Lethbridge city council reopens discussions on future curbside organics program
Global News
Councillor Rajko Dodic would like a closer look at the costs of curbside organics collection is Lethbridge.
Councillor Rajko Dodic would like a closer look at the costs of curbside organics collection is Lethbridge.
The green bin program was already approved as part of the 2022-2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget, with the city set to implement curbside pickup throughout Lethbridge in the spring of next year.
But Dodic says he doesn’t believe all avenues have been explored for green waste diversion, which led to him bringing forth a fact-finding motion at Tuesday’s meeting of city council.
“Part of it had to do with the fact that this was something that’s being launched in 2023, and I wasn’t convinced that all the questions had been answered,” Dodic said.
His motion proposed that council direct city administration to report back to the Economic Standing Policy Committee on April 13, 2022, to answer the following questions:
The city has already spent more than $10 million of the $10.6 million capital cost required to construct the needed compost facility, purchase carts and bins for single family and multi-family services, and buy four collection trucks.
Dodic says based on how many people brought recycling materials to regional sites prior to the city’s blue bin program, he believes organics could be voluntary.
But the next steps for council will depend on the answers from administration.