Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Longtime environmental advocate Barry Robinson was recognized for his Earth Day cleanup efforts by Greater Napanee council on May 14, receiving a certificate of recognition for 19 years of organizing the event.
Robinson, a Napanee resident, has been hosting Earth Day cleanups throughout the community as part of Good Friends of the Earth. He also organized several tree plantings throughout the region.
“All those volunteers who rolled up their sleeves in the hundreds on Earth Day, it all came together to render Napanee into the cleanest town anywhere as well as send a message about the love of their planet,” said Robinson. “The community cleanup was really only a celebration of environmentalists who wanted to see a change in the direction our planet was headed in. It’s not the United Nations, countries or provinces that drive that change. It all begins with the individual and the community.”
Greater Napanee mayor Marg Isbester said the town would also be planting a tree in the community with a plaque that noted the work of the Good Friends of the Earth.
-Greater Napanee council officially adopted the 2019 capital budget, operating budget, tax levy and tax rates.
The total capital budget is $6.4 million, with $2.2 million going towards new road work. The operating budget is $19.3 million and the total capital and operating budget is $25.7 million. The tax levy is $12.2 million, a 2.95 per cent increase from last year. Based on the average assessed residential property for 2019 ($242,902), urban residents will pay $3,033, a decrease of $10.63 while rural residents will pay $2,906, an increase of $76.67.