The revised solid waste collection service was approved by council July 2016, new auto lift trucks purchased, an expanded level of service, a third waste stream, organic waste trial funded and completed.
The news release and pending City of Powell River Council approval is to amend the bylaw increasing the tax levy from $79 to $120 per household [“Solid waste program nears approval in Powell River,” May 7]. Some will offer justification of the increase, as replacement for garbage tag fees, however, that adjustment was made in 2017 when the levy of $48 was increased by $31 to the current levy of $79.
The proposed new levy for 2022 is $120 per household per year (5,600 households equals $672,000), a 34 per cent increase in annual operational budget plus $350,000 extra for the replacement super trucks and $500,000 for carts. All for the exact same level of service.
This essential service is struggling. After four years of implementation and trials the end destination is very much in the fog. The project implementation has become piecemeal with no defined financial interim targets and end goal. The new truck characteristics seem to be a poor fit, to achieve the desired financial objectives.
Project direction? A third truck will increase annual operating costs to $1,000,000, a fourth truck to $1,130,000 and tipping fees for organic yard waste to $1,380,000 (5,600 equals $246 per household per year compared to the current household tax levy of $79.
Yet to be clarified: Will a third truck be acquired for the current two streams, recycling biweekly and garbage weekly? Would the modification of recycling pickup from biweekly to weekly require a third truck? Will recycling collection require auto lift and associated carts? Does this tax levy increase include organic waste collection?
I strongly and respectfully suggest that council requests staff to review and modify the SWCP report of July 5, 2016 (table on page four) to reflect the data collected over the past five years. This revised report should clarify operational costs for incremental service change and timing going forward.
Paul McMahon, Invermere Court
Powell River
