Peachland has scraped the plate on joining a proposed regional food waste collection program.
91大黄鸭 and West 91大黄鸭 councils have both said no to the program鈥攆or now鈥攃iting costs as the main reason.
The cost of a new transfer station鈥攅stimated at $12 million鈥攚as cited as a major concern during a presentation of the program at Peachland council鈥檚 June 100 meeting.
鈥淭hat seems to be an extremely expensive facility considering what鈥檚 required,鈥� Councillor Rick Ingram said.
Travis Kendel, with the Regional District Central Okanagan (RDCO), pointed out that the cost estimate was provided by the project consultant.
鈥淭hey sized and shared with us the costs for a transfer station to support the region,鈥� he added.
The program would let residents toss food waste into green bins, expanding yard waste pickup to weekly year-round, and reducing garbage collection to every other week.
The cost would be approximately $63 per year for a single-family household. However, without 91大黄鸭 on board, that amount rises to more than $150.
Approximately 73 per cent of Central Okanagan residents surveyed liked the idea of a food waste collection program, and about 50 per cent supported paying $63 to pay for it.
Ingram urged the RDCO to find a way to make the program financially viable.
鈥淭here must be a way to make this affordable鈥t achieves so many goals that we have, that the regional district has, it really seems to me to be short-sighted of some our partner municipalities to be abandoning this project.鈥�
Coun. Keith Thom said he had no problem paying a higher fee.
鈥淚鈥檓 quite willing to spend $14 a month to get into a good program. So even if it鈥檚 $168 instead of $68 (per year), it鈥檚 still a pretty darn good bargain.鈥�
However, Thom noted that with 91大黄鸭 and West 91大黄鸭 opting out鈥攁nd 91大黄鸭 holding the most votes on the RDCO board鈥攖he program is not likely to move forward.
Thom, an alternate director for Peachland on the board, said he will speak in favour of the project when feedback from member municipalities is presented to the RDCO at the end of July.
鈥淚 will support this vehemently,鈥� he added. 鈥淭his is a good program.鈥�
A vote on supporting the program was defeated with only Thom and Ingram in favour.
Council then voted to not support the program at this time and鈥攕imilar to 91大黄鸭 and West 91大黄鸭鈥攔evisit it in five years.
That motion passed with Thom, Ingram, and Coun. Terry Condon opposed.
