Midland’s request for leaf collection unlikely to be approved by County of Simcoe Council
By DOUGLAS GLYNN Midland Free Press April 10, 2013
Coun. Bob Jeffery says a lengthy Simcoe County staff report dealing with Midland’s request to carry out a fall leaf collection only confirms the need for Midland to become a separate city.
“We won’t get what we want. This (report) is the longest ‘no’ I have seen in a long while,” he said of the three-page report that was scheduled to go to the county corporate services committee yesterday.
The town has requested permission to carry out a two-week leaf vacuuming in the fall at a cost of $42,000.
Deputy Mayor Stephan Kramp, who distributed copies of the report to council members at Monday’s general committee meeting, said it was indicative of why the town’s county representatives don’t get results. Kramp and Mayor Gordon McKay are the town’s county council representatives.
“It’s almost difficult for county council to approve this,” Kramp said of the report which, among other things, suggests Midland’s request “would provide vacuum service in addition to the county’s bagged collection service, creating the potential for significant confusion for town residents as well as those from neighbouring communities.”
The report notes that county council “directed that leaf and yard waste collection be standardized throughout the county.
“This direction significantly expands leaf and yard waste collection services throughout the county such that each location will receive nine yard waste (including brush) collections annually (four biweekly collections in the spring and five bi-weekly collections in the fall),” states the report.
“This direction also resulted in the cessation of the agreements which the county had in place allowing certain municipalities, including the Town of Midland, to provide leaf collection services on behalf of the county.”
The report notes that historically, the towns of Midland and Penetanguishene have provided leaf vacuum collection service in the fall annually. However, many years ago there were other member municipalities which provided vacuum service and successfully switched to a bagged collection.
“Approval of the town’s service alternative would set precedence as staff is aware of other municipalities which would also seek to provide alternative services, or seek to opt out of county waste collection services. This would negate the intention of standardization of waste service levels,”?the report stated.
“Staff believes that customer service impacts could increase significantly as previously the county provided bagged collection exclusively in the spring and the town provided vacuum service exclusively in the fall. The town’s request for fall vacuum collection would be in addition to and run concurrent with the county’s bagged leaf and brush collection.
“Residents will not understand that there are separate collections happening and when they call either the town or the county, determinations will need to be made as to what services they are referring to,” said the report.
“There is a great deal of potential for customer service confusion which would also negatively impact the county’s contracted service provider. They could be sent back for a ‘missed’ location which is actually the town’s responsibility,” the report adds.
Kramp was asked if county council votes not to let the town do what it has requested, can Midland still do it?
“No,” he replied. “The county is responsible for waste management, as mandated by the province. That’s why we have to ask permission to continue leaf pickup. If county council says, no, it’s case closed. We can’t do it.”
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