St. John's moving ahead with robo-garbage plan
St. John's city council has voted to speed up implementation of automated garbage collection in the city.
Council voted Monday evening to spend $5 million to put such a system in place.
Most council members believe automated garbage collection — the way it's done in neighbouring Mount Pearl — is the way to go for St. John's.
However, Mayor Dennis O'Keefe thinks the investment is a huge a waste of money.
"I don't see the point in putting $5 million into this with really no payback, no concrete payback," he told councillors.
"We pick up the garbage now and we'll pick up the garbage three years from now."
The system would see residents issued plastic garbage bins, that would then be emptied by trucks fitted with robotic arms.
A similar plan was abandoned in 2013 due to financial limitations at the time.
The city's finance committee said it now makes sense to move ahead with automated garbage, arguing that it will reduce workplace injuries and cut back on rodent and bird problems.
O'Keefe was the only councillor to vote against the motion. All other council members at Monday's meeting favoured bringing the new collection system online by the fall of 2019.
"I'm sort of re-convinced of the need for this," said Coun. Sandy Hickman.
"I think we've come a long way and I fully support it all the way. It's a great step forward and I commend this council."