I've been wondering what happened to all the hysteria over the City of North Battleford's garbage disposal program.
When the switch to rollout curbside pickup was made in April there was lively speculation about the city languishing under a stinky cloud of rotting garbage over the hot prairie summer.
I haven't smelled anything, other than that emanating from Statistics Canada's assessment of the community's crime situation.
I understand there was one irate individual who contacted the newsroom to say he was going to dump his garbage on the steps of City Hall after he was denied pick up because the lid of his bin was popped open. I was happily vacationing in Calgary at the time, hanging out with my two little grandsons and their parents. Their blue bin was rejected one Tuesday morning, but that was because they hadn't moved it to the curb on time. Later there was a card attached to the bin explaining why it hadn't been emptied. Seems like a good system. I assume the truck operator keeps a log of rejected bins and another minion follows up with an explanation.
Apparently the irate individual didn't follow through. Good thing, too, or he might have been facing a hefty fine.
According to City Clerk Debbie Wohlberg, in a memo to city council, the vast majority of residents have adjusted to the new system.
"This change brought greater responsibility to each resident to properly prepare for disposal of their recyclables and household waste with the expectation that items not allowed in the rollout carts (are) to be hauled to the waste management facility for proper handling and disposal," she writes.
She says most have embraced the new system, but of course there are always those who can't seem to follow the rules. There have been numerous incidents where garbage and recyclables have been dumped in unacceptable locations within the city and in adjacent municipalities. Wohlberg notes the cleanup bill goes directly on the taxpayers' tab.
Administration introduced amendments to the City's waste management bylaw Monday that Wohlberg says will address the "seriousness of illegal dumping of waste " The amendments increase fines for individuals to $250 for a first offence, $500 for a second and $1,000 for subsequent offences. The corporate structure is $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000.
The addition of two more bylaw enforcement officers ensures the corps has a seven-day-a-week presence in the community, so those seeking to unload in an illegal manner had better watch their backs. And residents should add to their discomfort by reporting incidents of illegal dumping to City officials.
Getting back to rollout bins and the stink. Having had a rollout bin for several years, it is my experience, during the summer, the only time the stench leaks out is when the lid is open. In addition to developing a smooth dump and slam technique, we Battleford residents are also well schooled in the "don't have the lid popped on pick-up day" requirement.
City Hall confirms there have been no complaints lodged about bins stinking up the streets over the course of the summer.
Right on the City's website is the rule: "Cart lids must be completely closed. Carts with open lids will not be picked up." This isn't just a frivolous rule enforced on a whim by the garbage contractor. It ensures what's in the bin ends up in the collection vehicle, not on the street or flying away in the wind.
Keeping the lid closed has two benefits, controlling the stench and ensuring your garbage bin will be dumped.
