How will Saskatoon residents pay for a city wide organics program and a “Pay as you Throw” garbage collection system? Through a waste utility bill, if it is voted in when it reaches City Council. The concept was discussed at the Environment Utilities and Corporate Service Committee Monday. Right now the waste management collection payment is part of your property taxes. The costs for the plan will be forwarded to city council in September, however, it is expected a city wide organics program would increase the overall cost of waste collection services.

The committee voted in favour of Administration determining a time line for rolling out a mandatory green cart program which is currently entirely voluntary. The intent is to expand the organics program from its current list of acceptable recyclable waste. The committee has also voted in favour of a capital project being established to continue further developing a “Pay as you Throw” garbage collection program. In terms of your pay-as-you-throw garbage bin, the largest bin available would the same size as the one you have now. And garbage pick-up would be paid for based on the size of the bin rather than property tax.

Also, the City of Saskatoon is moving ahead with a plan that includes a 1.5 million dollar bill in order to deal with the fire hydrants in the Aspen Ridge area. People in 19 residences in the Aspen Ridge area have been using temporary water lines since January. That’s when the city found hydrocarbons in fire hydrants. Last month the city also found hydrocarbons in fire hydrants in the Rosewood neighborhood which lead to a do not use water notice at the city’s newest Costco in the southeast.  Both items have yet to receive formal approval from City Council.