MOOSE JAW — With Moose Jaw’s landfill nearing the end of its operational life, city hall is adjusting how it operates the venue by — among other things — changing the hours and increasing tipping fees.
The landfill’s current summer hours are 7 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Sundays. In the winter, the hours are 7 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Sundays.
However, the new summer hours will be 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. In the winter, the hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
A budget report noted that reducing hours will save $48,000 annually in staffing costs, while in 2025, those savings will be $16,000, with city hall using the remaining savings to implement the changes.
Meanwhile, the standard rate per tonne for residents will increase to $105 from $90 and for non-residents will increase to $120 from $100. Furthermore, the standard waste fee for a half-ton truck or small vehicle will increase to $14 from $12 and for non-residents will increase to $21 from $18.
Also, for specially handled wastes like asbestos or medical, for residents, the flat fee remains at $350 while the cost per tonne increases to $105 from $90, and for non-residents, the flat fee remains at $400 while the cost per tonne increases to $120 from $100.
Meanwhile, with the city’s waste collection efforts, residential recycling fees are increasing to $5.54 per month from $5.44 per month, while the residential waste collection rate will increase to $31.80 from $30.87.
The increase in landfill tipping fees and the change in hours will occur on Tuesday, April 1.
council approval
During its Jan. 23 budget meeting, city council unanimously approved the new landfill hours and the increase in tipping fees. It also approved the public works and utilities (PWU) branch’s request to spend $525,000 to purchase a roll-off bin truck, four roll-off bins and a crew truck, with that money coming from the solid waste capital account.
Council also approved an expense increase to the branch’s landfill operations business unit this year of $456,344, which brings the total landfill operational budget to $1,799,696.49.
More changes
Besides the current landfill, the branch will use this new equipment at the future solid waste management venue after that site — once selected and built — becomes operational.
Until then, however, the municipality will close the active garbage face to the public and implement a drop-off system where users deposit their waste in the bins, and landfill crews haul the materials to the active face and dump them, the report said. This will “improve safety and allow operators to provide focused, controlled lifts of waste.”
“… the closure of the active face represents a significant operational change, which will be communicated to users,” the report noted.
PWU plans to spend roughly $72,000 to prepare the landfill for the drop-off depot and purchase materials to help people navigate the site. The branch will fund this work from the solid waste operating account. It will also spend $56,000 to change the site layout at the waste and diversion depots.
Another change city hall is making includes staffing the High Street recycling depot with full-time supervision from April to October and part-time supervision from November to March, the report said. Further, PWU may install fencing around the depot, which would cost $10,000.
Similarly, the branch will add a second recycling/waste diversion depot at the landfill, which would cost $10,000 per month or $120,000 annually in contractual services.
Crews will add signs at the High Street recycling depot to inform users about the landfill’s recycling depot, its compost bins, and the materials accepted, the report said. The municipality will also include SARCAN in its waste diversion strategy; that entity now accepts flexible plastic, foam packaging and non-deposit glass.
City hall plans to add 4.3 full-time equivalent (FTEs) positions to support landfill operations, services and depot management, the report added, which will cost $254,345 this year and $295,000 annually thereafter.
