Weyburn’s city council had discussions on Monday night on two vital interests to the city and her citizens: its landfill, and water usage and water rates. These are not necessarily “sexy” topics for many people, and may cause their eyes to glaze over should the discussion get too involved on either topic, but the fact remains, these are vitally important for the daily lives of every residence and business in Weyburn.
In regard to the landfill, the city received a detailed five-year plan from a consulting firm for the future of the landfill, with the goal to extend the life of the landfill for 20 to 40 years.
To help the city with the long-term costs of operating the landfill and planning for its future, the consultants have suggested raising the rates to around $80 a tonne as the break-even point to cover its expenses.
The rate currently is at $46 a tonne, and this is proposed to be hiked to $60 a tonne as of Jan. 1, 2018, then up to $75 a tonne in 2020, and $85 a tonne by 2022.
There may be concerns with residents or business owners over such an increase, which will be fairly steep in the first year, but as Mayor Marcel Roy pointed out, reducing one’s garbage output is one way to address the increased costs. This point also applies to water usage, as the new water meters will be accurately reading the flow of water in each home and business. He noted with the success of the residential recycling program, there is already a marked decrease in the amount of waste going to the landfill.
With the detailed plans in place, once approved by city council, work can begin to change how things are done at the landfill, and the refuse is organized and disposed of at the site, with the end-goal to extend the life of the landfill. This will be good for the city as it is a very expensive proposition to close a landfill, and to find a new location and set it up under the new stringent environmental guidelines the province has in place.
It is true the landfill has a finite space and it will eventually reach the point where the city will have to close it and find a new location, but with careful management, that eventuality will be several years down the road.
There will be an opportunity for the public to have input on the five-year plan, which will be explained in a presentation to council on Monday, Dec. 11. For residents who have concerns about the future of the landfill, or for any associated environmental concerns, they should try to be present, or else get a copy of the plan which is available at City Hall or on the city’s website. — Greg Nikkel
