City officials did their best to answer rural residents’ concerns about the proposed landfill during the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw’s public forum on March 19, but not everyone was satisfied.
City manager Maryse Carmichael and operations director Bevan Harlton responded at the end of the meeting to some of the issues — mainly from Wilda Soper — that forum attendees raised. Carmichael indicated that anyone wanting further clarification could contact her office.
One concern was what the city’s “Plan B” would be if the RM rejected the discretionary use application.
Carmichael said she believed in co-operation and working to find solutions. However, it would be “back to the drawing table” in discussions with the RM since finding a new — and best possible — location for a solid waste management venue is a shared issue.
Soper then asked whether expropriation or annexation were options the city could use to acquire land.
“I’m saying everything is an option,” Carmichael said, prompting laughter from the crowd.
Soper, wanting a clearer answer, again asked whether the city would use either of those options.
“It’s a discussion with the RM on the future steps in what we can do together to have a solution,” the city manager replied.
Carmichael also addressed concerns about possible fires at the future landfill, saying there have been blazes at the current venue, but all have been contained. Meanwhile, the new landfill would have proper measures to prevent fires from spreading.
Harlton then addressed the “confusion” he accidentally created while referencing a public works venue since some attendees thought he was talking about the city complex on High Street West.
He said city staff will still handle solid waste management in the future as they do now. With the proposed venue, staff will separate materials into different areas before they either bury the items or store them. Therefore, that technically makes the new landfill a public works venue.
“I do want to clarify for everybody — including the RM — that there are no expansions beyond that considered in our discretionary use (application),” Harlton said. “It’s not something we’ve asked (consultant) GHD to design or consider. It’s not a report that we have brought to council or the RM for any future expansions.”
Soper then interrupted and asked whether it was a future possibility that the city would move its public works department and bus fleet there. She alleged that he had told her the buses would move there during a previous conversation.
“So, there’s no plans to move transit out to this location,” Harlton said.
Soper interjected again, asking, “Never, never, ever? You’re never, ever, ever (going to do that)?”
Ron Brumwell, RM reeve and meeting chair, jumped in and said the meeting wasn’t about having debates but about gathering information. He said if anyone wanted to discuss the issue further with city officials, that would be a different meeting.
Harlton responded to Soper’s question, reiterating that moving the bus barns is not a conversation city administration is having “at this time,” while he couldn’t predict what would happen in the future.
This new venue will have space for 15 “cells” in which to bury garbage, with each lasting five years, he continued. However, he didn’t know whether the municipality would be using the same technology in 20 years.
The city purchased 159 hectares (390 acres) in total for the site but plans to use 128 hectares (320 acres) for the solid waste management venue. When asked about the remaining 28 hectares (70 acres), Harlton said it was part of the purchase and wouldn’t be subdivided for other purposes.
Mark Parker, a consultant with GHD, responded to concerns about the lack of a detailed design, saying the parties weren’t there yet on the timeline. Instead, the RM must first approve the application before GHD can start on the other steps and develop the design details; it would make that information public later.
Cal Soper, Wilda’s son, then asked how the timeline was developed. However, none of the three officials answered his question.
