Emterra problems prompt angry exchanges at city council

Enlarge Image

Join us here Wednesday as city council votes on issues such as free parking and a plan to cost-share the construction of a new rapid-transit station. (TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store

Related Items

1. Articles

   • Readers invited to talk trash

Members of city council sparred over the performance of new garbage and recycling collector Emterra this morning at a monthly meeting of city council where little in the way of significant legislation was passed, compared to a preponderance of angry exchanges during question period.

Couns. Paula Havixbeck (Charleswood-Tuxedo), Ross Eadie (Mynarksi) and Brian Mayes (St. Vital) expressed anger over continuing waste-collection service disruptions, forcing public works chairman Dan Vandal (St. Boniface) to defend the new service.

Vandal said he believed the program is a success in terms of the amount of waste diverted from the Brady Road Landfill, but conceded many individual property owners remain dissastisfied. Havixbeck mused about cancelling the service, Mayes complained about "Orwellian" city claims of getting back on schedule and Eadie moved a motion with Daniel McIntyre Coun. Harvey Smith to consider the end of contracting out garbage services.

Mayor Sam Katz said the latter idea does not make sense considering the city has contracted out waste collection for years, noting the problem lies with the new provider, not contracting out in general. Katz also said every resident of the city is owed an apology for the poor service so far.

Mike Davidson, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, said he believes the city should conduct an audit of waste collection, with an eye to restoring a 50-50 ratio of in-house and contracted-out service.

Emterra is improving its garbage and recycling service every day and is working on a plan to reach a satisfactory service level, said Darryl Drohomerski, the City of Winnipeg's solid waste manager.

He said there is no timeline or deadline for the firm to begin fulfilling all its contractual obligations. But he said he is confident complaints about missed pickups will drop to satisfactory levels before November, when financial penalties against Emterra may kick in.

Drohomerski urged Winnipeggers to continue to complain to 311 if their garbage, recycling and yard waste are not picked up. Complaints are a key indicator of service levels, he said.

Winnipeg's water and waste department claims the new collection service has succeeded in terms of waste diversion.

The city has collected 3,300 less tonnes of waste, city-wide, during the first three weeks of October 2012 than it did during the same period in 2011, Drohomerski said.

The city has also collected 500 more tonnes of recycling this October than it during the same period in 2011, he added.

In addition, this October the city has collected 2,300 tonnes of yard waste, which will be composted instead of dumped in the Brady Road Landfill, he said.

City of Winnipeg lawyers, meanwhile, are poring over the city’s contract with garbage and recycling provider Emterra to consider whether legal action will follow financial penalties for service disruptions, said Katz.

In another council debate that took place primarily during question period, Katz and Havixbeck were grilled about the delay in revealing who authorized the expansion and cost increase at fire-paramedic Station No. 11 and why.

Katz said it would be improper to inform the media before councillors had a chance to read the report. Havixbeck said a report about the scope change would be released on Thursday and debated at Monday’s protection and community services committee.

Council did not vote on any fire-paramedic- or garbage-related issue on Wednesday. Significant moves made by council included:

• Council voted unanimously to approve Mayor Sam Katz's plan to offer to up to 20 hours of free parking every year in Winnipeg for military veterans. The plan also calls for free parking on the anniversary of D-Day, the Battle of Vimy Ridge and Remembrance Day.
• Council also voted 13-3 to approve a plan to cost-share the $3-million construction of a new rapid-transit station adjacent Gem Equities' housing development. Couns. Brian Mayes (St. Vital), Mike Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) and Russ Wyatt (Transcona) voted in opposition. Mayes asked Katz whether the province intends to help fund the station. In response, Katz said any coucillors who would delay the plan would in effect kill the infill housing project.
• Council voted unanimously to spend up to $100,000 for a new Corydon-Osborne area planning framework.

Free Press urban affairs reporter Bartley Kives reported (below) from the October meeting of city council.