Lucknow residents upset with loss of curb-side yard waste pick-up

A group of angry Lucknow residents came to Huron-Kinloss council last night (May 16), upset that the curb-side yard waste pick-up has been discontinued.

 

The residents are also concerned about lack of proper maintenance to boulevards and private property after snowplows had damaged them during the winter, and problems with the street-sweeper, and have requested the job description of each municipal public works employee.

 

Council has received a petition with 230-plus signatures, supporting the reinstatement of curb-side pick-up of yard waste in Lucknow.

 

Public works director Hugh Nichol was not at the meeting last night but had provided a report at the May 2 committee-of-the-whole meeting in which he noted that a drop-off area was opened in mid-March for people to deposit their yard waste.

 

“While it is acknowledged the decision has been met with a certain amount of defiance,” stated Nichol, “it should be remembered there was also initial opposition to clear garbage bags. Eventually, the unsightliness created by those refusing to adhere to the program and pile debris at the curb-side will subside, as did the refusal to re-sort garbage.”

 

Nichol stated that in the previous two weeks (prior to the May 2 report), the public works department had removed 10 tandem loads from the containment area, and had received inquiries about expanding the depot for composting.

 

“The amount of material being deposited on-site leads us to believe the program is working,” stated Nichol. “As for the boulevard damage, it is a common occurrence, although it may be more pronounced this year as the ground never completely reached a frozen state during the past winter, allowing snow-clearing equipment to excavate deeper into the soil base. As always, the issue will be addressed when time permits as part of our spring clean-up program.”

 

The delegation last night included Norm Morris, who sent the initial letter to council April 18, along with Delores Sokoloski and Alvery Hayes.

 

Morris admitted that since he wrote that letter, he has seen the township works department out fixing the damage to the boulevards and property. But he still wants to see the curb-side yard waste pick-up service reinstated, so people who don't have trucks or don't drive, can maintain their property and keep it tidy. He also questioned why the public works director was not in attendance.

 

“The first meeting of the month is committee-of-the-whole - that's the one that all our directors attend,” said mayor Mitch Twolan. “Staff recommendations come to council, they are discussed and then council makes decisions which later come to the council meeting - the third Monday of the month.”

 

Sokoloski echoed Morris' statements, saying the lack of curb-side yard waste pick-up makes it difficult for residents who cannot drive to the depot or who want to comply but can't get the bundles of branches and debris into their vehicle.

 

“The decision to stop this service has resulted in a lot of unhappy ratepayers,” she said. “The municipality's mission statement states, 'The township aims to continually increase the quality and quantity of services as we move forward together.' Discontinuing this widely-used service is a step backward.

 

“What do we gain by stopping this service? If it's cost, we could do pick-up every second week or once a month. Council and public works should revisit this decision and fulfill the needs of the residents of the village.”

 

Hayes said there is a large percentage of seniors in Lucknow who need this type of service in order to keep their property clean and tidy.

 

“We've had this service for many years,” he said. “Now, we'll have to pay a private company to remove our yard waste.”

 

He also chastised council for not allowing public input on the issue. “That's wrong,” he said, “there's no way around it.”

 

Councillor Jim Hanna said it was strictly a budget item; the township could not afford the cost to provide this service in Lucknow when other parts of the municipality do not have the same service available.

 

“We have budgeted $40,000 to clean up the entire township,” said Twolan. “In order to provide curb-side yard waste pick-up, we would have to hire another public works employee. At budget time, we were trying to find ways to save money."

 

“If we reinstate it for Lucknow, we would have to provide it for the whole of Huron-Kinloss,” said Hanna. “It has to be the same for everybody.”

 

Jane Nielsen of Lucknow, who was not listed as part of the delegation but spoke anyway, said that former public works employee Gary Austin and his crew always provided this service.

 

“You could have sent out a memo, saying you were considering discontinuing this service,” she said. “That's what we're talking about here - respect and proper communication.”

 

Twolan agreed that should have been done.

 

Council said the concerns from this meeting will be sent to Nichol who will bring forward a report at the June 6 committee-of-the-whole meeting.