SOLID WASTE
COLLECTION SERVICES
Five years ago, at a Strategic Planning workshop, a Vision Statement was adopted
which included a vision of Inuvik as: “a healthy and clean community where
our residents take pride in their homes, property and public areas”.
The Clean community component of the vision resulted
in Council taking steps to improve the management of the Solid
Waste Facility and the way garbage is collected.
In 2001 a contract was awarded to provide for a
full time attendant to supervise dump operations and provide capping
on a regular basis. To offset some of the costs of operating the
facility, tipping fees were introduced ranging from $25.00 for
a half ton load to $250.00 for a tractor trailer – end dump
load. This fee was payable only by commercial, institutional and
industrial users. Dumpster garbage continued to be picked up under
a separate contract free of charge.
The Town currently services a total of 292 dumpsters.
These dumpsters have been part of the Inuvik landscape for many
years and have passed their normal useful life. Most of the dumpsters
require new lids, paint or are beyond repair. A decision has been
made to purchase 120 replacement dumpsters this year in addition
to 40 dumpsters purchased in 2004. Some of these new dumpsters
may be placed in residential areas where collection by dumpster
may be more practical than curbside pick-up.Twenty of the new dumpsters
were placed in the downtown core late last year as part of a program
to test the quality of the bins and the operation of the hydraulics
in cold weather conditions. Results to date have been positive.
In an attempt to recover some of the costs of waste
collection, solid waste facility management and cost of new dumpsters,
Council at its meeting on March 9 gave first and second reading
to By-law #2290/UTIL/05 a by-law allowing the Town of Inuvik to
establish a solid waste levy. The by-law allows the Town effective
July 1, 2005 to:
- charge a fee of $10.00 per month per dwelling
unit per month on all Residential buildings containing ten units
or less;
- charge a fee of $100.00 per month (6.0 cu yd bin)
or $75.00 per month (4.5 cu yd bin) in Residential (11 units or
more), Institutional, Commercial and Industrial zones.
All levies under this by-law include one pick-up
per week and allow for additional pick-ups at $15.00 per additional
pick-up.
Residential fees as proposed are in place in most
communities including Whitehorse ($7.00 per month), Yellowknife
($11.00 per month) and Hay River ($10.00 per month proposed).
In Institutional, Commercial and Industrial zones
users may request bin pick-up as proposed, or may share bins with
adjoining businesses on a fee share basis. A third option would
allow users to store and transport waste to the landfill at current
tipping fee rates.
For further information contact: Jerry Veltman,
SAO Telephone 777 - 8608
Back to top |
