Council to consider Contract award towards new Curbside garbage and recycling collection plans

Could be coming soon 
to a curb near you!

Prince Rupert City Council will be giving consideration tonight to a 560,000 dollar plus contract award towards the future of garbage and recycling services in the city, as they prepare to receive a report from Richard Pucci the city's Director of Operations.

Mr. Pucci's report which is available on the City website as part of tonight's Council Agenda package, will be recommending that the city accept the lowest of three bids for the city's new direction for garbage collection and the introduction of curb side recycling. 

With the submission from  Rollins Machinery and IPL considered the most compliant of the proposals at $564,850.

The new direction for residents will see the city supply two garbage cans for collection, one for regular garbage the other for recycling items, making your current cans somewhat redundant in the new world ahead.

Mr. Pucci's report highlights the work put into the project so far and some of the unique features for the new city supplied refuse containers, which include the opportunity for the city to "track" what residents may be putting into their garbage, some of which may be in violation of the solid waste bylaws.

Council has previously directed staff to take steps to implement a curbside collection program for recyclables within the community. Towards that end, in 2020 the City purchased a new split-bay rear-loading solid waste collection vehicle, to facilitate curbside collection of recyclables in the future. This vehicle includes a tilt-assist mechanism which deposits material into the rear collection bay, to reduce physical strain on the City’s operators (minimizing injury and WorkSafe claims) and to make curbside collection more efficient overall. 

Understanding the unique challenges of performing curbside collection in Prince Rupert, staff has recommended the use of upright hinged-lid bins compatible with the tilt-assist mechanism for the collection program. This style of bin is of durable construction, and should be resistant to the significant wind and rain experienced here. This bin is also compatible with the RFID (computer chip tracking) system installed on the new collection vehicle, which will allow staff to return lost bins when found, and to track contamination and other solid waste bylaw violations during collection activities.

The City's new curbside recycling plans are a long way
from the days of the city's past Blue box program!

The city's plans for curbside  recycling will clearly be well past the more familiar days of the old Blue Boxes at the end of your driveway and so far have not involved much engagement with the public who would be filling up the new bins if the project moves forward tonight.

One thing that will certainly catch the eye of those who pay attention to such civic proposals, is the projected  cost to the taxpayer and the options that Council will consider towards that element of the plans.

The total cost to the City to proceed with this work will be $564,850.00 + GST and PST. Each household would receive two bins, one for general refuse and the other for recyclables. 

In discussions with finance, there are three possible ways to fund this acquisition. 

1) Financed through a short term loan repaid by each household through an additional levy on the utility bill for five (5) years of $25.35 per year starting in 2022 and ending in 2026. 

2) Financed in part through the use of Gas Tax and the remainder through a one-time charge of $20 per household through an additional levy on the utility bill in 2022 only. 

3) Financed in whole through the use of Gas Tax. 

Mr. Pucci's report notes that the city's Finance Office has recommended financing the acquisition under number 2. That of levying a small charge in 2022 will encourage care of the bins and initiate participation in the new program. The cost has been included in the proposed budget in accordance with option 2.

The report wraps up with a look at the cost for residents should these new bins become damaged or lost, with the price set at $41 for a garbage bin and $65 for a recycling bin, plus assembly and delivery. 

These charges will be reflected upcoming bylaw amendment to introduce the service. 

You can review the document from the City's Agenda package starting at page six.

The first indication that the city was embarking on a rather significant shift in their planning came earlier this year, when we called attention to a Request for proposals on the topic.

Council members will have opportunity to discuss the topic at tonight's council session and maybe one or two of them may note that they haven't really provided much in the way of information or consultation with the residents of the city on the topic to this point. 

Nor we impinge have any of the councillors heard any feedback from them on the various elements of the plan. Something which should factor into any final decision to be made by them at tonight's session.

You can take in Mr. Pucci's notes on garbage and recycling as part of the livestream of tonight's Prince Rupert City Council session starting at 7PM.

For more notes related to this evening's meeting see our Council Preview page here.

A wider overview of past Council notes can be reviewed here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.