Town of Osoyoos extends contract with Waste Connections by one year

Dale Boyd 

Osoyoos Times 

The Town of Osoyoos is extending its contract by one year with Waste Connections of Canada to assist with the upcoming costs of supplying recycling bins — whether residents want them or not.

The one-year extension to the town’s contract with Waste Connections of Canada was required for the company to take on the supply, delivery and upkeep of recycling carts in town for the next five and a half years.

Osoyoos town council voted on Feb. 21 to rent the carts from Waste Connections of Canada, which requires a one-year extension of their contract with the town — extending the contract for a total term of eight years , which would now expire in July 2026.

• Read more: Osoyoos council begrudgingly votes to rent recycling bins

Osoyoos residents will soon be required to use 65-gallon carts beginning July 1, 2020 at a roughly $40 per year cost to each taxpayer — as blue bags for recycing will no longer be accepted.

The one-year extension was to “cover the capital costs to Waste Connections to supply all the carts,” said Jared Brounstein, director of operational services.

Should the town not extend the contract, Waste Connections would have the option of not supplying the carts, or increasing the cost.

“So instead of us currently paying $3.65 per month, per cart, per customer, they may raise their rates in order to do cost recovery in a lower term (if the town does not extend the contract),” Brounstein said.

Mayor Sue McKortoff noted residents have raised concerns around the recycling carts and the jump in recycling fees in town, however, council voted unanimously to extend the contract Monday.

At the special meeting held in February, Brounstein explained that due to contracts with Recycle BC and low buy-in on recycling from residents, the town’s hands are essentially tied.

While residents of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) are able to use cardboard boxes and other alternatives, rather than requiring recycling carts, the same option is not available to the Osoyoos residents — which according to Recycle BC have not bought in to recycling programs at the same rate as RDOS residents.

“What (Recycle BC) have come back and told this community is that our recycling use isn’t high enough, and (the town) shall provide a bin to each property owner,” Brounstein told council in February.