Black bin pickup debate pushed back to budget talks

The City of Saskatoon has shelved the reduction of black bin waste collection until November budget talks. The question was raised following a report by the city, outlining approximately $500,000 in savings.

However, during Monday’s Governance and Priorities Committee meeting, a motion didn’t end up being proposed by Saskatoon’s Councillors.

In the report titled, ‘Reduction in Black Cart Garbage Service,’ the money would be saved through fuel, maintenance, payments on collection trucks, as well as selling, retiring or re-purposing 13-14 collection trucks.

Currently, bi-weekly black bin collection starts in October and ends in April, but another option could save the city $100,000 per year.

The report outlined a reduction to bi-weekly pickup of one to two months, which would save the city costs on staffing, time, and fuel. This second option doesn’t bring the opportunity to retire, sell, or re-purpose old trucks.

Confusion in chambers

“Is anybody moving that we’re actually going to reduce black bin pickup?” Coun. Troy Davies asked as members went back and forth on two separate motions.

Coun. Mairin Loewen proposed administration attach additional information on the green bin program, and what the ramifications of extending the green bin program by one month would be.

That was defeated by a tie vote of 5-5, with Coun. Ann Iwanchuk absent from the committee meeting.

Additionally, Coun. Bev Dubois proposed administration report back to budget on the full cost recovery of the green cart program. It was defeated by a vote of 7-3.

Coun. Zach Jeffries voiced his concerns, saying he’d vote down both motions. He believed the report by administration Monday was enough to convince him of his decision on pickup.

“It doesn’t make any sense to reduce black bin pickup at this point. It doesn’t seem to make any sense to put administration to work, at least from my perspective,” he said.

Mayor Charlie Clark said they could have had the black bin debate twice, but council chose to face the report at budget.