Township turns down plan to provide curbside yard waste collection in Lucknow

Huron-Kinloss council has turned down a proposal to provide curbside yard waste collection in Lucknow.

May 16, angry Lucknow residents came to council demanding the service be reinstated. Those concerns were sent to public works director Hugh Nichol who brought forward a report last night (June 6) at the committee-of-the-whole meeting.

In his report, Nichol states that curbside yard waste collection in Lucknow costs $7,622 for 30 weeks. If that service were offered to the rest of the township, the total cost would be $77,400. Meanwhile, the current drop-off depot in Lucknow costs only $1,900 for the 30 weeks.

A possible compromise, said Nichol, is a once-per-month curbside yard waste collection which would cost $1,250 per event, for the months of April, May, June and October. He said the annual fall leaf pick-up would continue, at a cost of $9,680 per event, and the Kinloss Landfill could be opened in April to accommodate residents, at a cost of $225 per day.

Nichol said the yard waste depot in Lucknow is working. However, he recommended the township maintain the drop-off depot and provide the once-day-per-month curbisde collection for the four months.

Councillor Don Murray said if the service is not available throughout the township, it should not be offered in Lucknow.

"I'm not in favour of Hugh (Nichol)'s report," said Murray. "I"m still in favour of helping residents clean-up debris from a major storm, but not yard waste.

"I understand there are people without a vehicle to take their yard waste to the depot, but we are one municipality and we shouldn't have services in one area that are not available in the rest of the township."

Councillor Lillian Abbott disagreed, saying the monthly pick-up for April, May, June and October is a reasonable compromise, because the residents want this service. She also referred to the 230-name petition urging council to reinstate the service.

"That's only five per cent of the population," said Murray. "We had a petition with 95 per cent of those affected and we went against that. I don't have much faith in petitions."

"What if other areas of the municipality bring in petitions wanting this service?" asked councillor Carl Sloetjes. "I think this will come back to council."

"So, if we restore the curbside pick-up, do we remove the depot?" asked deputy mayor Wilfred Gamble.

"I would leave the depot," said Sloetjes. "It's a great thing."

Council voted 4-1 against Nichol's report, meaning there is no more curbside collection of yard waste in Lucknow. Abbott was the lone voice against the decision. Mayor Mitch Twolan and councillor Jim Hanna were absent for the vote.

Murray also put forward a motion that council supported, stating the fall leaf collection and storm damage pick-up will continue in the township.