Stay informed with the LNN Daily Newsletter

Curbside recycling will not go to plebiscite

May 23, 2017 | 6:51 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The city’s curbside recycling program will continue moving forward without a plebiscite vote.
 
City Council approved a Residential Waste Diversion Strategy with a 8-1 vote on November 28, 2016. City-wide, bi-weekly collection is set to begin in 2019, alternating each week with waste collection. An additional seven-dollar monthly charge will be added to utility bills shortly before full implementation to fully cover the capital acquisition and operations.
 
As part of the recently approved 2018-2027 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), $16.3-million from utility fees and accumulated surplus has been allocated in 2018 for planning and constructing a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), purchasing carts for single and multi-family residences as well as two additional collection trucks.

The Lethbridge Committee for Government Affairs presented a petition with 4,152 signatures to City Council on Tuesday (May 23) after circulating it through the community from late-March to late-April. Harold Pereverseff, spokesperson, says 25 to 30 volunteers canvassed the petition door-to-door through every part of the city, and also set up at a number of public venues. He added that signatures collected were from Lethbridge residents over 18-years old who pay utilities for a home that they own or rent.
 
The hope was to halt the program’s progress for now, and push a question to October’s municipal election. 
 
The request was defeated 4-3, with Councillors Joe Mauro, Ryan Parker and Blaine Hyggen voting in favour. The proposed plebiscite would have asked, “Are you in favour of the blue bin curbside recycling program approved by City Council?”
 
“We’re fully in favour of curbside recycling. There are private individuals that operate in Lethbridge and they’re looking for business… Why does the City have to interfere with private business? I mean, what’s going to be next? What are they going to take over next? And that is a citizen concern of Lethbridge,” Pereverseff said.
 
The Lethbridge Committee for Government Affairs noted previously, at a public forum the group hosted in late-January, that there are currently three private recyclers who charge between $15 and $20 for monthly pickup.
 
Pereverseff also said at Tuesday’s meeting that Mayor Chris Spearman “flip flopped” in his decision over three attempts to pass the curbside program, and that he voted down the blue bins twice.
 
But the Mayor was quick to clarify some misinformation that the group had allegedly circulated during its petition campaign. He says a Facebook post from February 10, 2015, with eight points why he voted against blue bins the month before, had been shortened by the committee down to five points without his permission and handed out to residents, which did not accurately represent his views.
 
“In my view, that’s unethical, that’s twisting the information to support your point of view. Initially, my preference was to go green (organics) bins first because it would have the best environmental impact, and then blue bins. So I supported green bins, proposed a resolution, that resolution lost, then I opposed the blue bins because I felt the green bins was the way to go.
 
“The second time blue bin came up, I supported the proposal because it’s better to do something than to do nothing to make improvements. That resolution also lost at council,” Mayor Spearman continued. “But the third time it came forward, it was successful by a significant margin, 8-1… I didn’t do a flip flop on November 28, in fact I had voted for it in January, as well.”

He went on to add that the petition did not meet the required 10-per cent of the population support, meaning that Council was well within their rights not to put the issue to a public vote.

Doug Hawkins, director of infrastructure services for the City of Lethbridge, also re-affirmed that total waste diversion has plateaued at about 20-percent, and that the only way to reach the 65-per cent diversion goal by 2030 laid out in the Residential Waste Diversion Strategy was to implement a more convenient curbside recycling system.

Lethbridge currently generates roughly 1,150 kg per capita of waste from both residential and non-residential sources. That is estimated to be reduced to 795 kg per capita by 2021, and down even further to 600 kg by 2030.
 
Plans for a green cart, organic materials system will be prepared for council’s consideration in 2019.