It is hard to believe that garbage is once again dominating the attention of the members of Estevan City council and a number of residents.
It was roughly three years ago when Estevan became embroiled in one of the largest controversies in years when the City made the decision to move to automated garbage pickup. Although the decision has proven to be the correct one, the council of the day was hammered for the heavy-handed manner in which they made the decision. Little to no public consultation was held and that led to a significant amount of resentment from the public at large.
It's now 2011 and for whatever reason the garbage battle is still being fought, albeit for different reasons. The latest controversy arose when the City's garbage contractor, Regens Disposal, made the request to move pickup from the back alleys to the front of homes for a one-year trial period.
Regens' owner Gene Baniulus informed council that back alley pickup has become a major headache for his company and has also caused significant damage to his equipment. According to his numbers, the damage is so significant that by moving to front curb pickup for one year, Regens would save $18,000, money that he would give back to the City to facilitate the startup of a curbside recycling program.
Further to that, City public works manager Mark Sture said having garbage containers in the alleys prevents employees in their department from doing their jobs properly.
Those pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears of many Estevan residents for whom the mere thought of having to move their garbage can works them into a lather no matter if a legitimate case for the move can be made.
Much like the first time this battle was fought, it makes the entire city seem small and narrow minded. It also underscores the mistake the council of the day made when they tried to appease the angry mobs by agreeing to back alley pickup instead of curbside collection.
There is no reason the residents of Estevan cannot move their garbage bins for a one-year trial and perhaps permanently.
Some have cried that it would create a great inconvenience for them. However, that argument rings hollow when many of the same people scoff at Regens when say back alley pickup is an inconvenience for them.
Others have railed that a contract is a contract and Regens should be forced to abide by the deal they cut. OK, but at what cost? There are many alleys in Estevan getting the crap kicked out of them. But hey, a contract is a contract.
The most compelling reason is that such a move might expedite the arrival of curbside pickup in Estevan. Yes, there is a bit of an odour around the fact that Regens is willing to give up $18,000 toward curbside recycling when it will likely bid on the contract. Get over it. The fact Estevan does not have a curbside recycling program is an embarrassment for the city. Virtually any progressive thinking city has a complete recycling program and it is high time the Energy City got in step.
Yet, there are still many who can't see beyond their garbage bin and would like to see the city remain in the dark ages.
If we need an example of the damage this kind of thinking can cause, we only have to look one hour west. Over the past few years, our friends in Weyburn have dumped millions of dollars into renovations on the Colosseum, their primary hockey rink. According to reports, the final price tag on the various phases is anywhere from $12 million to $16 million. That seems likean awfully large chunk of money to renovate a facility that was built in 1960 and when one considers the brand new Spectra Place here in Estevan cost $21 to $22 million, it's downright outrageous.
If you were to ask anyone from Weyburn why this was allowed to happen, they'll say it's because there wasn't enough will and foresight in the community and that the vocal minority trumped the silent majority. So because of that Weyburn has a 60-year-old arena, that was never a good place to watch hockey to begin with, which has really nice dressing rooms, a handful of private boxes and a new lobby. And because they spent so much on the renovations, it will likely be another 30 years before they can even consider a new arena.
Is that the way we want to operate here? Yes, the financial stakes are nowhere comparable but it serves as an example of what happens when people think small and lack foresight.
This city has such a bright future but much needs to be done to ensure it can reach the lofty perch many think it can. Fighting old battles over something like garbage isn't going to help it get there.
