North Battleford city administration continues to lay the groundwork for the introduction of new rollout bins in the city this coming spring.
Council has already decided to replace the current communal bins with rollout bins for biweekly garbage and recycling collection throughout the city, changes approved as part of the budget that was adopted Jan. 27.
Public Works Director Stewart Schafer indicated to council Monday that tentative dates for the rollout will be announced "pretty quick." When pressed for a more specific timeframe, Schafer indicated "the end of April."
Schafer indicated the new cans would be made and manufactured to the department's specifications, and there would be a 10-day period over which all the bins will be placed.
His answer was a response to a question posed by Councillor Ryan Bater, who wanted to know the "rollout for the new waste management system."
Schafer indicated his department has had two meetings, one of them with the suppliers of the bins. The other was with the company that will be moving them out for the city.
"We are starting to get things rolling," said Schafer to council.
Schafer also said work is going on with the designs that will be shown on the actual bins that will describe to people what items can and cannot be placed in them, as well as which way the bins should be facing. He also indicates there are plans to educate the public on the changeover.
"We're starting to get our documents together for an education process," said Schafer. He later said to reporters the education process will include letting people know the new bins are coming and what people can and cannot do with them, and "not to panic. This is not the end of the world."
Schafer also indicated plans to contact the schools to do an education program there.
The education process will involve both the garbage and the recycling bins. "There is a lot to do," Schafer told reporters.
One issue Councillor Don Buglas wanted to see addressed was how to handle the situations where residents might have difficulty with the bins, for "mobility reasons," he said. He wanted to know what process would be put in place for people to express their concerns so these could be looked into.
City Manager Jim Puffalt indicated administration would be presenting back to council at a future meeting to "have some further discussions on how we roll this out and make sure we have the information out to the people properly. We have a lot more work to do that we want to bring back to you."
As for where the bins would be located, Schafer said the department was "leaning heavily to the front streets," in response to a question from Councillor Ray Fox on that issue.
Schafer did say, however, there "may be the occasional area of the city where we have to go to the back, given the way the street slope is, whether it's too steep or stairs going up. We will examine each lot and determine which way will be the best one." He adds that in those situations where "someone comes forward and says we have a problem, we will take a look at it."
Fox noted there was one such issue expressed by a constituent who said there was simply no room in the front for a bin, and also didn't want to put the bin in the garage for two weeks. Schafer indicated he had the same talk with the same individual.
Councillor Greg Lightfoot, who as deputy mayor chaired the meeting with Mayor Ian Hamilton not present, said he believed there will be some "growing pains."
"As we go with this I'm sure there will be changes that will have to be done in certain areas," said Lightfoot.
