Minden Hills council and a longtime waste disposal company argued over the contractor’s requests for the municipality to adjust its practices.
Garbutt Disposal owner Jim Garbutt presented at the township council meeting Sept. 26, as a follow-up to a presentation he made May 30. He said the municipality had not taken much action regarding his presentation, despite him expressing the need for a quick response.
Although the township started paying a new $100 per tonne cardboard processing fee proposed by Garbutt, he said no official word came back from council about it. He also offered a list of issues that remain unresolved, such as his idea to have the municipality take over the Lochlin facility and his need for space at the landfill should the facility close this fall.
“From May 30 to this day, I never heard one thing develop,” Garbutt said. “Got paid for $100 a tonne but nobody told me I was really getting paid. But the only reason we continued was if we stopped, the township would be a mess.”
Garbutt also expressed issues he has had with staff and “misinformation” he received. He said staff had disallowed him dumping his garbage packer on Friday afternoons when the landfill was open, which he protested.
Mayor Brent Devolin repeatedly noted Garbutt was breaking protocol, such as going over time and not providing written information about the presentation beforehand. Devolin said the township is working on landfill and waste issues, including plans to hire a new employee for them.
“What we’re not doing is taking an ad hoc approach to cardboard in isolation,” Devolin said. “There’s a grocery list of all of this and we’d like a good, comprehensive long-term plan going forward that’s best for everybody.”
“Not to be disrespectful but I listen to all that and it doesn’t make sense to the general public or to me,” Garbutt replied.
Coun. Pam Sayne said there is a communication breakdown that needs to be resolved.
“This is crazy. Why can’t we get along here?” Sayne said. “I’m getting information that’s contradictory all over the place.”
Deputy Mayor Lisa Schell offered to be a point of contact for Garbutt to bring these issues forward and continue the dialogue.
“All I’m looking for is a direction on where do we go,” Garbutt said.
