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Posted by: belynnpita on 03/03/2009 01:15 PM
Updated by: furlong on 03/03/2009 01:15 PM
Expires: 01/01/2014 12:00 AM

City weighs recycling centre reno plan vs. new facility idea

City council looks at two options for the future of recycling in North Bay.

By Belynn Pitawanakwat
theclaw.ca

North Bay City councillors want to see tender results before deciding to build a new recycling facility or continue leasing from Miller Waste Systems while renovations to the existing recycling centre are done.

The city’s other option is to renovate the existing recycling center. But, Councillor Chris Mayne thinks renovating the existing building is not a wise option and the city should get a new recycling facility.

“My own preference - and this is just my own preference right now - is that if the city does invest in a recycling centre that we own, outright, and put that same money that we will be spending now towards building our own facility and owning it in the long-term,” Councillor Mayne explained.

According to bids received by North Bay City Council, the renovating
the facility could cost as much as $900,000 to a $1-million, a substantial expense for a city of approximately 54,000 people.

If the renovations do take place on the existing recycling centre, the cost to renovate and to continue to lease the building would cost about $2-million, Mayne said.

“You want to have time to advertise or recoup that value over an extended period of time, let’s say 10 years. Over that period, that represents over a $2-million dollar investment that the city will be spending over that period we really have nothing left to show for it,” Councillor Mayne added.

Factors councillors will be looking at include location and land to build a facility that is larger than the one that the city has now.

The decision will be made on proposed tender results and what will be the best option for the city and the facility.

“The current facility has a great bonus of things centrally located,” Councillor Judy Koziol explained. “lf we were to look at a new building and a new place, the land that we found that is available in North Bay is at one end (of the city) or another and that has some drawbacks. The current location we're pretty much limited in the amount of land that we have.”

North Bay does not own its own recycling facility and the city has leased the building for 16 years from Miller Waste Systems.

If the city builds, then it would definitely make it easier to recycle because North Bay would have more space for a garbage collection and full recycling services and a sorting line-up.

The City issued a request for proposals last year.

“I’m waiting to see the tender results as for renovating,” Koziol said, “and what that’s going to cost. I am not confident that the market is such that the prices will come down. I still think were in a bit of boom as far as construction workers or contractors. I think the rates will be up and if that’s the case I think that we have to look at what the difference in having a new facility.”

Land is also another factor the city will look at before making any major decision on whether to build or not.

If they cannot find a piece of land then the only choice that they really have is to renovate the existing recycling centre.

“The benefit if we were to look at going somewhere else,” Councillor Koziol suggested,
“is that we could have more land and if we were mandated by the province to do the 60 percent diversion. For example, if they want to go to collecting wet products, we could not do it at our current facility we would have to go somewhere else or renovate.”

If the City of North Bay wants to be able to recycle properly and to give more residents a chance to use the blue-box system to recycle, then a new recycling facility would be the best solution Koziol added.