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Garbage bin scenario discussed

What is the best way to encourage local residents to purchase a new style garbage bin offered by the village?
7714burnslakeGarbage_bin_scenario_discussed
The new bins make work easier for municipal staff by reducing the amount of heavy lifting.

What is the best way to encourage local residents to purchase a new style garbage bin offered by the village?

This was a question that was debated during last week's council meeting when councillors discussed three scenarios presented as part of a proposed garbage bin purchase program.

A few local residents and businesses were given the bins to use on a trial basis and according to chief administrative officer Sheryl Worthing the trial was very successful.

The bins are designed to work in conjunction with the village's new garbage truck and cut garbage collecting time in half, as well as reducing health and safety issues including the repetitive heavy lifting that is required by the use of can style bins.

Carla Fox, deputy director of financial services presented a report to council detailing the garbage bin purchase program, asking council to decide on how to 'sell' the bins to local residents.

1)  offering the bins at a discounted price and reimbursing residents 60 per cent of the purchase price if they leave the community.

2) offering the bins at their full purchase price.

3) offering to bins to residential and commercial residents with the village to cover all incurred costs including freight.

Fox said in her report that option three would allow for one bin per residence only. If more bins were required they would have to then be purchased from the village.

"If we take into consideration the sale of the old garbage truck, estimated at $9,000, option three would require a three year Municipal Finance Authority loan of $49,685 to finance the purchase of all the garbage bins required," she said.

Option two suggested the village purchase the bins using an equipment reserve loan that is repayable over three years.

The bins would then be offered to residents at a cost of $23.98 per year for three years to recover the cost  of the purchase.

The new bins come in two different sizes and prices. A small bin [65 gallon capacity], suggested for residential use costs $77, the larger 95 gallon bin, suggested for commercial users costs a total of $88 each.

Councillor Eileen Benedict asked Fox why there would be a reimbursement for the purchase price offered to people that are leaving the community.

"Would they not leave their bins? Not all municipalities use this style of bin. It seems very cumbersome [to offer a reimbursement]," she said.

Fox responded," This is just one suggestion. It is an incentive to encourage residents to purchase the bins, there would be some reimbursement," she said, adding that she expected some of those that leave the community to just pass the bin on to the next home owner.

Mayor Bernice Magee said that the bins have been budgeted for in the 2012  budget, however council are anxious to get the bins out now. Councillor Benedict said she is still not in favour of offering a reimbursement, making a motion to offer the bins to locals at a discounted price, without any reimbursement clause.

Councillor Quentin Beach said he doesn't see a problem with offering a reimbursement to those leaving the community.

Councillor Benedict responded, "If I moved to a rural area I would not want that bin. It is too heavy to lift if you have to empty it yourself. Offering a reimbursement is also more work for staff ... it seems onerous."

"I don't think it will be terribly onerous," said Worthing.

Councillor Illes also said he would like to include in the motion a $20 annual discount on garbage collection rates for those local residents that purchase a new bin. "Both Houston and Smithers offer this," he said.

"Are we going to limit the bins to one per residence ... thinking about this, two would take longer to collect than one," Coun. Benedict asked.

"My motion is not about the number of bins or the time it takes to collect them, but to help encourage people to buy them .... there would be savings, it takes half the time to collect them," Illes said.

"An incentive is a good way to go, we want people to buy into the program and want people to use the bins," he added.

Councillor Benedict asked how the discount would affect the budget. "I think we need to defer the motion until we have more information about the 2012 garbage rates."

"I am not suggesting what the rates will be for next year. I am not holding council back, I am just saying if you do get a bin you will benefit," Coun. Illes said.

".... And it [garbage rates] will increase for the rest of the residents that don't purchase a bin," Coun. Benedict said.

"The ultimate goal is for everyone to receive a $20 discount," Coun. Illes responded.

"Not if their rates go up," Coun. Benedict added.

Councillor Benedict then made a motion to defer the decision until information on 2012 garbage collection rates is provided to council in the coming weeks.

Councillor Illes agreed, saying he is in favour of a deferral.