Early voting on the referendum on curbside collection of garbage, recyclables and compost for Area H, F and J residents is now open, and the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) wants to hear from you.
The referendum was identified by the RDCK board as one strategic opportunity to help meet their waste diversion goals.
“We’ve developed the proposal in line with those objectives of meeting our waste diversion goals by providing a green bin program and recycling services and making it easier for people to separate their waste, keep food waste out of our landfills, keep recycling out of our landfills.” said RDCK Organics Coordinator, Matt Morrison.
The RDCK has held five community consultations, three for Area F and H and two for Area J, which Matt describes as lively and interesting public engagement sessions.
“They’re really important.” said Matt.
“People express lots of opinions and people have concerns about certain elements of the service, certainly cost being one of them, some of the logistics as well as wildlife concerns, which are all really valid and important concerns and things that, through the development of the service, we’ve worked to incorporate into the design and concept and propose delivery of the service as well.”
The biggest concerns being raised vocally by the community are cost, safety, and the wildlife.
Dennis Luegner attended the community consultations as a proud North Shore local of over 12 years and identified the benefits of the program- removing food waste and recyclable from local landfill, however, says safety must come first.
As an avid environmentalist, Dennis uses a food cycler, recycles regularly, and limits his garbage to one to two bags into landfill every six week on average. Costing him under $70 each year.
He times his recycling return trips into his regular town visits, adding minimal additional cost to his budget.
But it’s not all about the cost, safety and convenience plays a big part in it.
“It is the safety and the inconvenience of it,” said Dennis.
“If you have a 500-meter driveway, and it doesn’t go uphill both ways, but it goes downhill one way and uphill the next, you have to wheel these carts out, but you have to wheel out two carts every week,”
“It’s the safety of the person.”
“In winter you have to drive there because you could slip and fall.”
And there is concern the inconvenience could go the other way.
“Have you ever thought that there could be a problem, that the people who are really good recycling, all the silver haired people, that they’re going to rebel and throw everything in the garbage.”
Areas H and F have over 2100 eligible residents, this includes customers who have their property touching a public road easement.
Share laneways off the main strip are excluded.
If adopted, the fee increase to landowners would be approximately $280 per year, roughly $600,000 revenue in total across the with 56% going to the contracted company to carry out the works.
The RDCK acknowledges the unease of the public and has investigated measures to alleviate concerns.
“Knowing that we live in bear country and have lots of wildlife issues, the design of the service would involve the provision of curbside bins that have an element of animal resistance.” said Matt.
“By providing a weekly green bin program, you can remove the source of attractants that are in people’s garbage, that are in people’s compost piles, that’s sort of just sitting there on a weekly basis.”
“The bins themselves have a wildlife locking mechanism that is meant to make the bins bear resistant or animal resistant, and so the green bins specifically would need to have a third-party certification to classify it as bear resistant.”
In conjunction with proper storage and cleaning of the bins, the RDCK recommends freezing smelly food waste such as meat scraps, for further wildlife encounters.
As for safety logistic around pick up, this service would be outsourced.
“We would rely on the hauling industry and the road safety industry to ensure that this kind of service would be delivered safely, and we know from other communities that trucks who collect waste in a rural, remote roadside environment along highway corridors are able to do so safely.” said Matt.
But RDCK says the project its not without it challenges.
“It may look like people having to slow down at times or there may be some added congestion at a given moment, certainly. But I don’t think that the nature of our roads prohibits the ability to deliver the service safely.” said Matt.
“I think it’s a matter of looking at the reality, driving those routes, looking at the specific addresses where you might have pinch points and coming up with solutions versus sort of just this blanket assumption that it’s not possible because it’s a highway corridor.”
“It’s definitely not the kind of thing where you can have a one size fits all service, and I get that a lot of people either are resistant because of the proposed cost, maybe it might be a strain on their finances, and I understand that and I feel for those folks.”
“We urge you to informed, try to understand the service in terms of the frequency of the pickup, the accepted prohibitive materials for recycling and food waste, and think if this a service that you are interested in.”
“Is the cost prohibitive or is the cost something you’re willing to pay, say $20 to $23 a month for that service:”
Advanced voting is open now with general voting to take place Saturday, May 11.
Proposed Service
Electoral Area J: the proposed service would involve a weekly green bin collection and a bi-weekly, every second week, garbage collection.
The green bin would take any food waste including meats and bones, cook food, dairy, as well as fruit and vegetable scraps.
The existing recycling in Area J would remain in place and be unchanged.
Electoral Areas F and H: the proposed service would involve a weekly food waste with a bi-weekly garbage every second week garbage, alternating with an every second week recycling.
Who can vote
Those who live or own property in the proposed service area, who is 18 years and older, can vote. Tenants included.
Please ensure your are registered to vote at the RDCK Website.
Voting Dates and Locations
All polls open 8am to 8pm
RDCK Nelson Office at 202 Lakeside Drive, Nelson BC
Crescent Valley Hall at 1385 Highway 6, Crescent Valley BC
Castlegar and District Community Complex at 2101 6th Avenue, Castlegar BC
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