The township is abandoning a pilot program offering residents assistance with leaf disposal due to cost and lack of participation.
Wellington County’s waste collection service does not include the collection of yard waste or leaf collection in the fall. Yard and leaf waste is accepted by the county at landfill and transfer sites located throughout the county at a rate of $2 per bag, but the waste must be delivered to the site.
A report presented by public works director Sam Mattina at the Jan. 9 council meeting indicates Mapleton residents had complained to staff and council that the landfill sites within the county, “were too far away and inconvenient” for Mapleton residents.
In 2016, Mapleton citizens requested that council consider implementing a leaf collection program for local residents. During the 2017 budget deliberations, council asked staff to prepare a report outlining options and associated costs.
Staff arranged for the public drop-off of leaves at the public works maintenance facility on Sideroad 16 on three consecutive Saturdays in November. The drop off was supervised by staff between 9am and 1pm each day and a fee of $2 a bag was charged, equivalent to the county fee.
Mattina’s report indicates a total of $38 in fees was collected over the three Saturdays. Program labour, advertising and equipment cost a total of $707.
“The results and lack of participation clearly indicate that such a service is not required within Mapleton Township,” the report states.
“Township staff will continue to educate and refer residents who inquire about leaf collection services to Wellington County Solid Waste Services, for information on county landfill facility locations.”
Councillor Marlene Ottens noted a mild fall meant that many leaves were still on the trees when the collection period was held.
“It was just a weird year that way,” she stated.
Ottens added those without land on which to disposes their leaves wouldn’t necessarily have a truck to take them to the maintenance facility either.
“So it’s kind of an unhelpful way to do it,” she pointed out, adding a curbside pickup at the end of November might be more useful. But I can imagine the cost of that,” she acknowledged.
Ottens asked Mattina if staff received any feedback on what type of program residents wanted.
“No. We did not get any feedback and we did not get any public comment,” said Mattina. “We had a few residents show up to drop off their leaves and most of the day, (during) the hours that council had asked staff to be present, there was no activity.”
Mayor Neil Driscoll said the province’s Waste Free Ontario Act may eliminate the option of landfilling organic matter such as leaves.
“It could come down the pipeline that the ministry actually tells the county that we can’t put what they call organics in the dump anymore. So here we could be building up a leaf collection program but we have nowhere to take the leaves,” he explained.
“Thanks for trying to put the program on,” Driscoll told staff. “It was an idea brought to us by a delegation and we responded.
“Frankly, here in a rural municipality, it would be better if we could train people how to use their leaves rather than say ‘take them away for us.’”
Council accepted a staff recommendation not to renew the program in 2018.
