Decision made on curbside solid waste and recycling carts

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

Much debate and weeks of discussions were put to bed last week, when Strathmore town council landed on a decision regarding automatic curbside solid waste and recycling carts.
Despite a time crunch, as the service provider is said to start the curbside retrieval system for waste in January, council requested more information at a lengthy Committee of the Whole meeting Sept. 13.
Then, at the regular council meeting last week, the public officials felt comfortable with the information provided to move ahead with negotiations to obtain only the 240 litres (L) black curbside waste recycling carts, along with a future user-choice option for residents.
“It was mentioned before, but it’s worth mentioning again that the ideal solution was by far the most comprehensive, the least expensive with the best guarantees overall; that was something that we decided to live with,” said Councillor Denise Peterson.
Automatic carts range in size from 50 L to 360 L. Administration was tasked to provide information specifically focused on the waste management plan utilizing bin sizes 120 L, 180 L and 240 L.
As a result, council was presented with various options. The first possibility included starting out with a black 240 L cart for four months, after which residents would have the choice to receive a green 120 L cart. Once council makes a decision on when to roll in the final stage, residents would then also receive a 240 L blue recycling cart.
Another option would be to start off with a 180 L black cart – which holds three garbage bags – then move to a user choice 120 L green cart, and eventually a 240 L blue recycling bin.
“These are all based on the user choice program that we want to implement, on which we will be bringing forth some more communication for the community,” said Mark Ruault, director of infrastructure and development services for the Town of Strathmore.
“The innovation here is by having that larger size in the beginning and then convert on that current program, the 240 (L), we believe that that idea of taking that for the first four months, when that’s the only cart you have, it’ll give you a little more capacity because there’s going to be some challenges and variables. Then ultimately (we’d) have that converted to recycling. I think it’s one of the great ideas that we’ve come forward with.”
At the Sept. 20 council meeting, council approved administration to begin negotiations to procure only the 240 L black carts with the understanding that the community will have a future user choice option.
The green cart, or composting, program will start on April 1, 2018, and will be followed by a blue recycle cart program.

Huxted for collection disposal
Council also voted to enter into negotiations with H&H Huxted for an automatic curbside solid waste organic collection disposal service for the Town of Strathmore. After examining seven bids, the five-year contract would be awarded to H&H Huxted for nearly $3.6 million, or $718, 272 a year. Council approved to begin negotiations between H&H Huxted and the Town of Strathmore and for the agreement to be brought back for council approval in October.