Comments & Questions about Curbside Pickup

Comments up to August 2017

Will curbside pickup include recycling? If so, what will there be a charge for recycling pickup?

Curbside pickup will include recycling. Recycling pickup will likely account for about 5 -10% of the total amount residents in the service area pay. The majority of recycle pickup costs will be covered by resale of recyclables and provincial grants.

A comment rather than a question

Many residents refer to the private services that are currently available in the R.M. for curb side pick ups, as a reasonable alternative. We received such private service for over a decade. But a few years ago, switched to moving our own waste using the RM landfill sites. A small factor was the cost comparison. But the primary reason was that the private contractor was not equipped to pick up waste and recyclables separately. All waste in one bag ended up in landfill ; and defeated our commitment to the environment and responsible waste management. I know that many of my neighbours were not aware of this; and fairly assumed that private curb side was a fair solution. It is not. We had looked for a contractor who picked up waste and recyclables separately and could not find one in our area. (Hwy 202) I respectfully urge the RM should keep reinforcing the limitation of private curb side service. Convenient yes, but not environmentally friendly, at all. And furthermore, the curb side pickup fees are at least triple the annual fees, now projected, for the proposed RM delivered curb side service ($60-$100). Thank you, M.Terhoch

What will be allowed for garbage curbside pickup, as in the items that will be accepted?

Hi. We don’t know for sure at this point as we need to wait to get quotes from contractors to know the options. We don’t know if we will use an automated cart system or a manual system, which can make a difference. In a cart system, the limit is the size of the cart. In a manual system, there will be at a weight limit per bag. No hazardous waste is allowed. We will pick up typical household waste. We will not generally pick up furniture, unless we decide to do an occasional bulky item pickup. It is possible we would also pick up burnables and /or compost.

After we get the contractors’ proposals in November, Council will review the options and pick the top ones, which we will share with the public to get your input.

I have no problem taking my trash and recycling to the Dunning Rd. station. We only generate about 1 bag of trash per month; the rest is compost and recyclables along with about 1 barrel per month of burnables. Will I still be able to continue in my present fashion? It would take us 2 months to fill one of those big roadside bins with garbage.

You are a role model for waste management! If you are in the designated curbside pickup area, you have to pay the special service levy whether you choose to use the curbside service or not. The final area for pickup has not been decided yet. If enough people in certain neighbourhoods are not interested in pickup, they might not be included in the service area.

Nothing is finalized yet as we haven’t sent the tender out yet. The garbage bins are usually smaller than the recycling bins as they want to encourage recycling. Pickup might be once or week, or once every two weeks.

I’m not sure what you mean by burnables. If you mean you burn brush and clean, untreated wood that is permitted. Otherwise by-Law 5-2012, referred to as the ‘burning by-law’ clearly defines when, what and how burning or fires are permitted in the RM of St. Clements. Only clean dry wood or briquettes can be burned in outdoor fire pits or outdoor solid fuel appliances. Fires cannot be used to burn garbage, rubbish, previously painted or treated wood and any fuel which when burned, may result in the release of dense smoke, or offensive odors.

Please note that any person not following this by-law is committing an offense and can be fined $100.00 for the first offense , $200.00 for the second offense, $300.00 for the third offense and $500.00 for each subsequent offense.

Can you tell me how many homes there are in each phase and how many people from these areas completed the survey… (more)?

The RM looked into this years ago, and it never came in because it was not feasible at the time. Curbside and Drive in services are readily available in the RM by private companies that have been in business for years. Your plan states that you would have the tender out by March 2017, This still is not available? Also, I am wondering why, the waste services survey – Preliminary – shows 404 respondents, Proposed Garbage and recycling plan shows “almost 470” took the survey and your overview states “nearly 500” and this is out of how many households in the RM?

Hi. Thanks for your question. We have different numbers reported for the survey as we had taken results and written about them at different times. The total number of people who completed surveys was 476. There are about 5300 properties in the RM of St. Clements and about 10,876 people (census 2016).

