IMPORTANT INFO
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IDRA IMPORTANT INFO |
If Kincardine council implements a user-pay system for garbage collection, you can say goodbye to the "free" 26 bag tags you've been receiving each year.
In committee-of-the-whole Wednesday night (Sept. 7), public works manager Jim O'Rourke outlined a proposed solid waste management user-pay system which would increase the cost of a bag tag to $2.50 in 2013, and to $3.50 by 2018.
Tipping fees would increase to $100 per tonne in 2013, and to $115 per tonne by 2018.
It's a way to bring the prices in line with neighbouring municipalities, said O'Rourke, and to make the cost of garbage collection strictly user-pay. This means if you want that bag of garbage picked up at the curb, you pay for it.
Kincardine's current landfill tipping fee is $85 per tonne, while Brockton's is $100 per tonne; Saugeen Shores, $100 per tonne; Huron-Kinloss, $75 per tonne; South Bruce Peninsula, $95 per tonne; Northern Bruce Peninsula, $80 per tonne; and South Bruce and Arran-Elderslie, charged per load.
In Kincardine a bag tag costs $2, while in Brockton it's $1.50; Saugeen Shores, $2; Huron-Kinloss, $2; South Bruce Peninsula, $2; Northern Bruce Peninsula, two "free" bags per week; South Bruce and Arran-Elderslie, two "free" bags per week and $3 for each additional bag.
O'Rourke's plan also calls for the "mothballing" of the Ward 3 landfill in order to save money.
Once he laid out the operating and capital costs, and the proposed revenue from increased tipping fees and bag tag prices, O'Rourke went from a solid waste management deficit of $180,000 for 2011, to a profit of $103,588 in 2012 which would be transferred into a waste management reserve.
As fees increased annually by three-per-cent, the transfers to reserves would increase exponentially over the next five years (2013-2018), said O'Rourke, providing reserves of $1.2-million by 2018.
This includes expenses to close Ward 1 ($115,000), to open Cell 2 at the new Ward 2 waste management centre in Armow ($600,000), and to purchase a rebuilt compactor ($400,000).
Ultimately, said O'Rourke, the process would do the following:
Extend the life of the landfill
Provide for future landfill capital expenses
Promote Reduce-Reuse-Recycle
Eliminate "free" bag tags and increase consumer awareness of recycling
Increase bag tag fees by 75% over eight years
Increase tipping fees by 35% over eight years
Cover all operating and capital expenses over that period, plus contribute about $1-million to reserves
With the seven-year financial cycle repeating itself for the life of the landfill (40-50 years), there should be $7-million to $8-million in reserves to pay for a new landfill
Councillor Randy Roppel asked what O'Rourke meant by mothballing the Ward 3 landfill.
"Staff is recommending that as a financial savings, we not operate the Ward 3 landfill site at this time," said O'Rourke. He said there would be a minor annual monitoring cost even if the site is closed.
"I thank you for a good, clear, understandable report," said councillor Jacqueline Faubert. "This is a big community issue. Before we make any decisions on this, we need to allow the community to voice its opinion about these options."
"If people read the stories in the media, you're going to get lots of comments," said deputy mayor Anne Eadie.
"We need some kind of vehicle to bring their comments to our attention," said Faubert.
Roppel said these user-pay fees aren't really fees, but taxes, and the ratepayers are already paying a 12.5-per-cent hike in municipal taxes this year - the last thing they need is another tax.
"Yes, before we implement any of this, we need feedback from the public," he said.
O'Rourke said there is a lot more to this issue than just financial concerns.
"People are already involved in user-pay systems with hydro and water," he said. "There is a sense of fairness to it. The increased fees have proven to make people pay attention to what they're putting into that bag of garbage before they put it at the curb."
Councillor Ron Coristine said his only hesitation in all of this is the increased costs for people on fixed incomes and seniors in the community. "We could price ourselves out of the market. We want to remain an attractive place to stay and retire."
He urged council to look at improving the education component of recycling and reducing the amount of garbage produced.
Eadie said she has been trying to get a meeting organized with Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling (BASWR) to see if that company can recycle more items. "We have to provide sufficient options for people to not put items in the garbage bag. We have to tell BASWR what we want recycled - things like Styrofoam - and we want a Green Box wet garbage program."
She also asked if there is any consideration in the area about putting up an incinerator to burn garbage safely.
Councillor Candy Hewitt, council's representative on BASWR, cautioned council that for each additional service or product it wants recycled, there is extra cost. "Once you see the pricing, you might not want it that much."
"Eliminating the 26 'free' bag tags is going to be a bone of contention," said mayor Larry Kraemer, "and a difficult sell."
However, he had no problem with closing the Ward 3 site and operating the one waste centre properly staffed and with regular hours.
Councillor Kenneth Craig asked if any consideration had been given to harvesting the methane gas from the landfill site.
"They do it at the Regional Municipality of Waterloo," said O'Rourke, "but there would not be enough quantity here to be of much value."
In response to a question about whether other municipalities had tried the user-pay system for garbage collection, O'Rourke said Saugeen Shores has it in place.
"Bill Jones was the public works manager when they implemented it three years ago," said O'Rourke. "They lost their shirt because people paid attention to reducing, reusing and recycling and cut the amount of garbage they produced.
