WEYBURN – Weyburn city council awarded a new 4.5-year contract for material recycling to Goliath Disposal, to take effect in June.
The current contract is held by GFL Environmental Inc., up for renewal in June, but they lost the contract as Goliath bid a lower rate.
The City began the city-wide multiple material recycling program in 2017, providing curbside pickup of 3,495 bins to residents, and depots located around the city.
In the bid for the contract, Goliath proposed a monthly cost of $19,718, and it will not change for the entire 4.5-year period, lasting until December of 2026. In addition, they will provide depots at no charge to the city.
GFL’s bid was to start at $17,810, but with a charge of $4,129 for a depot, and those charges were to increase each year to the end of the contract, with a combined amount of $25,398 by 2026.
City engineer Jennifer Wilkinson noted the blue curbside bins currently being used by households belong to GFL, and will need to be picked up in June, with new one to be supplied by Goliath.
Asked if there will be any interruption of service when it switches contractors in June, Wilkinson said they were assured there will be no interruption, and the depot bins will remain in place, just with a different contractor picking it up.
“Goliath had an outlined plan. They are well aware of the requirements, and are more than willing to provide those details,” she added.
“We have two quality operations to provide recycling in the city, and not every place has that. We have a fair tendering process, it is what it is, and we’re moving forward,” said Coun. Dick Michel.
• In other council business, council approved a discretionary use development permit to allow the Young Fellows Club to hold their centennial open-air concert in Jubilee Park on June 30.
The plans are to have a stage set up in the central area of Jubilee Park, with the Hunter Brothers and Tenille Arts as the headliner acts, and local performers Dan Cugnet and Brayden King as the opening acts.
As the open-air concert is considered a “high impact” use of the park, a discretionary use development permit is required, as a number of conditions are in place for the Young Fellows to take care of in order to hold the concert.
Development officer Janine Fletcher indicated she sent out notices to 160 residents who live in proximity to Jubilee Park, and there were no negative comments or objections raised by anyone, with some calls of support made to the city.
The gates are proposed to open at 4:30 p.m. with the first acts to hit the stage around 6 p.m., and the evening is to wrap up by 11 p.m. so as not to violate the City’s noise bylaw.
Conditions of the permit include the placing of tents and the stage to the satisfaction of the Leisure Services Department; an inspection is to be done by the Fire Department; the required licences from the SLGA need to be obtained; there needs to be adequate washroom facilities; arrangements are to be made for parking on-site and for shuttle services to the park; and upon completion, all structures, material and signage shall be removed and the site left in a neat and tidy condition.
“I have no questions, just kudos,” said Coun. Jeff Richards, echoed by Coun. Mel Van Betuw, adding this will be a big tourism event.
Young Fellow member Todd Bedore said the club has been working with Weyburn Tourism to help promote the event.
• Council awarded contracts for asphalt paving projects for 2022, as part of the City’s infrastructure revitalization program. The overall budget for this was $700,000, and $380,000 of it has already been allocated for the paving at the Weyburn Airport and a couple of other projects.
The last contracts awarded will be to mill and resurface Fourth Street South, from Sixth to 10th Avenues, as well for new asphalt for an 80-meter section on Fourth Street by River Park, and to do crack filling and pothole patching around the city.
Five bids were received for the first two projects on Fourth Street, and ASL Paving was awarded the contract for a total cost of $208,102.
The crack filling and pothole patches was awarded to Genco Asphalt, who will charge $5,850 a day for a crack-filling crew, with $2.60 a litre for the crack filler used, and $760 an hour for a pothole patching crew, and $150 a tonne for the asphalt used. The City can spend about $100,000 in total for this contract.
• City council has tabled a request by Fido’s Place owner CindyAnn Boehm to waive fees related to renewing her contract for the business located on Queen Street.
The business was originally covered by a Contract Zone for a three-year period, with that agreement expiring on Dec. 31, 2021.
When Boehm contacted the City in March about extending the contract, she was told it could not be extended as it had expired, plus the Official Community Plan and zoning bylaw was approved since the contract with the city began, and she will have to go a zoning bylaw amendment process for a new Contract Zone to be approved.
In a letter to the City, Boehm said the expiry of the Contract Zone was overlooked, and in contacting the business owners in Calgary, they confirmed they were never informed by the City of any changes or of the expiration of the contract.
She asked for the fees to be waived as it will be a financial hardship for her business.
Council was told that there is no provision in the bylaw to waive the fees, but the matter was tabled to the next council meeting so any possible options could be explored.