For the survey, we roughly divided the RM into 4 geographic areas:

  • South of Hwy 44
  • Between Hwy 44 and Hwy 4
  • East of Lake Winnipeg (cottage country)
  • Agricultural areas

Here are the number of people from each area who responded to the survey (476 total):

  • South of Hwy 44: 204 respondents (43%)
  • Between Hwy 44 and Hwy 4: 123 respondents (26%)
  • East of Lake Winnipeg (cottage country): 113 respondents (24%)
  • Agricultural areas: 36 respondents (7%)

There have been several delays in this project so the tender that was planned to go out in March 2017 has not gone out yet. We are now hoping to have the tender sent out by November 2017. The Phase one curbside pickup is roughly planned to be south of Hwy 4 between the river and Hwy 59 and south of Hwy 44 to the East St. Paul border. The finer details have not been decided yet.

Once we have the results of the Tender we will further consult with the public before any decision is made by Council. The consultation will include emails, Facebook posts, website pages and a public hearing, which will be advertised in the local papers and on our website. Council will not make a decision until after public opinion is heard and understood.

One question: what is the cost of the bins, and is that better or more cost-effective that other pickup systems …(more)?

Great initiative. I have always been embarrassed that the recycling rate in St. Clements was so low, and this is a great step forward for us in the southern part of St. Clements. I was hoping there might be an arrangement on the recycling proceeds to offset the cost of garbage pickup, and my experience in running the Province’s recycling program in buildings for the past 22 years tells me there should be a good and affordable solution. I found that getting weight statistics was near impossible as the recycling trucks have no built-in scale system, but this does need to be measured to judge program success. Vandalism is a concern here. Thanks and I hope you can get this underway quickly and cost effectively. Gerry Shuster

Our studies and consultants strongly suggest that using bins is the most cost effective approach. There were many conversations about using a bag system or creating several depots. With that said, the tender document was being written in a manner that allows for the contractor to be creative and provide the most efficient system possible.

What percentage of property owners responded to the curb side collection survey by area? Do they know that this service is currently available through private enterprise? If this goes through can you opt out of the service?

Here is the breakdown of survey responses by area:

East of Lake Winnipeg (eg. Patricia Beach, Grand Marais, Gull Lake): 24%
Between Highway #44 and Highway #4 (eg. East Selkirk, St. Peters Road): 25%
South of Highway #44: 44%
Agricultural area: 7%
We have no way of knowing who is aware of private pickup services that are available.

If curbside pickup is implemented and you live in the service area, you will not be able to opt out of the service.

What kind of fees or additional taxes are you projecting for this time of service?

We are projecting a cost of between $60 to $100 dollars per year for curbside pickup.

Participating in the curb side garbage and recycling pickup (in the designated areas), should not be optional… (more)

If the plan requires op-in at a cost, then there will be those that continue to burn garbage and annoying neighbours with smoke and ash debris. If the garbage pickup cost is applied to ALL the residents in a designated area, the per household cost will be less and will eliminate the garbage burning pollution. Residents that are reluctant, will participate if they are paying for the service anyway.

If you live within the curbside pickup service area, you will not be able to opt out of curbside pickup service.

Comments from August 2017 to February 2018

80 comments on “Comments & Questions about Curbside Pickup

  1. the map is very hard to read, can you let me know how far south on henderson the pickup will occur. Will pickup occur on danko and old river rd?

    1. Hi Dan,
      Curbside pickup will go to the southern boundary of the RM so Danko Drive and Old River Road are included.

  2. Questions:1

    1. Are we committing to the options in the November 2017 survey when we fill out the survey?

    2. If we check the box, for example, on the survey for “Pickup of bulky items once per year at a cost of $15 per year”, are we committing to take this option?

