Kelowna

Help is on the way for Kelowna residents upset their new automated yard waste carts are lacking in size.

City Council has approved a request to provide a free upgrade from the current 240 litre yard waste cart to a 360 litre version.

"This is a free upgrade that we will be offering this year," says Utility Services Manager Don Degen.

Residents will save $55 on the cost of the cart if they take advantage of what Degen calls a "one time offer."

They will still have to pay the $6 annual fee.

Degen says the recommendation was made after the Waste Reduction Office conducted a 'statistically valid' survey of Kelowna residents after the first year of the Automated Cart program.

"In general terms we had very good response from the public overall. The yard waste program is very well accepted. 85% are satisfied or somewhat satisfied."

He says 82% of people indicated the yard waste carts were big enough for their spring requirements while 77% said the carts were big enough for the fall waste needs.

"The single biggest comment we got was that the bin is too small. So, we have addressed that by allowing people to upgrade their 240 litre to a 360."

For those people that have purchased additional bins for $55, Degen says those people can return their bins and just go with the upgrade.

Degen says beginning March 22, Kelowna residents can go online to the city website and fill out a request form which will be forwarded to OK Environmental Waste Systems.

"They will be in contact with the resident and come out and make the exchange right on their property."

Councillor Robert Hobson says the whole process has been a learning experience for the city and he says they are going in the right direction.

"I think the adjustment you have suggested for this year is a good one and again, I think we should follow the recommendation, try it for another year and see what the response is," says Hobson.

"It's going in the right direction. I know there are a few people who will never be satisfied with a program targeted like this but we are getting the right numbers in terms of positive responses."

Meantime, the city also scrapped the fall boulevard tree leaf removal program.

The program, which was piloted in the fall at a cost of $26,000, was a colossal flop.

Degen says less than 5% of the estimated 5,000 affected residents, took advantage of the free leaf removal program.

"We estimated if there was full participation, we could have upwards of 29,670 bags to be specific of compostable waste that could have been collected. We actually had 1,295 bags."

He says most people included the boulevard leaves with their regular fall pick-up.

"We spent considerable dollars to pilot that and we think with this upgrade we are offering that residents should be able to manage without the additional service."