Watch above: a multi-unit recycling contract was approved by city council but not all councillors agreed with the decision
SASKATOON – The City of Saskatoon has officially agreed to sign a multi-unit recycling contract with Cosmopolitan Industries, a deal which was not unanimous among city councillors.
The nine-year contract, worth $2.2 million yearly, will have large bins provided to every condo and apartment.
The hope is to have residents divert at least 70 per cent of recyclables from the garbage for a total of 3,500 tonnes.
If the goal is not attained, there are consequences which worry Ward 6 city councillor Charlie Ward.
“The risk is that … we’ll have to raise taxes to do this program,” said Clark, one of two councillors who voted against the deal.
Residents will pay $2.51 a month, which covers about half the cost. The remainder should be covered through the provincial government, but the value of those funds is directly related to tonnage collected.
“For me, what has happened here is we’ve gone beyond the question of supporting an organization that does important social programs.”
Ward 10 councillor Zach Jeffries also voted against the contract.
The provincial funds won’t be available until 2015 so the city will have to cover the addition costs for the first few months of the program by dipping into reserve funds, a total of $167,000.
Cosmo will have to hire 12 more people to deal with additional materials which will be collected as part of the new contract.
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