    3. Will individual households be able to select options later or will there only be a “one-size-fits-all” situation where, for example, if the majority want the compost pickup we all have to pay for it? I hope not!

    1. Hi Brian,
      The survey is to help Council learn the preference of residents. They will likely choose the service option that the majority prefers.
      For the additional options, there would have to be a strong demand for council to implement these services – if you choose an option there is no guarantee Council will go with that service option.
      It will be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Once the final service options are chosen everyone in the service area will receive those services. At this point, it would be too difficult logistically to have everyone have different options.

  3. With the Manual Curbside pickup option, there’s a 3 bag limit and it says the resident must supply the container. I assume then that a container is required and we can’t just leave the bags sitting out?

    1. Hello? Comment still is awaiting moderation. I just want to know if a container is required for the Manual option or if we can leave our garbage bags loose by the road. Due to all the critters we have in our area I assume a container will be required but I want to confirm that before taking the survey.

    2. Hi Jack, Sorry for the slow response. Yes, a container will likely be required for manual pickup.

  4. I can’t determine if Ashfield Rd. South and west of hwy 59 is included my property is zoned agricultural restricted and I utilize private services to dispose of garbage and organic waste there is only 3 other houses on this stretch of road economically this would be an extreme waste of resources and an additional taxe burden on something that could not be utilized properly

    1. Hi Bill. Many of the properties on the border of the service area are questionable as to whether they should be in the service area or not. Once Council decides whether they will proceed with this initiative, we finalize the service area, including looking at dwelling density. Based on your description of the makeup of your road, it would likely be excluded from the service area. Also, if you and your neighbours fill out the survey and express that you don’t want pickup, you will likely be excluded from the pickup area.

  5. I reside in a high density residential complex (Rivercreek Estates – Condo Complex 6940 Henderson Hwy). Is our complex eligible for the program – bearing in mind an adjusted rate & storage containers may have to be considered?

    1. Hi Debbie, we did approach condo management and they already have commercial pickup in place. If you and your neighbours are interested in changing your service I would suggest you talk to the condo board and Public Works.

  6. If the automated service is implemented and the contractor damages the bins, will the resident still be responsible for the replacement? What would be the replacement cost of the bins and where would residents purchase them?

    1. Hi Kim, if the contractor damages the bins either the contractor or the RM will likely be responsible for replacing the bin. The replacement cost will be about $125 and the RM will have surplus carts available for residents to purchase.

  7. my driveway is over 1500 feet long. do you expect the garbage carts to withstand that journey every week? perhaps the one size fits all is not always the best answer. unless the rm will replace the carts at their cost, please explain how you think this could work for myself, and everyone else that has an extended driveway. surely you don’t expect us to transport the container on a trailer.

    1. Hi Rob, long driveways will be a challenge for some homeowners. We are looking at different options to help homeowners address this problem, including having a holder for the carts that can stay out at the road. Homeowners could then drop their garbage in the bins as they drive out of their driveway and would only have to move them a short distance on pickup day.

  8. Whose responsibility will it be if the municipal plow truck/grader hits& damages/destroys the recycling bins?

  9. I purchased land in the area, but do not have a home yet.

    Will i still be charged for this service, which i would not be using as there’s nothing on my property?

  10. What do we do if we have more garbage or recycling than the stated weekly limit? Can we haul it somewhere and if so, is there a fee?

    1. Hi Donna, if you have more garbage or recycling than the limits you can either wait until the next pickup or take the trash and/or recycling to a transfer station or Libau Landfill. There is no charge to drop off recycling. At the transfer stations there is a charge for garbage of $1.25/bag to take it to the landfill. There is no charge to drop off household garbage at the Libau Landfill.

  11. What do we do with special recycling items (i.e. oil cans, insecticide containers, batteries, plastic shopping bags, electronics, etc.)?

    1. Hi Dick. The final cost is $105 per year for a period of 5 years adjusted up to 2% every year for inflation and new housing. There is no plan for phase two unless there is demand for it.

