Council approves 3-container limit for curbside garbage
City of Ottawa will not implement a tagging system after hearing complaints
Ottawa residents will be limited to three containers of garbage every two weeks after the vast majority of city council members voted in favour of the new plan, replacing the contentious idea of having to put tags on bags.
Tags had been the main feature of the policy unveiled by city staff in early May, but proved unpopular among residents who told their councillors it was overly bureaucratic.
Instead, council ended up debating two completely different proposals at their meeting Wednesday: the three-container limit backed by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, and his previous proposal presented last week that would have seen the first two containers be allowed tag-free, while each extra bin would require a $3 tag.
Some councillors criticized the three-container limit for not being nearly "bold" enough to divert recyclables and organics from the nearly-full landfill. They argued the younger generation might not have been as loud or have sent messages to councillor offices, but would expect decision-makers to do more.
The proposal that featured bag tags fell by a 14-10 vote, which pushed critical councillors to support the three-container limit. It passed by a vote of 22 to 2.
"My concern with the compromise motion, my concern with the three bag limit, is that rather than taking a step in the right direction, we're going to have stagnation," said Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine.
Most councillors said a firm three-container limit, avoiding tags altogether, would be an improvement from the current situation. Ottawa has had a six-item limit since 2007, which is not enforced.
"I think we made a decision today that is a big step forward from where we are now," said Sutcliffe. "I think it's step one in a process. I think all options in the future are still on the table."'
Garbage limit to be enforced
The bag tag policy crafted by city staff was not even discussed at council on Wednesday.
They had proposed providing 55 bag tags to each property taxpayer every year, while selling extra tags for $3 each if homes need to set out extra garbage items at the curb. The overarching goal was to prolong the life of the Trail Road landfill, which could hit capacity in 13 years.
Their curbside waste policy was reworked several times at city hall in a matter of weeks as politicians tried to resolve residents' concerns about the impact on larger families, or the threat of illegal dumping.
The staff solution was among three that failed at committee on June 5 due to tie votes.
- 'Pay as you throw' garbage plan in limbo as debate ends in stalemate
- Bye bag tags: 3-container limit the newest garbage policy up for debate
The implementation process for the three-container limit will go back to council this winter and once a date is set, staff in the public works department plan to initiate a large campaign to educate residents. That could lead to the three-container limit taking effect leading into summer 2024.
Unlike the current six-item limit, the City of Ottawa plans to have solid waste inspectors enforce the new one. It will begin with a phased-in response that includes "whoops" stickers to raise awareness of the rules before bags are simply left on the curb.
If a resident is a repeat offender, they will get a notice of violation that requires them to clean up garbage, or be charged for its removal.
If people have a fourth container, they could pay $4.30 for a yellow bag, which are currently sold in packages of four as part of a pre-existing program aimed at businesses.
The motion defeated at council was supported by 10 councillors including Jessica Bradley, Rawlson King, Laine Johnson, Theresa Kavanagh, Jeff Leiper, Stéphanie Plante, Ariel Troster, Sean Devine, Glen Gower, and Shawn Menard.
Councillors who voted against it included Marty Carr, Cathy Curry, Clarke Kelly, Wilson Lo, Laura Dudas, Riley Brockington, Matthew Luloff, Catherine Kitts, David Hill, Allan Hubley, Tim Tierney, David Brown, Steve Desroches, and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. George Darouze was absent.
Only Jessica Bradley and Clarke Kelly voted against the three-container limit. Kelly opposed both motions as he wanted to see the entire file head back to city staff for more study, but his motion to do just that lost 20 to 4.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
