Council votes to phase in curbside organics program

City council is moving ahead with a city-wide composting program.

A proposal from Coun. Randy Donauer to put the program on hold and have the city look at a rolling out a pilot project was narrowly defeated in a 6-5 vote Monday.

Instead, councillors passed a motion from Coun. Zach Jeffries to send the plans that would see every house in Saskatoon get a curbside green bin back to city administration with the intent of looking at phasing in the program over many years.

“I want us to have a number of ideas on the table about how we phase things in, from longer periods to shorter periods,” Jeffries said after introducing the motion.

“In particular, some options here that really allow us to consider a smaller property tax impact as a result of the decisions we’ve made so far.”

The study is expected to return to council in March.

Donauer didn’t look at Monday’s vote as a loss since his two main concerns were met — getting options on how to fund the program, and how to introduce it over multiple years.

“I think if we can sort out the finances in a way that it’s palatable to our residents, we may be able to proceed,” Donauer said.

The composting price tag was set at $8.2-million, equating to a 4.7 per cent property tax increase in 2020.

Helping council’s decision to ease tax payers with a steep increase is a looming election in 2020.

The pilot project component of Donauer’s motion was defeated largely on the basis that Saskatoon has operated an optional curbside organics program since 1999.

Council also discussed prohibiting throwing yard waste in residents’ black bins when organics is introduced but didn’t land on any formal decision.

The end goal of this continued debate is increasing Saskatoon’s 23.7 per cent waste diversion rate to 70 per cent.

Studies suggest Saskatoon’s landfill can withstand another 40-plus years at the current diversion rate. At a rate of 70 per cent, the landfill’s life-span could be more than doubled.

A revamped trash collection program remains in limbo after council reversed its decision last month on a pay-as-you-throw garbage utility.