Summer dump

County staff find $10,000 by closing Hillier landfill site until May

Vic Alyea’s property abutts the Hillier landfill site (in the background). He is one of many Hillier residents who object to the closure of the local dump.

The Hillier dump is set to close for its third consecutive winter beginning on January 1. It won’t reopen until May— if it opens at all. To do so the landfill site will have to survive budget deliberations. The commissioner who oversees the County’s landfill and transfer stations is signalling some tough decisions ahead for the new council if it hopes to maintain current services at current costs.

The Hillier dump has become
emblematic of the struggle between council and its senior staff, as both seek to rein in costs. Robert McAuley heads the County’s Public Works Department, the group that looks after roads, waterworks and waste management.

Last spring McAuley proposed, and council accepted, a plan to suspend active operations at the Hillier dump as a cost-savings measure. But when area residents objected to the plan at a council meeting in Hillier in May, council partially reversed it itself—opting to keep the landfill site open on Saturdays.

McAuley advised the new council at a committee of the whole meeting last week that closing the Hillier site would save the municipality $10,400—about half the savings coming from labour costs.

On some dump days as few as three people have used the site, according to McAuley. Further, usage of the Hillier site is trending downward making it a likely candidate for suspension of operation.

Meanwhile keeping the dump open during winter months incurs additional costs including snowplowing, additional landfill coverage costs, and wages.

Most councillors were resigned to the winter closure of the Hillier site— knowing more difficult choices are likely facing them in the new year.

Hillier Councillor Alec Lunn was the lone objector, arguing that the savings weren’t significant; particularly since the closure would affect a well-liked municipal employee.

Lunn attempted to protect the income of the part-time staff person but struggled to find support as the commissioner cautioned council about the precedent that might be set and constraints within the collective agreement with its employees. In the end, Lunn was reassured that the attendant’s seniority placed her well to ensure she stays busy this winter.

But the conversation around the council table spilled over into a likely preview of the upcoming discussion of managing County waste expected during budget deliberations.

McAuley says the County landfill sites are an increasing liability as the regulations governing these facilities become more onerous and updating operating certificates becomes more expensive. He would like to see fewer, but larger, sites.

Others, like Councillor Kevin Gale, argue that compelling residents to drive their vehicles many kilometers to get rid of household waste doesn’t represent an improvement in overall efficiency.

Some, like Councillor Jim Dunlop, worry that closing dumps will lead to more garbage dumped illegally along the roadside.

For now the Hillier dump will be closed until May. Who wins the bigger fight will determine whether it reopens.