The new garbage roll out regime in North Battleford is still finding some dissenters months after being introduced.
Councillors say they have received positive feedback generally to the new black rollout bins. However, a letter from local resident Albert Lowe voicing opposition to the bins was circulated to council at Monday's meeting.
The letter was a response to correspondence he received from Councillor Cathy Richardson, which replied to concerns he expressed in an earlier letter about the new garbage pickup bins.
In his Aug. 25 letter Lowe reiterated his opposition, stating the "greatest majority of respondents to your garbage pickup model were not in favour of it for many of the reasons previously mentioned." He suggested putting the bins in the alleys would have "negated almost 100 per cent of the opposition to the transition."
Mayor Ian Hamilton responded a couple of days later, in which he defended the new waste and recycling system saying the new collection system has "significantly reduced the abuse of our waste management program by non-residents of our community by reducing the opportunity to deposit waste in communal bins around the city."
At council Monday, councillors disagreed with Lowe's contention that residents were not in favour of the new system.
"As a councillor you would think we would get a lot of those calls or complaints," said Councillor Greg Lightfoot. "I have received zero. In fact I have heard lots of people are very happy with the service."
Lightfoot urged people who do have concerns to "talk to the councillor you would like to talk to and get those issues resolved."
Councillor Ryan Bater also said the feedback he received was positive, adding "it's not often that you get positive comments unsolicited".
Bater also noted the reason for the switch was because the previous system was inefficient with "inappropriate material going to the waste management facility," and also that residents and non-residents were putting inappropriate material into the old communal bins. "The new system is far more efficient than the previous system."
Also at the meeting, City Director Of Operations and Maintenance Stewart Schafer said a report on the new bins would come to council in the next month.
