On Wednesday, Saskatoon City Council approved Administration’s implementation plan for waste as a utility.  That includes having the fee plans included in upcoming budget deliberations this November.  The process for a variable rate curbside black cart garbage utility to be implemented in January 2024 actually began two years ago.  The utility will include a flat fee for the first six months, and then a variable fee after that for the three bin size choices.

It was not unanimous, though.  Councillors Darren Hill, Randy Donauer, Bev Dubois and Troy Davies voted against the motion.

Hill says from what he has researched, there may be more illegal dumping into other people’s bins or commercial bins. General Manager of Utilities and Environment, Angela Gardiner, answered that the city’s waste bylaw has fines for illegal dumping, although their focus to address this issue will be through awareness and education, similar to what other municipalities have done.

For the first six months of the year, there will be a $9.92 fixed utility rate. Then, the small bin fee would be $3.73 a month, with the medium bin at $7.05 and a large bin, which is the size of the current bins, at $10.58 a month.  This program is for those who are in the curbside black cart program right now.  Those whose garbage bins are the larger multi-unit bins are not included in this program.