  12. If there is going to be pickup in my area and I do not want the service, am I still going to be charged for the service?

    1. Yes, if you live in the service area you will be required to pay for the service.

  13. I’m Earl “The Garbage Man” As for “private curbside pickup contractors in the RM of St. Clements do not currently pick up recycling” I sent out letters to have weekly recycling pick up,out of 500+ people 14 came back saying they want it,14 people was not enough for me start doing it, So when you say we don’t do it, its because not enough people want it! When my customers put out a bag of recycling I throw it in the recycling bin at the dump I use, so it does get recycled. And as for the curb side pick up if more people in the RM wanted this I would have more customers after doing this for over 17 years now. And out of the 500+ customers I have NONE of that garbage goes to your landfill or transfer stations, it goes to another municipality where the cost to dump is less than half of what you charge at your landfill!

    1. Hi Earl, thanks for sharing this information and being so conscientious with recycling. We have found that some people have misunderstandings about recycling, for example, thinking they have to sort and separate it, which they don’t.

  14. We have paid for curbside pickup in the past which did not work; half the time it was missed or not picked up at all. If you are planning on closing our local waste management site; our family does not want this program at all. We do not want to drive to Libau to dispose of large items and yard waste and do not want all the locals to be burning which is what will be happening, the houses are too close together for that. The option should be available to opt out and not be charged for this service on our property taxes. Also these charged should be kept separate and distinct on our property tax bills.

    1. Hi Jan. We are not planning on closing any transfer stations. If curbside pickup is implemented, we will monitor the impact on their use and perhaps adjust to improve efficiency. Libau Landfill is currently the only place that accepts large items and will continue to. Transfer stations will continue to accept yard waste. Residents should not be burning garbage as that is against our by-law. If you have problems with neighbours burning please contact our by-law officer. If you are in the service area, you will not be able to opt out of this service. The curbside pickup charge will be kept separate on the tax bill from your property taxes.

  15. I am concerned about this comment? “476 people out of 6000 took your survey and the RM makes it’s decisions based on less than
    10% of the people! Something wrong with that. Were 90% happy with what they had and just
    didn’t fill out your survey?”
    I know at the start of your update you stated “565 residents” responded, what is the actual amount of residents that are affected by this proposal?? It would be nice to see some actual full results….and even show the separate areas (esp. south end), I have spoken to several people and have only heard the ones who don’t want the service. If this is not a total picture survey result, please supply all the results, esp. amount who did not respond to survey…something this big should have had a mandatory requirement for all residents to do, like a census, to give a more accurate result….
    Thanks for taking time to reply with answers or a way to find out the actual information I am looking for…

    1. Hi Blaine. Curbside pickup is not guaranteed. We are following a process and the purpose of the survey was to give Council an idea of the preference of residents. Believe it or not, 476 out of 10,000 is considered a fair response by public engagement standards.

      The second survey we did was asking people in the proposed service area what their preference is for service options, including no service at all. There are about 2600 people in the area and, as you mentioned, 565 responded. We have mapped the service preference of survey respondents and broken it down by zones, including the numbers. You can view that here.

      All residents who are affected by this will be fully informed and able to voice concerns and objections BEFORE a decision is made whether to pursue curbside pickup or not. Residents in the service area just received formal notice by mail about the Special Service Plan for Curbside Waste and Recycling Pickup and the upcoming Public Hearing on Monday, January 29 at 7:00 pm. At the Public Hearing, residents can express support, express concern or make a formal objection.

      Council will then consider ALL public input and decide whether to proceed or not. If they do decide to proceed, they will create a by-law adopting the Special Service Plan and give it first reading. This by-law is then sent to the Municipal Board for approval. All residents who made a formal objection will be advised by mail that they can register a formal objection with the Municipal Board. The Municipal Board will make a decision whether they approve the by-law as is, with conditions or not at all and they may or may not hold a public hearing.

