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No cost for cans

With the new garbage truck, each property will receive one garbage can, at no cost
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Cans will be distributed, one per property, at no cost.

As reported last month in the Bulletin, Kimberley City Council has made a decision on what type of garbage truck to purchase.

The City has decided to go ahead and purchase of an Automated Side Loading Garbage Truck and 3,050 collection bins. The total cost of the purchase is just over $478,000.

Since the decision was made, Mayor Don McCormick says there has been a bit of misinformation out there that he wants to clear up.

First and foremost, no one has to purchase a can.

“Nobody will be paying for cans,” he said. “They will be provided.”

The City will purchase the cans and each property will be given one. They will remain the property of the City of Kimberley, meaning if you move, the can stays with the property.

McCormick says he has also been hearing from people displeased about the cost.

“You have to remember that no matter what we do, we have to spend at least $300,000 for a new truck.”

“We have been putting it off for several years,” said City CAO Scott Sommerville. “But we’ve reached the time where we have to get a new truck. Council decided to go with the truck with an arm. It’s quicker, more efficient, and there is less wear and tear on staff.”

Sommerville explained that right now, with trucks that require a person to toss the garbage into the truck, staff is rotated on garbage duty to avoid repetitive motion injuries. With the new truck, and most of the process automated, one staff person will do the job.

There will be some bear proof cans ordered. If you are having difficulty with bears getting into your garbage, you can call the city and swap your garbage can for a bear-proof one, but the decision was made not to purchase all bear proof cans.

Somerville says that a lot of research was done before ordering the cans, including calling municipalities in the area who have already made the switch.

“We originally thought that bear proof cans were the way to go,” he said. “But in asking other municipalities what they wished they didn’t do, a lot of them said bear proof cans.”

There have been issues with the bear proof cans freezing shut in the winter. Also if a homeowner forgets to unlock them, the truck driver has to get out and unlock them.

The new cans and truck are unlikely to be in service before spring.

“We just placed the order and we will have a plan before the switch,” said Sommerville.

“The money for this has been set aside for a few years,” McCormick said. “We have the money for the truck and the cans.

“Before we implement, there will be an opportunity for a question and answer with residents. So be patient until then. Communities have been switching to this system for the past ten years. We’re just catching up.”



Carolyn Grant

About the Author: Carolyn Grant

I have been with the Kimberley Bulletin since 2001 and have enjoyed every moment of it.
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