The Okanagan Similkameen Regional District is negotiating to extend its present curbside collection contract for another two years.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
July 20, 2015 - 8:07 PM
PENTICTON - The regional district is following up on a contract option included in its curb side collection agreement to extend the present service an additional two years.
With the Okanagan Similkameen Regional District’s contract with BFI Canada, which is now called Progressive Waste Solutions, slated to end on June 30, 2016, solid waste management coordinator Cameron Baughen presented a case to the regional directors to extend the contract by two more years.
Baughen would like to see the contract’s expiry match the expiration dates for curb side collection in Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton and Summerland, whose contracts all expire on June 30, 2018.
By negotiating a new contract by teaming up with municipal partners, the regional district hopes to take advantage of economies of scale and get a reduced price for curb side collection, he says.
A two year extension on the present contract also gives the regional district some additional time to implement a food waste collection service, according to Baughen. The requirements for new equipment to handle such a service could be written into a new contract. Implementation of the new service could potentially take place around the same time, as regional district plans call for a food waste compost site to be established in 2017 or 2018.
Baughen said no other contractors have approached the district expressing an interest in bidding on the contract.
Directors agreed to allow staff to commence negotiations with BFI Canada to extend the present contract to June 30, 2018.
The board will also have to decide who will be responsible for curb side collection when the five year contract with Multi-Material BC expires November 30, 2018.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015