Cumberland Wants to Privatize the Garbage Business

The Towns of Amherst, Oxford and the County of Cumberland want to get out of the solid waste management game.

At a special three-council meeting held last night, County Warden Al Gillis, Amherst Mayor David Kogon, and Oxford Mayor Trish Stewart led their respective councils through a vote on the motion to divest the municipalities of the Cumberland Joint Services Management Authority assets, including the landfill at Little Forks. The Request For Proposals also seeks to establish a long-term agreement for operation of the facility in the hands of a private company.

Should a buyer express interest, all three councils will still need to confirm the sale and operation agreement.  A "guiding principles" document outlining the conditions of sale and operation were also agreed at the virtual meeting, broadcast on YouTube.

The basis for this move, according to a synopsis of the proposal read into the record for each of the three Councils, lies with higher anticipated costs due to demographic changes in the region. The document does not indicate reasons why the jointly-managed operation would be better managed privately, only that the municipalities  wanted to free themselves of environmental liabilities tied to the past-present-and-future operation of Little Forks.  The new operator must continue to abide by all applicable laws and regulations.

The proposal calls for existing staff to be retained, with long-term royalties and a favourable tipping fee arrangement over the life of the facility.

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