      Please read our FAQs to get full information on this process.

    1. Hi Larry. No, all residents in the service area must pay the fee. The properties that will not receive or be charged for service are unoccupied properties, commercial businesses, and multi family dwellings.

  16. What will be the cost of this to us homeowners per year? Are we expected to pay the initial cost of the carts?

    1. Hi Norman. The cost will be $105 per year for five years with an up to 2% increase for inflation and new homes. For 2018 it will be $52.50 because service will only be for half a year. The cost of the carts is included in the $105 charge.

    2. Hi Norman. The cost is $105 per year plus up to 2% for inflation and new homes. This price is in effect for five years until 2023. The carts are included in the fee.
      2018 (6 months): $52.50
      2019: $107.10
      2020: $109.24
      2021: $111.34
      2022: $113.66
      2023 (6 months): $57.96

  17. Will different zones be charged different fees based on total dwellings? or are the fees based to total dwellings in all zones?

    1. Hi Stephen. The cost per person is based on all the people in all the zones who are receiving service, which is $105 per year plus up to 2% for inflation and new homes.

  18. A couple of questions:
    1) I live on HWY 44 just west of Garson. The access road is a dead end that goes past my driveway. How will a truck pick up the bin and turn around in the drive way?
    2) Highways is responsible for cleaning the road. What happens when they destroy a bin? 44 is also a snowman trail. What happens when (not if) a snowmobile destroys a bin? Will I have to replace it out of pocket?

    1. Hi Joe. Thanks for your question. Dead end roads will be looked at at a case by case basis. Most often the truck would use the driveway to turn around if it had to. Another option would be backing up down the road if that is feasible. In extreme cases, we might arrange for the property owner may to take it another location.

      If the cart is damaged by the curbside contractor or the RM, the RM will replace it. If the cart is faulty, the manufacturer is responsible for providing a replacement. Any other damage to carts will be the responsibility of the homeowner, including pursuing damages from third parties if possible.

  19. I have a thousand foot drive way. I have absoutely no intrest in delivering smelly garbage at 25 degrees celcius in the back of my car. If you pick it up at my home, I’m in, otherwise forget this proposal. I will deliver it to the transfer station at my convenience.

    1. Hi John. Long driveways are a challenge for curbside pickup in the RM and we are looking at ways to address this to make it easier for homeowners. We are having a public hearing on Monday, January 29, 2018 to hear concerns like yours from residents. If you would like to make a formal objection to the RM, please send an email outlining your concerns to our CAO DJ Sigmundson at cao@rmofstclements.com and include your name, address, and a description of your property.

  20. I am a single father of one and we live 2 minutes from the dump I drop of what little refuse we have if lucky once a week at $1.25 Ă— 52 weeks =$65.00 per year if im lucky maybe 3/4 of ythe price dependibg in the amount of refuse as I recycle as well

    What is the RM’S justification on charging us homeowners who do not want curbside pickup… At double of what I pay now when I say no I don’t want it and cannot afford it!!

    Also will you be charging agricultural lots as well?

    1. Hi Mike. One of the important reasons we are implementing this program is to increase the recycling rates of the RM, which is one of the lowest in the province. This is important for many reasons:
      – it helps protect the environment as recycling converts our old products into new products which saves resources and helps reduce air and water pollution
      – it will help keep recyclables out of the landfill so it fills up more slowly. Creating new capacity for garbage at the landfill is very expensive and the RM (thus taxpayers) must pay for this
      – the RM is charged a tax of $10 per tonne of garbage put in Libau Landfill
      – Waste Reduction and Recycling Support (WRARS) gives the RM a rebate based on amount of recyclables collected, which in fact is expected to offset the cost of recycling pickup
      – to reduce the amount of garbage/recycling-burning homeowners do which is actually illegal and potentially releases toxic gases into the air
      – costs of managing waste have escalated due to increased regulation, enforcement, transportation and other demands
      The RM is looking at the big picture to help protect the well-being of our residents and the environment.
      Only occupied properties will be charged, meaning lots with occupied homes on them.

