Backlash prompts recommendation for targeted return to alley cart collection
By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on October 21, 2022.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com More than 1,700 homes may see a return to lane collection of their garbage and recycling carts.City council, acting as the Economic Standing Policy Committee on Wednesday, voted by a 6-2 motion to recommend a targeted return to lane collection in a way that addresses many concerns expressed by residents.
One year after the relocation was finished, administration is being asked to report back to council with the outcomes of the relocation and make appropriate recommendations. Those would include utility rate adjustments and the operational budget.
The SPC made the recommendation following a presentation by Steve Rozee, general manager of Waste and Recycling during the SPC’s afternoon session.
Mayor Blaine Hyggen and councillor John Middleton-Hope voted against the motion.
Rozee’s report said relocation of carts from the back lane to the front of homes allowed the WRU to save on collection costs including staff and equipment hours while reducing the financial liability for such things as snow and ice control in lanes.
It also decreased the number of lanes that were subject to premature degradation because of the weekly use by heavy equipment. The report said an operational review by KPMG recommended the department continue with the project and reach the original target of 75 per cent of front collection. The relocation project was put on hold in 2021 until the completion of the curbside organics collection program.
The report said lane collection is generally less efficient than front pick-up and that surveys show no option satisfies everyone.
A targeted survey sent to 3,869 households that ran from June 20 until July 24 generated 625 responses for a total of just over 16 per cent of total recipients.
Of those, 398 or 63.7 per cent were unhappy with front collection compared to 161 (25.8 per cent) who were happy and 66 or 10.6 per cent who were neutral.
A total of 401 – 65.2 per cent – said moving back to lane collection would be positive.
The report presented to the SPC said the move to more automatic collections has lowered employee injuries and that third party claims are 50 per cent higher in lanes than in front on a per-stop basis.
Joel Sanchez, director of Infrastructure Services for the City, told the SPC there are also safety concerns for residents in alleys. People and children could be hit by garbage trucks, which he says has occurred in other communities.
In response to a question from Councillor Jeff Carlson, Sanchez said alley design has changed dramatically and now allows for the type of traffic that occurs with equipment.
Councillor Belinda Crowson called the targeted return a middle ground that satisfies residents’ concerns while enabling the City to operate as efficiently as possible. And she said there will still be cost savings.
Hyggen said he’d heard from hundreds of residents about the issue and couldn’t support the resolution. Follow @albeebHerald on Twitter 4
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