County of Grande Prairie residents could have to pay for excess garbage dumping, as members of council and committee of the whole have recommended implementing an annual weight limit at the landfill.
The recommendation comes after a report from the county’s Technical Services looking into the average amount of waste dumped at the facility between 2017-2020, with the current system allowing an annual weight limit of 1,000 kilograms to anyone with proof of residency.
Reeve Leanne Beaupre says there will be no charge for the first 1,000 kilograms dumped at the Clairmont Centre for Recycling and Waste Management. She says the bulk of the changes, including potential payments for tags over the allotted limit, came about after potential misuse was noticed in recent years.
“There was some discussion that there has been some misuse of it, people giving their tag to someone else,” she says.
“If you exceed the limit that is put on for the landfill, then you would be charged the tipping fee that anyone else who is not a county resident would be paying.”
Beaupre adds the intent of the tag system repurposed with a limit could still allow for flexibility for county residents while trying to limit any misuse.
“It takes away that [idea] that ‘oh, it’s someone else’s tag’… but someone else can bring your refuse, or disposable [items] to the landfill for you.
It’s expected the proposal will be brought forward to a future meeting of the County of Grande Prairie council for approval.
