City of Prince George to Discontinue Commercial Garbage Collection
Prince George, B.C. – A big change when it comes to commercial garbage collection in Prince George.
The City announced this morning its Solid Waste Services division will be discontinuing the practice later this summer in order to direct its efforts to cleaning up illegal dumping sites, litter, and improperly disposed hypodermic needles.
A City report on the topic will be presented to Council at its next public meeting May 30. Council was presented with a summary of solid waste services back in February.
“With approximately 200 accounts located throughout the City of Prince George, the twice-per-week commercial service is time-consuming with collection vehicles traveling more than 100 kilometres a day,” says Dean LeBrun, Manager of Parks and Solid Waste Services. “It is estimated that a total of 14 hours of staff time per week could be redirected to other operational priorities.”
Council recently approved a two percent user fee increase each year for 2016, 2017, and 2018 that will ensure revenues are provided to fund operating costs while continuing to increase a reserve fund for future capital infrastructure renewals.
The City estimates the elimination of commercial service will see a loss of approximately $60,000 per year in revenue, which it says will be offset slightly by the reduction in tipping fees and equipment costs.
It anticipates the net loss will be $45,000 which would be absorbed over the next three years by the utility’s increases.
The change is not expected to affect staffing levels at the City. Commercial businesses that are currently receiving garbage collection services will receive notice in the mail notifying them of the decision including contact information for private waste hauler service providers.
The final service date will be September 2, 2016.
Comments
This is something that the city could of done a couple of years ago yet now I as a taxpayer will now have to foot the bill for cleanup of illegal dumping sites all because the regional district of Fraser Fort George increased tipping fees and I bet that most of the illegal dumpers are people who can afford the tipping fee but are PO’d because local government is nickel and dining them to death.
These same people wouldn’t bat an eye buying their smokes or alcohol but omg having to shell out 6 bucks for dumping garbage oh the humanity of it all
“…oh the humanity of it all…”
Famous broadcast words of the shocked reporter when the Zeppelin burst into flames!
So why would it be recording a loss and distributing the loss over the next three years. The city is either admitting that they are shutting down a money making operation, or does not want to lay off a person who is not working because the job disappears.
something is wrong here.
The loss is every year forever, to cover the loss they will increase utility taxes over the next three years so we all get to cover this loss annually forever. Yay!
Pulp mill road pit just past the trailer court is starting to show garbage there to.
So, to put this in perspective. The city will free up 14 hours a week, that is 728 hours a year. They will see a loss of 45,000.00 per year after tipping fees and running the equipment. So this person working 14 hours per week is earning the city 61.81 per hour. We are now going to pay them not to work but to go clean up backroads.
The 45,000.00 used to easily cover the person’s wages. Now we are out the revenue which will be absorbed by tax increases and we have to now pay him/her to go out to clean up backroads at say 25.00 per hour (I know wishful thinking) or another 18,200.00 on top.
I wish I could run my household expenses like the city does. Take a revenue generator and make it a money pit and feel like I did the taxpayer a good service
“We are now going to pay them not to work but to go clean up backroads.”
Why exactly would cleaning up backroads not be considered work? I suspect it could be more difficult work because each such pickup could be quite unique when compared to waste bin pickups.
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