Depending on how council votes on Monday night, leaf and yard waste pickup in Chatham-Kent might be a thing of the past.
Staff is recommending that all leaf and yard waste pickup services be removed starting January 1, 2021, and that the corresponding leaf and yard waste levies be removed from all residences.
Prior to amalgamation in 1998, nine communities received a level of service that included some level of leaf and yard waste curbside pick-up provided by the Public Works Department. These communities include Wheatley, Tilbury, Blenheim, Erie Beach, Erieau, Ridgetown, Bothwell, Thamesville and Bates Subdivision. The level, frequency and timing of the service vary by community.
Once amalgamated, Chatham-Kent continued to support these services. To date, the service has not been expanded or offered to any other areas of Chatham-Kent. According to the report, all budgeted funds are area-rated to the community with any variance to the budget absorbed by the general tax base through the Public Works budget.
"If council proceeds... and eliminates the service, a base budget reduction of $196,762 per year is possible due to a two full-time equivalents reduction and corresponding fleet lifecycle reduction of three-leaf pickup units of $21,666," stated the report. "The full-time equivalents reduction is not recommended at this time due to a significant number of outstanding work orders that exist in Public Works... Assuming no full-time equivalents reduction, the $475,245 leaf and yard waste levy will be removed from the tax assessment of the residents of the nine communities. $453,579 will be accounted for in general tax base and $21,666 removed from the lifecycle budget."
The $475,245 in savings comprises of $295,144 for labour and $180,101 in equipment costs that would no longer be needed.
If the service is eliminated, all communities would then be required to manage leaf and yard waste on their own properties, or choose to bring leaf and yard waste to one of the several depots located in Chatham-Kent.
Staff also came up with an option to standardized the level of service and expand leaf and yard waste pickup to all communities of Chatham-Kent. However, with an estimated price tag of $4 million to $5 million per year, staff is not recommending this option.
According to the report, the leaf and yard waste pickup service is a challenge to provide efficiently since it is only offered in certain communities at various levels and is not full-time work for any employee at any fleet garage.
The report also notes several benefits of eliminating the service from an environmental perspective.
"Residents receiving the service will be encouraged to adopt best practices such as mulching and composting. On-site composting and mulching enhances nutrient uptake which reduces fertilizer needs. In addition, eliminating the service will likely result in a reduction of materials being brought to the leaf and yard depots, which will, in turn, result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the number of plastic bags that are used to collect the yard waste."
According to staff, the service has been a topic of discussion in the municipality for a while.
"Leaf and yard waste service levels have been a topic of debate for many years within Chatham-Kent, with strong opinions provided both in support and against the service," said staff. "Those residents fortunate enough to receive the service generally support the continuance and often request expansion and increased frequency of the service. Residents who do not receive the service feel that an inequity exists within Chatham-Kent that should be rectified."
