GORE BAY-GORDON – While the Town of Gore Bay is exploring options for garbage pickup in the town, the municipality of Gordon/Barrie Island will continue to use the transfer station and continue with an agreement with Green for Life (GFL).
This comes after councils for both communities had the opportunity to review a recommendation that had been made by the transfer station committee on a proposal from GFL for the transfer of waste collection and transfer from the municipal transfer station site to Dodge Haulage in Espanola, at meetings last week.
“We are going to remain status quo, and our residents will be able to continue to use the transfer station site,” Lee Hayden, reeve for Gordon/Barrie Island told The Expositor last Thursday. As has been reported, “the Town of Gore Bay is exploring other options right now. In September the bag collection count (by the transfer station attendant) for users of the transfer station will be done. Then it is expected they (Gore Bay) will be making a final decision on the option they are going to take at that point.”
“Obviously it is their decision,” said Reeve Hayden. “We are going to continue the present system, and we’re waiting on the data from the garbage bag study that should provide an indication (of how much garbage is accumulated in both Gore Bay and Gordon/Barrie Island) and we can look at this.”
As has been reported previously, one of the concerns of Gore Bay is that currently the town pays a larger share of the costs of the transfer station operation than Gordon/Barrie Island. However, the town feels that more garbage is collected from residents (both permanent and seasonal) in Gordon/Barrie Island than Gore Bay during the entire year.
“If it is found that we (Gordon/Barrie Island) are not paying our fair share of the costs then we would have to look at altering the amount we are paying,” said Reeve Hayden.
At a Gore Bay council meeting last week, council considered and passed two recommendations made by its general government committee. The motion reads, “that the transfer station committee approves the proposal as received from GFL for the transfer of waste collection and transfer from the municipal transfer station site to Dodge Haulage with the addition of a termination clause for 30 days or as negotiated with GFL and for a 12- month term.”
The second motion reads, “that due to extenuating circumstances the transfer station approve hiring Brian Martin to fill the temporary vacant position at the transfer station to be terminated by September 15, 2021. Further, he begins employment immediately under the supervision of Roger Chenard, transfer station superintendent.”
Mayor Dan Osborne said, “we sent out an RFP (request for proposal) for our waste contract and GFL was selected.”
The waste collection and transfer station RFP results were circulated and reviewed by the committee. Only one proposal was received correctly as stated in the RFP. GFL proposals are as follows: general waste $685 per trip; co-mingle $300 per trip; cardboard $550 per trip; and a 10 percent fuel surcharge. Council was told all the rates are the same as previously except for general waste which was $700 per trip. Co-mingle would also include full acceptance of plastics No.1-No.7 as part of the agreement.
The same issues were discussed at a Gordon/Barrie Island council meeting the next evening. Councillor John Turner, a member of the transfer station committee said, “there was an RFP put out for removal of waste from the transfer station and shipping this to Dodge Haulage in Espanola. GFL was the only company that bid and the pricing wasn’t out of line, basically it is the same as we are paying now.”
The committee accepted the RFP, said Councillor Turner. However, “Gore Bay is proceeding to look at the option of having their own garbage pickup. They are going back to GFL to request that they approve the termination clause. I’m not sure how this will be received (by GFL), but they (GFL) will also be in the running for the town curbside garbage pickup. Gore Bay is hoping to have a decision made very soon on what they are going to do.”
“For us (Gordon/Barrie Island) things will be status quo,” said Councillor Turner. “Maybe we should contact GFL to discuss the process for us, if Gore Bay goes on their own.”
Councillor Marian Hester asked if Gordon/Barrie Island would be on the hook for the costs of
GFL continuing to provide services to the municipality if the Town of Gore Bay opts out of continuing to use the transfer station.
Councillor Turner said, “there are a lot of people that own property in both Gore Bay and Gordon/Barrie Island. We were to notify them (GFL) and have them get back to our administration about discussing this.”
Council accepted the minutes and recommendations from the transfer station committee.
“At the end of the day, regardless of the decisions that are made there will be no interruption of services for residents of Gordon/Barrie Island,” continued Reeve Hayden. He said if the town opts out of continuing to use the transfer station, “At this point we’re not certain if our costs would change or increase (if the town opts out).”
