Brady landfill recycling-depot opening delayed again

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This article was published 26/11/2015 (3948 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The opening of the Brady landfill recycling depot has been delayed again.

Officials from the water and waste department told councillors on the finance committee that the project will now open mid-January.

The project was supposed to open this summer but officials blamed heavy rains in the spring for a delay that pushed the opening to September — and then the opening was delayed again to November.

Moira Greer, acting director of water and waste, said Thursday the opening is set for Jan. 18.

Greer said the ground was too wet for the asphalt to be laid down, which prompted Coun. Janice Lukes to wonder why the rains delayed only this project, while roadwork was able to continue.

Randy Park, acting manager of solid waste, said surface conditions at the landfill property — bare dirt — are much different than road conditions and were more severely impacted by the rain.

Park said the road network is complete but the collection facilities are still to be built.

Dumping fees to increase

The Brady recycling depot is being constructed on a 12-acre site south of the current landfill entrance.

Other depots are planned: next year on the city’s Pacific Avenue complex; and in 2017 on Panet Road. The development of a fourth site depends on public demand.

The Brady depot features an interior road network linking 14 separate collection facilities: yard waste, bicycles, blue cart recyclable, cardboard, household hazardous waste, auto batteries, propane tanks, electronic waste, scrap metal, lumber, appliances, construction rubble, tires and oversized plastic.

Homeowners will be required to deposit anything that doesn’t fall into one of the 14 category facilities into garbage bins at the end of the route.

Coun. Marty Morantz said he was concerned about the project staying on budget. Morantz said the city had budgeted $16.7 million for the construction of four super recycling depots, but the Brady project ended up costing $5 million, which would mean a total price of $20 million for all four.

Greer said the Brady location has a higher pricetag because it includes the purchase and installation of vehicle weigh scales, which aren’t included in the other sites.

Greer said the Brady depot is designed to eliminate private individuals from taking their waste to the top of the landfill. Instead, that waste will be now taken to a location within the recycling depot site.

Commercial haulers will continue to use the existing weigh scales and route to the top of the landfill.

Dropoffs at the depot will be without charge but, to cover the cost, the city has increased the residential dumping fee from $11 (for up to 500 kilograms) to $15 (for up to 245 kilograms), rising to $61 per tonne.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca