Wellington North council has deferred a motion to impose fees on abusers of the township’s new brush and yard waste program until a more permanent solution can be found.
On June 6 council heard from a concerned citizen who presented a petition of “over 400 people” who opposed the current program.
Cheryl Edwards, a Mount Forest resident, appealed to council to cancel the new 2016 brush and yard waste program and return to six monthly curbside pickups and a drop-off area in Mount Forest for year-round yard waste.
Council voted 3-2 to change the yard waste program from a 24/7 drop-off location and monthly pickup service, citing liability and program-abuse issues. Councillors elected to have four days of drop-off events and four days of curb-side pick up in each urban area.
Edwards said for many residents that is not good enough.
“I believe you were given very bad advice when it comes to this problem,” she told council. “The people who designed it never thought it through and never realized what disastrous consequences it could produce.
“Under this program where in the world do you think the tons and tons of brush and yard waste that normally would be picked up at curbside or left behind the fire hall in June, July, August and September are going to go?”
While seeking support for the petition, Edwards said one person complained people had been dumping yard waste in a “green belt” behind their house. Another suggested they would not be able to attend the drop-off days because of work.
“My driveway is already filling up with green garbage bags from my yard waste. Are they just going to sit there from June to September right through fireworks weekend?” asked Edwards.
“I will end up parking my car on the street and my property will end up looking and smelling like a garbage dump.”
At the public works committee meeting on May 24, director Matthew Aston presented a report stating township staff conducted pickup in Mount Forest on April 27 and in Arthur on May 4 and they were directed to pick up the piles that met the definition of reasonable brush. Mixed piles were left behind.
On May 9, staff picked up the remaining piles and issued a notice letter to the resident. Approximately 250 letters were issued.
The letter stated the township had changed its pickup program and was picking up waste as a courtesy.
“Unfortunately, the pile left for pick-up at your property does not comply with the new rules … this will be the last time non-compliant waste will be picked up by municipal staff,” states the letter. “Furthermore, council may consider a service fee if non-compliant roadside disposal continues to be an issue at this residence.”
Edwards told council the letter “borders on bullying.” She urged councillors to cancel the new program.
“This program is wrong and needs to be stopped – you are not meeting the needs of the people of Mount Forest who elected you by continuing with this program and I ask you to consider my previously stated proposal,” said Edwards.
Her address was met with applause from many members of the gallery.
Councillor Sherry Burke, who originally voted against the change in the program, said council needs to have a discussion about the program, adding, “I think we should do something sooner rather than later.”
Mayor Andy Lennox said the issue was on the agenda for the upcoming public works committee on June 21, but Edwards said in the meantime “my garbage is just piling up – what can I do with it?”
“I think we’ve already listed some of the options we have to deal with it,” said Lennox. “I recognize that’s not the desirable outcome.”
He added, “This decision did not come about overnight, this has been a year in the works and we did have public meetings and we listened to what people had to say, we tried to balance the problems that we’re trying to address with the needs.”
Lennox added, “I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t think we necessarily got it right, but it does take some time to work through, addressing the issue to try to make it better.”
Later in the meeting, council voted to defer a motion to instate a fee to those who abuse the program.
“I don’t support that motion. I think that we need to go back and look at the decision that was made and come up with alternatives,” said Burke.
“I think that we’ve done a disservice to our community … if the program continues on the way it is, I believe that we will incur more costs than we anticipated with the change and probably incur more cost than what the old original program cost us before.”
Lennox asked councillors to defer it until they figure out what to do with the program.
Councillor Steve McCabe agreed, “We got to get it right, or at least as close to right as we can get.”
Councillor Dan Yake was absent.
Currently, Wellington North is the only municipality in the county that offers regularly-scheduled yard waste collection.
County waste facilities offer brush and yard waste disposal. With the exception of tree branches, which go to a wood bin, yard waste is treated as garbage and fees apply, states the county website.