    1. Hi Cheryl, if you don’t want the service and are in the service area you will still have to pay the service charge, even if you don’t use it. If enough of your neighbours also don’t want the service, there is a possibility that we can exclude your street from pickup.

  21. I thought that we just spent money on these cards that came with our tax bills, now you want to spend more money on something that you have no business getting involved in . you should be more focused on the water run off ie the ditches , the roads and a better recycling depot as in the old public works building behind your office. When is this going to stop the people that want the country life with all the cities benefits. Im sure there is no way of controlling the tax’s saying that if we don’t live in that area we aren’t paying, because we are as in the wages being paid in the admin side of it. Personally I think you need to rethink where your trying to direct this RM

    1. Hi Doug. When Council took office, they made a Strategic Plan for their term of governance to help guide their decisions. Part of the 2015-2018 Strategic Plan was to review waste management practices to look for efficiencies, implement best practises, improve safety and ensure it is run sustainable while minimizing the impact on the environment. Waste tracking and curbside pickup came out of the review of our waste management. The upfront investment in tracking cards (about $7000) could potentially save money down the road as it will help us become more efficient. We are looking at ways to improve drainage throughout the RM.

      If you wish to object to curbside service, be sure to submit a formal written objection stating your name, address, property description and the reasons for your objection by sending a written letter to Chief Administrative Officer DJ Sigmundson to info@rmofstclements.com or by regular mail to the RM office at Box 2, Group 35, RR 1, East Selkirk, Manitoba, R0E 0M0. Objections must be submitted before the adjournment of the Public Hearing on Monday, January 29, 2018.

  22. Hi Greg. We are projecting that recycling pickup should not cost as the cost will be offset by recycling rebates.
    If you wish to object to curbside service, be sure to submit a formal written objection stating your name, address, property description and the reasons for your objection by sending a written letter to Chief Administrative Officer DJ Sigmundson to info@rmofstclements.com or by regular mail to the RM office at Box 2, Group 35, RR 1, East Selkirk, Manitoba, R0E 0M0. Objections must be submitted before the adjournment of the Public Hearing on Monday, January 29, 2018.

    1. Hi Greg, our website software counts the RM’s responses as comments as well. All 48 comments are displayed.

  23. After having attended last night’s public meeting I believe council should rethink some of the proposed curbside pickup.

    First of all and most important there should be better outlets making it easier to recycle (as in St. Andrews). People are recycling more than the 25 kg / person then stated as they are taking their recyclables elsewhere outside the RM. This will also encourage others who do not commute to do more. No one likes going to the transfer stations for household recyclables. Mostly full on the weekends and limited hours.

    Start off with Henderson South as it is much more heavily populated and the roads are better suited. Also just about doing the subdivisions
    Henderson North is not well suited as there are no shoulders and traffic moves faster than the posted speed limits. The main road through East Selkirk also has this same problem.
    Sparsely populated areas should be left out.

    As far as costs go this is also not realistic. Having been in business and dealing with garbage removal costs go up every year more than the 2% estimated. Increased prices of fuel, tipping fees, wages etc.

    1. Hi Adrian, thank you for your feedback. You are right that at the hearing many residents cared about recycling and make great effort to do so. The actual kg person in the RM of St. Clements is probably higher that what the stats suggest. We hear that residents want more accessible recycling and we feel curbside pickup will provide this. All recyclables go straight into a container with no bags or sorting and is picked up right from your property. A shoulder is not a requirement for curbside pickup as the carts can stand in the flared part of the driveway off the shoulder. As far as cost increases go, it is hard to say. The RM was advised they could only put a maximum of 2% per year by the Municipal Board.

