County Transfer Stations Avoid the Axe for Now

Cumberland Municipal Council continues to slog through an arduous review of how it governs and the services it provides. It is a tough agenda with deep questions that challenge the status quo and beg serious change.

Councillors faced a marathon meeting yesterday dealing with the way it taxes residents and how it can ensure maximizing services while limiting costs.

For the fourth meeting council wrestled with the growing cost of waste management. Staff reports suggested a number of overlapping services might be trimmed, particularly the county’s three transfer stations.

Three options have been considered, including the elimination of the stations, covering the cost through user pay, or charge an area rate in the district where the stations are located.

All three options are fraught with negatives. Councillors fear closing the stations might lead to an increase in uncontrolled, illegal dumping. To charge for dumping service, council would have to spend heavily to provide weigh scales, power, internet service, and staff. And the idea of an area rate is awkward and some think unfair to charge a local community for dumping that would be widely used by people outside the district.

Two other wrinkles allowed council to defer their decision last night. The county will undergo a review of its electoral boundaries, likely reducing the number of districts. But more than that, the province is considering a major review of environmental laws and some feel new regulations would likely outlaw current transfer stations.

In light of that uncertainty, Council agreed with Don Fletcher's motion to wait another year to see how the provincial report shakes out and the boundary review impacts the areas served by the transfer stations.

Council will be looking at similarly thorny issues over the next three months as they consider fire protection, police services, their organizational structure, and the current tax system.

Council has set aside four dates for financial planning with a view to striking a budget by May 15th.