City council is considering expanding the city’s curbside yard waste pick up program to provide year-round service.
The city has received $124,000 from Multi-Material BC (MMBC), which is responsible for the city’s recycling program, and those funds would offset the cost of extending yard waste pick up to up to nine months of the year.
Amber Zirnhelt, the city’s manager of long range planning and sustainability, said that having weekly curbside yard waste pick up from April 6 to November 27 in 2015 and 2016 would cost the city $83,421 and providing the service weekly from April 6 to December 31 would cost $120,698.
“There would be adequate funding available through the MMBC funding to cover the cost of this service expansion in 2015/2016,” Zirnhelt wrote in a report to council.
“However, if council elects to offer year round yard waste collection in 2016, additional funding will be required.”
To expand the service from January 1 to December 31 for next year would cost $23.29 per household per year.
The city currently offers curbside yard waste pick up for two months in the spring (April 6 to May 29) and two months in the fall (October 5 to November 27).
Residents can also take their branches and prunings to the Yard Waste Drop-Off Centre near the Shell Station at Quinsam Crossing.
But during council’s financial planning sessions in February, Coun. Larry Samson said not everyone is able to use the drop-off centre.
“Not everybody has a truck to go up to the end of Willis Road and up to Quinsam Crossing and dump their stuff there,” Samson said. “Not all seniors have the ability to throw it in the back of their car.
“These clippings, they end up on our logging roads, they end up in our parks, they end up in dumpsters, so I would like to see this service brought back.”
Council was expected to receive Zirnhelt’s report and discuss yard waste expansion options at its Tuesday meeting after the Mirror went to press.