  24. At the meeting held on the 29 th of January, I thought I heard a great emphasis on the Municipality looking to increasing the amount of recycle materials collected to increase the revenue from it.
    If this is a priority for the RM then my suggestion is to provide more drop-off depots in the area and to make it easier for the residents to do so.
    One place for this drop-off zone could be in the rear field of Kitson Ave. behind the Municipal office.
    This is a high traffic area with people dropping off children at school and the skating arena
    and coming into the Municipal offices.
    My question is “would you consider this?” option.

    1. Hi Larry, the RM did look at the possibility of twenty-four hour recycling depots but there were a few problems with them and curbside pickup was considered the better option to promote higher rates of recycling. So for now, that is the focus. If Council decides not to proceed with curbside pickup, there is a possibility they will revisit the idea of recycling depot. There is also a possibility they could install depots in other parts of the RM. It depends how things develop. The Kittson location behind the Municipal office would be an excellent spot for a recycling depot – plus the RCMP office is there so perhaps there would be less likelihood of vandalism or dumping of garbage.

  25. When will the municipality publish the results of the sign-in survey taken during the January 29th meeting? When can we expect to hear what the final decision will be in regards to the curbside pickup?

  26. I live on PTR 44 on the south side of the highway, east of 59 and west of 206. Will I be included in the curbside pickup area? Based on the description of the proposed area I would be excluded but it looks like my property is included on the map.

    1. Hi Stacy, it sounds like you are in the curbside pickup service area. If you received a notice in the mail about the Public Hearing that was held on January 29, you are in the service area.

  27. I was at that meeting, 500 people where there. I did not see any thing close to a majority at all wanting this program? please explain in detail why this by law is even being considered? Why, have you ignored the reasons given why your not collecting refuse from resident you would expect> They told you why, perhaps you where not listening. Nice try but this is a very bad summary of this meeting.

    1. Hi Stan. Everyone who attended the Public Hearing had to sign in. 226 people attended the hearing and of these 148 were opposed, 47 were in favour and 30 were undecided. Public Hearings by nature are intended for people to express opposition. They do not represent the majority and are not considered by Council to represent the majority. 70% of residents want curbside pickup. We have listened carefully to the concerns of residents who are opposed and are trying to find ways to address their concerns. The decision to see if residents can opt out is a direct response to concerns we heard from residents. Council is listening and trying to address the needs/concerns of all residents.

  28. I did not attend the January 29 meeting because of scheduling conflicts. I didn’t realize based on the previous information that there would be any consideration to opt out. I see that council is determining if those who attended the meeting to object would have the opportunity to opt out. If I provide you with my address could my house be included in that determination. That is, can I opt out if the others are able to opt out?

    1. Hi Jen, the opportunity to opt out is for everyone in the service area, not just those who attended the public hearing. You will be sent a letter in the mail on February 22 with a form for you to opt out.

  29. This is a quote from the hearing update: ” …. municipalities around Winnipeg have curbside pickup service including ….. Springfield…”.

    We know a few families in a variety of locations throughout the R.M. of Springfield and none of them have curbside pickup ….. your comment gives the impression that the whole RM is receiving, using and is satisfied with the service.
    As this was your quote; please advise what’s the percentage of the households not receiving curbside, the reasons & are they still being charged – so we can accurately see how this system works in a country/rural setting.

    1. Hi Tracy, part of the research done for our waste management study was examining the waste management practices of RMs near Winnipeg with a similar population to see what works and what doesn’t and how we can improve our low recycling rates and high waste management costs. Admin has also consulted with other RMs who have implemented curbside pickup to learn about their experience, and talked to contractors who service these areas about their experience. Our plan is to provide curbside service only in the more densely populated areas of the RM, much like Springfield. You will have to contact Springfield to get in-depth details about their curbside pickup practice.

    1. Hi Doug, we are planning no changes to the Transfer Stations after curbside pickup is implemented. We will monitor them and see if adjustments might be required.