"Financially, it was a disaster, but ultimately, it was a success because it diverted waste from the landfill and extended the lifespan of the site to 60 years from 20 years."
"That's as important as anything - saving the landfill site," said Craig.
Councillor Maureen Couture said the former Town of Kincardine went to a user-pay system in 1994 and got rid of bag tags. "We lost our shirt too but we extended the landfill site by 20 years."
The proposed waste management user-pay system will be discussed further at the Sept. 21 meeting.
By Barb McKay
Kincardine Independent
Kincardine residents will continue to receive free bag tags.
In a near unanimous decision, Kincardine council voted down the idea to do away with the free bag tags that residents receive each year.
"People are aware that when we give you 26 free bag tags they are paying for them in their taxes," said councillor Candy Hewitt. "But it's the one thing taxpayers can hold in their hands and say, 'I got something.'"
Councillor Maureen Couture agreed.
"I've always been a big believer in user pay garbage," she said. "But it's something the people really want and it is not going to make that much of a difference."
Public works manager Jim O'Rourke brought the suggestion forward last month to council as just one way to generate revenue for the municipality and encourage residents to recycle more. Other recommendations included, raising the price of bag tags to $3.50 by 2018, "mothballing" the Ward 3 landfill, increasing tipping fees to $95 per tonne from the current rate of $85, creating other opportunities for recycling, continuing to accept cardboard at the Ward 1 landfill site and offering 1,000 green cone composters to residents for $20 each on a first come, first serve basis to encourage the composting of kitchen waste. The municipality is also looking at the possibility of accepting hazardous waste more frequently at the Ward 2 landfill.
O'Rourke said during his initial presentation about the user pay system that it costs $431,000 per year for garbage collection, but the municipality generates just $251,000 from the service. He stressed the need to build up reserve funds for the $1 million that will be needed to build a second cell and to purchase a rebuilt compactor for the Ward 2 landfill in the next few years.
Councillor Jacqueline Faubert said she has heard from several constituents about the issue of bag tags over the past couple of weeks and didn't agree with taking away the free bag tags. She added that she did agree with the long-term vision of increasing fees, however.
Councillor Randy Roppel said he didn't think it would be a good idea to temporarily close the Ward 3 landfill site.
"We'll have wages anyway," he said. "We're going to pay people whether they work there or at Ward 2."
O'Rourke responded that, in his opinion, mothballing the landfill is a minor issue and the intent is to get residents to make a better effort to recycle.
Paul Bennett, a Ward 3 resident, spoke up in disagreement. He said it will take him an hour to drive to the Ward 2 landfill and back home again.
"There's huge taxes from Ward 3, surely we can afford to have that landfill open two and a half days each week," he said.
O'Rourke noted that the certificate of approval from the province would be left in place at the Ward 3 landfill so that it could be opened up again whenever it is needed in the future.
Even so, council voted to keep the Ward 3 landfill open, but accepted the rest of the recommendations, including the increase in tipping fees, discounted rate for 1,000 green cone composters, providing more opportunities for recycling and keeping the recycling depot open at the Ward 1 landfill.
By JENNIFER SCHLEICH
KINCARDINE NEWS
If the Inverhuron Water and Sanitary Sewer project goes forward Municipality of Kincardine Public Works is recommending the installation of an interceptor ditch and storm water management basin to help improve drainage and flooding issues in the hamlet.
"The Inverhuron residents urged the municipality to do something about drainage during the public meetings on the Inverhuron Environmental Assessment," said Public Works manager Jim O'Rourke.
Deputy Mayor Anne Eadie added that if the Inverhuron water project was a logical time to do it, "We would hate to go back in the future, we likely wouldn't."
The interceptor ditch and storm water management basin were first recommended to deal with Inverhuron flooding problems during a 1992 environmental study. Because the study is now outdated Public Works requested to perform a new study during council on Oct. 19. Council agreed to go forward with a new study, but was not approving any construction.
"The interceptor drain and the storm sewers that we'd try to incorporate into the reconstruction of the streets would all be a part. Although some of the low lying areas can't be fixed, the interceptor drain has been identified as a key part of controlling flooding," he said.
If the municipality went forward with the municipal drain the cost would be born by the landowners in the area, including the municipality and also the farmers on top of the bluff who are contributing the water in question, said O'Rourke.
He also noted that two thirds of the cost could likely be covered by a government grant.
"The new report will show options to deal with flooding, and council will have two more opportunities to stop the process as we go forward. If council agrees to install the drain it only requires the signature of the municipal road authority to go forward," added O'Rourke.
KINCARDINE TIMES
Fire destroyed a cottage on Robbie Lane in Inverhuron early Wednesday morning (Nov. 9).
Kincardine fire chief Jamie MacKinnon said 23 firefighters responded to the call at 12:46 a.m., along with two pumpers, the rescue van and the aerial truck.
They arrived to find the the cottage was fully engulfed in flame. There was no one in the home at the time, and there were no injuries to the homeowner or the firefighters, MacKinnon said.
The fire was discovered by a neighbour who was alerted by her dog.
The estimated loss is $150,000, MacKinnon said. There was also some minor heat damage to an adjacent residence.
The fire is under investigation but is not considered suspicious, said MacKinnon.
The firefighters were assisted at the scene by the South Bruce OPP and Bruce County Ambulance. Hydro One was also on hand to isolate power to the property.
revised 2011 Nov 12