Big changes are coming to how residents across the municipality will be dealing with their garbage.
The MD of Bonnyville passed a new bylaw concerning municipal waste collection at their council meeting on May 25. The bylaw clarifies the role of the MD in regards to the curbside service.
“Before there was really no direction on where people had to put their garbage, so the bylaw gives people a definite answer to that,” explained Agricultural and Waste Services Director Matt Janz, “We’re also starting door-to-door pickup in rural subdivisions.”
Up until now, door-to-door pickup was only available in the hamlets of Ardmore and Fort Kent. However, now the service will be extended to the entire MD.
The bylaw, which was passed unanimously, also enables the MD to collect fines for improper waste disposal, as well as to charge residents a monthly pickup fee of $15. The pickup fee will apply to the entire MD, including the two hamlets.
“Previously there was no charge for waste services, so this is going to be new to them,” added Janz. “Now that we’re doing rural pickups, we feel that is an added service so it would be unfair if we charged the rural sites and not the hamlets.”
Garbage bins will be provided to all households in the MD for free. Residents with a high volume of waste can request an additional waste collection cart for a one-time fee of $75. A second cart will add an extra $10 to the monthly pickup fee.
A total of 330 garbage bins were distributed between Fort Kent and Ardmore last year, and an additional 125 bins will be spread out across the MD over the next few weeks.
The MD will now be able to issue fines for improper waste, starting at $100 for a first violation and increasing to $600 by the fourth violation. Fines can be issued for things such as an overflowing waste container, damaging the waste container, interfering with waste collection and disposing of prohibited waste.
“Previously, when our public safety officers caught anyone in an infraction with waste usually they wrote tickets under the provincial acts,” explained Janz. “We’re not looking to put out more fines, but just in case we get person who tries to push our buttons or ignore the rules we now have fines we can implement.”
Prohibited waste includes sharp objects, fuels and chemical cleaners, animal carcasses, yard waste, explosives, electronics, fluorescent light bulbs, car parts, hot ashes and recyclable material.
“We have full recycling at all of our transfer sites and we have full recycling bins at four of our larger bin sites, around Moose Lake and Cold Lake,” pointed out Janz. “We want people to recycle as much as possible.”
Sawdust is permitted if it is double bagged. Lawn wastes including fallen leaves in autumn, as well as most prohibited wastes can be dropped off at one of the seven transfer stations in the MD.
“We have organic bins at both our transfer sites and our bin sites,” mentioned Janz. “We also have a central drop off at our transfer site in Fort Kent.”
Hazardous wastes such as insecticides and other toxic chemicals can be dropped off during the MD’s annual toxic roundup that is happening on June 25 at the Bonnyville transfer station.
Collection day runs between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays.
The MD of Bonnyville passed a new bylaw concerning municipal waste collection at their council meeting on May 25. The bylaw clarifies the role of the MD in regards to the curbside service.
“Before there was really no direction on where people had to put their garbage, so the bylaw gives people a definite answer to that,” explained Agricultural and Waste Services Director Matt Janz, “We’re also starting door-to-door pickup in rural subdivisions.”
Up until now, door-to-door pickup was only available in the hamlets of Ardmore and Fort Kent. However, now the service will be extended to the entire MD.
The bylaw, which was passed unanimously, also enables the MD to collect fines for improper waste disposal, as well as to charge residents a monthly pickup fee of $15. The pickup fee will apply to the entire MD, including the two hamlets.
“Previously there was no charge for waste services, so this is going to be new to them,” added Janz. “Now that we’re doing rural pickups, we feel that is an added service so it would be unfair if we charged the rural sites and not the hamlets.”
Garbage bins will be provided to all households in the MD for free. Residents with a high volume of waste can request an additional waste collection cart for a one-time fee of $75. A second cart will add an extra $10 to the monthly pickup fee.
A total of 330 garbage bins were distributed between Fort Kent and Ardmore last year, and an additional 125 bins will be spread out across the MD over the next few weeks.
The MD will now be able to issue fines for improper waste, starting at $100 for a first violation and increasing to $600 by the fourth violation. Fines can be issued for things such as an overflowing waste container, damaging the waste container, interfering with waste collection and disposing of prohibited waste.
“Previously, when our public safety officers caught anyone in an infraction with waste usually they wrote tickets under the provincial acts,” explained Janz. “We’re not looking to put out more fines, but just in case we get person who tries to push our buttons or ignore the rules we now have fines we can implement.”
Prohibited waste includes sharp objects, fuels and chemical cleaners, animal carcasses, yard waste, explosives, electronics, fluorescent light bulbs, car parts, hot ashes and recyclable material.
“We have full recycling at all of our transfer sites and we have full recycling bins at four of our larger bin sites, around Moose Lake and Cold Lake,” pointed out Janz. “We want people to recycle as much as possible.”
Sawdust is permitted if it is double bagged. Lawn wastes including fallen leaves in autumn, as well as most prohibited wastes can be dropped off at one of the seven transfer stations in the MD.
“We have organic bins at both our transfer sites and our bin sites,” mentioned Janz. “We also have a central drop off at our transfer site in Fort Kent.”
Hazardous wastes such as insecticides and other toxic chemicals can be dropped off during the MD’s annual toxic roundup that is happening on June 25 at the Bonnyville transfer station.
Collection day runs between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays.
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