County council on Sept. 24 approved a resolution from its solid waste services committee that will see Hillsburgh transfer station open a third day a week.
That move came after a request several months ago to have the service available more often because Saturdays are busy at that station.
But, committee chairman Bob Wilson admitted of the extra day, “I’m not sure it will help [with] Saturdays. We’re in the throes of trying to improve the situation.”
Councillor Gord Tosh agreed. “I don’t expect a third day to make a big difference” to traffic on Saturdays, he said.
He explained most of that traffic is from commuters who cannot visit the station any day but Saturday.
“If you really want to help, keep it open until 8pm during the week,” Tosh suggested.
Wilson explained the county has to operate under Ministry of Environment rules and that includes time frames. He said Sunday would be the perfect extra day for Hillsburgh, but “the ministry wouldn’t approve.”
Wilson said extra days are easier than adding extended hours, and noted that for many months, the transfer station would be dark shortly after 5pm – and that creates safety issues.
Councillor Rod Finnie, the mayor of Erin, thanked the committee for its efforts, and said the extra day “may make a difference.” He did point out that the certificate of approval for the site does allow it to be open until 7pm.
Wilson agreed, but said the county must be fair to its staff, and the issues with after-dark work come into play “half the year.”
He reiterated Hillsburgh’s station is “a work in progress.”
Finnie said that on Tuesday, haulers empty the bins of garbage collected at the station on Saturdays and it takes just over two hours for two drivers to empty and return two bins. He suggested the station open at 11am on Tuesdays, and close that day at 7pm.
He added such a schedule “may not be as necessary in winter” because people tend to produce less garbage that season.
And, he said, lights could be installed.
But Wilson said for now it is “easiest to just add another day.
Councillor Lou Maieron thanked the committee for adding another day. He then brought up a safety issue.
He said cars tend to line up on the road outside the station, and wondered if there is a way to bring them onto the site and away from traffic while they wait to pay fees and obtain dumping directions.
The county last year rerouted traffic at its Elora station so cars could line up inside the site and off the road.
Maieron suggested perhaps having two lanes operational at the site would also move traffic off the roads more efficiently.
