Home business, RM keep eye on city’s garbage collection plan

A city staff proposal to shift waste collection to a monthly-fee utility has one home daycare provider worried about how the program would affect her business.

The potential changes announced Wednesday would have residents paying $216 a year for curbside compost pickup and a garbage bin half the size of the current one provided by the city.

But Morgann Hall, who takes care of seven children at her home, is worried about the costs of keeping her current bin.

Under the proposed program, by 2023 she would pay $434.50 for a year’s waste collection.

“I have diapers and all of the waste that goes along with small children,” she said. “My garbage is always full … or overflowing.”

She told 650 CKOM her daycare has limited options for reducing the amount of garbage it produces, especially since many of the foods she provides comes in non-recyclable containers.

With an additional change also recommended to reduce summer service to a bi-weekly schedule, Hall worries her garbage will be stuffed and smelly.

“After a week my garbage is ripe, so I’m trying to consider why my garbage is going to be any better when it’s left in a black container in the beating sun,” she said.

She noted the 3.5 per cent drop in her property taxes, which would provide the average homeowner with $75 in relief, wouldn’t be nearly enough to offset the rising costs.

“Does it mean I have to increase my fees to cover that off? Perhaps. Is that fair to my daycare families? No, because they’re paying the same thing for their homes as well,” she said.

Hall said while she supports the idea of diverting more waste away from the landfill, the proposed plan won’t be as much of a deterrent as city staff thinks.

With a committee vote coming on Monday for the new program, she said she’ll be letting her councillor know how she feels.

“I think it’s worth a phone call to city hall.”

Corman Park watches waste

As the city of Saskatoon rolls out the numbers for its proposed new garbage program, the rural municipality that surrounds the city is dealing with illegal dumping.

“It’s typically larger items; couches, refrigerators, those over-sized items, that people would have to pay to take to the landfill,” said Corman Park Administrator Adam Tittemore

Saskatoon administration has kept Corman Park in the loop as it moves toward changing garbage to a utility.

“It’s not something that we’ve provided any formal feedback on and, at this point, we’ll just keep an eye on it and see if it changes anything in the RM,” says Tittemore.

The proposed garbage plan goes to Saskatoon committee next week and could be further considered by council at its next regular meeting on Sept. 24.

–With files from CKOM’s Rena Montgomerie