Residents can once again take advantage of reduced fees for taking spring yard waste clean-up material to the landfill.
“It has been customary for the City of Yorkton, with the approval from the Environmental Committee, to declare an annual Spring Yard Waste Clean-Up Week and to waive the landfill entrance fees in order to encourage City residents and School Divisions to clean up their yards and their school grounds of winter debris. ‘Winter debris’ is identified as grass, leaves, broken tree branches, grass mixed with garbage and debris that has collected and accumulated on properties during the winter months. This program will not cover tree pruning, disposal of entire trees, construction, demolition or household materials such as furniture, lumber, carpet, beds and mattresses. These materials are accepted at the landfill but residents will be required to pay the appropriate entrance fee,” Aron Hershmiller, Assistant Director of Environmental Services with the City told the regular meeting of Council on Monday, Apr. 23.
“This program aims to help improve the image and appeal of our community. To encourage participation, City Council has previously waived the landfill entrance fees for Yorkton residents and schools for one week every spring that haul in their winter debris material, by way of car, van, ½ ton truck, SUV, or utility trailer.”
For Yorkton residents to be eligible for the program, they must meet the following criteria:
*Present to the landfill scale attendant, a valid driver’s licence with a Yorkton civic address (no P.O. box numbers will be allowed under the program). Qualifying City residents are defined as dwellings with four or less units on the property. Multi units with five or more units on the same property do not qualify for the program.
*School division loads with identifiable vehicles and staff hauling any acceptable material.
*Cars, vans, ½ ton trucks, sport utility vehicles, and utility trailers are eligible.
*Material being disposed of must meet the “winter debris” criteria
The landfill scale attendant will evaluate the load, the type of vehicle and determine if the load is acceptable under the Spring Yard Waste Clean-Up Week criteria and waive the landfill entrance fees. Any loads not qualifying under the program, will be accepted with the appropriate charges applied, said Hershmiller.
In 2015 there were 106 loads totalling 17.5 tonnes delivered during the week under the program. In 2016, it was 61 loads totalling 7.5 tonnes, and in 2017, 91 loads totalling 13.8 tonnes.
The program will run from May 14 to 19, during regular landfill hours Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Council was unanimous in its support of the program.
