection is only at designated places on public roads.

“It is a huge problem. And people in Labelle and Molega area, some people are paying $10,000 property tax out there for no services. It is an issue that has to be dealt with.” 

She acknowledges it may cost the municipality more, but she said cottage owners and homeowners in those areas deserve better.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com