Despite the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) setting aside plans for curbside recycling to do a survey of residents, the Town of Gibsons is moving forward with its recycling plans.
Gibsons council voted in a special committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, July 21, to ask staff to begin investigating the costs of developing a request for proposal (RFP) for single- and multi-stream curbside recycling pick-up in Gibsons as well as for an enhanced depot. Staff are expected to report back with their findings at the September infrastructure services committee so council can make a decision when they go over their mid-term budget.
Previously, council had sought to work with the SCRD in developing an RFP, but councillors were unwilling to wait while the SCRD extends its recycling plans for its community survey and an education program.
Coun. Chris Koopmans expressed disappointment in any further delays.
"My suggestion is that we go look at our mid-term finances in September, see if we can find money to put towards hiring a consultant for all the RFPs to get them done professionally, done right by people who know these things, and move on," he said. "Hopefully it will send a message to the RD that we are going to go ahead with this and if they want to use our RFP information, great, but they are going to have to pony up on the back end. For two years they have been talking about it, and they want another delay of six months."
Much debate came up over how the decision would affect the role Gibsons must play in the SCRD's plans for solid waste.
Under the Local Government Act, municipalities must be part of the solid waste functions of the regional districts they belong to, meaning the Town can still pursue its own recycling options, but it must contribute to the SCRD solid waste budget and pay for any independent waste and recycling services on its own.
Just before voting on the resolutions, council opened the floor to questions from the gallery, many of which came from friends and employees of Gibsons Recycling Depot. Attendees put questions to councillors on why they seemed to prefer a course of action that damaged the viability of Gibsons Recycling as a business.
Mayor Barry Janyk stated definitively that the Town must go through a public process and has a priority to serve its citizens as a whole.
"You're talking about the business of a private enterprise. We're talking about the business of a local government and I don't think that it's fair to this council and to staff for you to bring into these chambers the issues related to a private sector business," he said.
Janyk compared the situation to giving out other work projects without a proper public tender.
"It compromises the ability of this council to do its job in an equitable and fair manner providing the best service possible for the lowest possible dollar," he said.
