Wed, Feb 14, 2001
By Bruce Owen, Winnipeg Free Press
After a roller-coaster two-day city council meeting on garbage, Winnipeggers are facing an ultimatum: recycle more now or pay more later.
Yesterday's decision on the issue -- after an afternoon of behind-the-scenes arm-twisting -- means that the city will roll out a recycling program for apartments and condominiums on Nov. 1 as well as a new citywide composting plan in April 2002.
But it will immediately begin a review of how to get rid of the 7,000 autobins, and there will be no $1.50 user fee for those who go beyond two bags of garbage per week -- yet.
The problem is, the composting plan, expanded recycling and an education blitz to encourage homeowners to take part will all be done without the revenue that a user fee was expected to generate: an estimated $2.9 million in the first year.
Without that money, Mayor Glen Murray is staring at a $4-million hole in the city budget.
"You have to pay for these programs up front," Murray said. "What we've done is slide back to the old days of putting things on the property tax bill."
Council's decision left city administrators, who have been working for five years on the plan, pale and speechless.
Barry MacBride, manager of water and waste, and Dan McInnis, manager of solid waste, left the meeting saying they'll need political direction to roll out the altered program.
MacBride said without the user fee there is no incentive for people to recycle.
And the outcome of the divisive debate has undoubtedly scuttled Murray's relationships with several councillors.
"It was a logic-defying judgment call," a frustrated Murray said of the meeting's outcome. "Some people are just avoiding making a tough decision.'
The controversial $1.50 user fee could be back in October, however, which is when council will review recycling statistics, and if city residents are not doing their part, they said yesterday they would impose a user fee.
But without the fee as a big stick from the outset, Murray said fewer people would participate and the city would collect $1.1 million less revenue from selling recyclable material.
"Now we have a program that is dubious in its financial results," he said.
Murray made his comments following a tense meeting which saw council acceptance of the original pay-as-you-throw plan go from a 9-7 vote in favour to an 8-8 tie -- a result which would have killed the plan outright.
The key vote belonged to Coun. Mark Lubosch, who saw council support wavering and decided to make a last ditch attempt to save the plan.
"If it was defeated, we would have lost the confidence of the people of Winnipeg," Lubosch (North Kildonan) said. "It was the motivation of last resort."
During debate, an ashen-faced Lubosch had privately told senior councillors he wouldn't support Murray, an act that kicked off a flurry of backroom negotiations in an attempt to salvage the waste minimization strategy.
Lubosch's change of heart came minutes after Coun. Bill Clement (Charleswood) told council he wouldn't support the plan if it included user fees.
Clement, chairman of the fiscal issues committee, said the program could be paid for using existing funds without hurting the bottom line or raising property taxes.
"I honestly don't believe Winnipeggers will pay a buck-and-a-half," the senior politician said. "Why go through all the heartache and pain" if we don't have to?
The result of Lubosch's flip-flop was a saw-off amendment by Coun. John Angus (St. Norbert), introduced in an attempt to save the program.
It called for the introduction of "an excess waste charge" if there is not a marked increase in recycling made voluntarily by Winnipeggers by October.
His motion passed in an 11-5 vote. Murray, Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre), Lillian Thomas (Elmwood), Dan Vandal (St. Boniface) and Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge) voted against it.
Murray said Lubosch's lack of fortitude will cost the city.
"I think if people held their ground, common sense would've prevailed," he said. "We've got to be mature and intelligent when we're managing (taxpayers') money. What's going to be different in October?"
The $1.50 charge, and anticipated revenue, had been based on the experience of other cities which have adopted a pay-as-you-throw program.
"If we have to find $4 million, we'll find it to make it work," Angus added.
Other councillors said the program was doomed from the start, mostly because Murray decided to rush it through in a month without first consulting councillors.
They say the threat of a user fee, rather than a public education campaign, was its death blow.