Trash transformation hotly debated

Decision one of Biggest Council will make in ‘next four years’

Saskatoon city council entered into a wide-ranging discussion about proposed changes to trash collection that needed to be continued Monday night.

Mayor Charlie Clark advised residents gathered for Monday’s afternoon council meeting, which began at 1 p.m., to get “cosy,” anticipating a long day. The meeting continued after 9 p.m.

Council was trying to decide on the future of waste disposal in the city, specifically, introducing user fees for trash pickup based on volume and a new curbside collection program for food and yard waste.

Council heard from several senior members of city administration who stressed the need to postpone the replacement of the landfill and that “the status quo is not an option.”

“This decision is one of the biggest council will make in the next four years,” Coun. Troy Davies said.

Coun. Zach Jeffries said he could not see how the recommended approach represented the least expensive option.

Jeffries asked why the compost collection program appeared to cost more than a similar recycling collection program.

He was told the cost of processing compost accounted for the higher price.

Jeffries wondered about the possibility of separating compost collection and compost processing as a way to lower user fees.

Council has heard with the introduction of user fees for trash collection, designed to encourage residents to send less material to the landfill, that property taxes overall would drop by 3.5 per cent.

But, residents would pay more overall with the user-fees plan to cover the cost of a new compost collection program and to make up for the shortfall in waste division revenue.

“It’s only going to get worse,” Coun. Sarina Gersher said of the chronic underfunding of the city ’s waste division.

The program up for discussion Monday only applied to singlefamily homes, although the city is exploring changes for both apartments and townhouses and for businesses and institutions.

Some have pointed out that an overall drop in property tax would reduce that of businesses, while single-family homeowners would pay more through user fees.

Coun. Ann Iwanchuk suggested the business tax ratio might need adjusting.

Coun. Darren Hill wondered if council was being asked to consider too many changes at once. Hill proposed three of the seven motions up for a vote Monday be deferred.

“This kind of looks like a federal government omnibus bill with everything in one report,” Hill said.

The changes would not happen until 2020.

Coun. Randy Donauer said he only recalls hearing about the waste division revenue shortfall for the last couple of years, but he was told the shortfall has existed

for about nine years.

“We’re at an ideological and philosophical point where we need to make a decision,” Donauer said.

Coun. Bev Dubois said some residents in her ward do not have room in their garages for another cart and are required by condo rules to keep carts out of sight.

Council also heard in two years, the program could further evolve to accommodate those who do not require garbage pickup once every two weeks, and people would only pay for the collection they require.

Brenda Wallace, the city ’s director of environmental and corporate initiatives, said an organics collection program would reduce the amount of material headed for the landfill by 10 per cent.

Brian Sawatzky of the Saskatoon environmental advisory committee, reminded council how poorly Saskatoon ranks on diverting waste from the landfill, usually only ranking ahead of Regina among Canadian cities.

“It’s always nice to beat Regina at something, but maybe we should raise the bar a little bit,” Sawatzky said.