  30. Feb.12 2018,i was driving into the city along Henderson highway I noticed almost every blue recycling bin down and the contents spilled all over the roadway and in the ditches it was very windy that day.No one was picking them up no curbside trucks in the area.Good feeding time for the local wildlife.I had attended the Jan.29th meeting and this was brought up if they would topple in highwinds no one knows for sure.Also survey should be done in spring as a lot of residents are retired and are snow birds for the winter.One more item as a regular user of are really good Gaynor family library,i have noticed a lot of adults and students using the Wi-Fi acess as most families do not have acces or it is not affordable for them,so as some residents say we should have a mailout ballot,or better yet lets put it in as an referendum at election time.

    1. Hi David, thanks for your input.
      – It is true that carts do sometimes blow over on windy days, but not every time.
      – We did the survey in the fall because this project has already had several delays and the process is unpredictable and we don’t know how long it will take.If the RM decides to do pickup, we want to roll it out in the summer to address the related growing pains.
      – We know that not everyone has computer access and we try to accommodate that by offering printed copies or inviting people to the RM office for assistance with online items. The reality is that over 80% of people in Manitoba DO have access to internet at home (StatsCan 2012), and, as you say, people can access wifi at the library and many other places. It is extremely costly for us to send out regular mail and mailed surveys generally get a low response rate. Our response rate for our online survey is considered quite high and statistically valid. The online survey was a quick and efficient way to reach a large number of people. It was to give council a general idea of what residents want to help guide them forward, not necessarily to reach every resident. We are trying to spend dollars wisely and as efficiently as possible.

  31. I think this is a great plan. It’s less costly than my current methods for garbage and recycling and more convenient. I wish I had taken the survey but I had issues when I tried the first time and it was closed by the time I came back to try again. Thank you RM for starting this process.

  32. To be honest with you I personally think this is nothing but smoke and mirrors , you do want to close down the transfer sites and this is the way your going about it.If you don’t do curbside then you will be driving all the way to the main dump ( which is a long drive so your forced in to the curb side pickup). And the farmers that are not in your curbside area will have to do the same which is going to a pain. so tell me are we on our way to becoming a town or are we still rural cause it seems all these city people want the country life but with the city services. Whats next a dog park! If council passes this they will never get reelected

    1. Hi Doug, the only motivation is that the RM wants to improve our solid waste management system which includes increasing recycling rates and diverting waste from the landfill in an environmentally sustainable way. Curbside pickup was recommended as a way to help accomplish this. It is a complicated undertaking that has many moving parts. We keep consulting with residents to get feedback and adjusting based on that feedback. We are trying to accommodate the needs of all residents.

  33. Some of us want to do our civic and environmental duty by recycling. The current layout of transfer stations is not convenient.

    Is it possible to provide the residents that want the service with a new price even if the number of opt-out residents is too high to maintain the present quote? Those that want it, may be willing to pay more.

    Thanks for all the R.M. is trying to do to try and get a modern garbage/recycling program in place.

    1. Hi Brian. We are waiting to see how many residents opt out to see whether offering curbside waste and recycling pickup is still feasible. We are accepting opt out forms until Friday, March 9. After that we will have a much better idea of how to proceed. I will mention to the CAO your suggestion. Thanks for your feedback.

  34. What is the plan after the five year contract runs out? If there is a significant cost increase, will residents who signed up for the service be able to opt out?

    1. Hi Kim. After 5 years this service agreement will be over and Council will have to decide if or how the program will continue. If Council decides to continue with curbside pickup in 5 years, a new service plan will be presented to the residents. Whether you have opted in or out with the current plan will not influence that future process.

      There has been some concern because the cost for current pickup is low. Part of the reason why is because we will treat this waste without charge at the Libau Landfill, whereas other contractors have to pay a waste treatment fee. It is hard to say what the cost might be in 5 years if Council decides to go ahead, as there are many factors involved, including the geographic size of the service area, the number of people getting curbside pickup, and inflation.

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