City councilors spent hours debating whether or not to change Saskatoon’s garbage collection system on Monday, only to postpone a decision.
Councilors voted 6-5 in favour of moving a vote until an October meeting.
“I’m a little disappointed there isn’t some overwhelming acceptance of this new system because it’s really a progressive forward-thinking way to go,” said Brian Sawatzky, an environmentalist who spoke at the council meeting.
The new system, suggested by city administration, would give all residents a bin for organics.
For garbage, residents would choose their bin size – small, medium or large – and pay accordingly.
The smallest 180L bin, would cost residents $216 a year, according to a city report. The largest bin, 360L, costs $276 – which would be added to utilities. Currently, garbage collection is covered through property taxes.
“This is a major decision moving forward and it’s a major decision on the backs of taxpayers,” Troy Davies, councillor for Ward 4, told CTV News.
At the meeting, Davies raised concern about increased illegal dumping and smell as a result of bi-weekly garbage pickup. Davies said unclear cost was the breaking point.
“There’s a lot of, ‘We can get to that later, we can get to that later.’ For me, representing people in my ward, that’s a huge decision to make without having all the facts,” he said.
Ann Iwanchuk, the councillor representing Ward 3, called the pay-as-you-throw model misleading. Iwanchuck cited a situation where residents could be on vacation, not using the bin, but still being charged – “that’s not pay-as-you-throw”, she said.
The city wants to change garbage collection as an effort to extend the life of Saskatoon’s landfill.
City council is expected to vote on changing waste collection in October.
