ESTEVAN - GFL will continue to be responsible for waste collection and curbside recycling services in Estevan for the next five years.
Estevan city council awarded the tender for those services to the company during the June 26 meeting. The previous five-year contract expired June 30.
City treasurer Trudy Firth noted a request for proposals was issued on SaskTenders. The city received three inquiries, but only the submission from GFL.
The breakdown for the contract is:
- Monthly charge for bi-weekly residential curbside recycling: $11,297;
- Monthly charge for weekly residential waste collection: $12,064.84;
- Monthly per-unit charge for city-wide litter containers waste collection: $3.56;
- Dump service for three-yard trash bins: $15;
- Dump service for four-yard trash bins: $20;
- Dump service for six-yard trash bins: $30;
- Container availability of 30-yard trash bins: $2;
- Delivery of 30-yard trash bins: $85;
- Monthly charge for service of Sixth Street recycling depot: $150; and
- Fuel surcharge is a variable rate based on a monthly national diesel rate.
Firth said over the last five years, the city has had no significant issues with the service provided by GFL. The company has an account manager who is willing to rectify any issues that may occur.
In an email to the Mercury, she said the monthly total for waste collection and recycling will vary. It depends on the actual number of waste and recycle carts being serviced that month, and it also varies on the fuel surcharge.
Using averages for the number of carts and estimates for the fuel surcharge, she said the monthly cost is $31,000 to $33,000.
Firth pointed out this is the rate for the next five years.
"Garbage is a hot topic right now, and prices only seem to be going up, and as we're looking for new places to put garbage, I think this is going to be reasonable," said Coun. Rebecca Foord.
Coun. Travis Frank said GFL has been good for the community, it employs a lot of people here and it has operations here.
And Coun. Shelly Veroba encouraged people to make greater use of the recycling service so they don't have so much garbage.
