A recent letter from a Sidney resident drew attention to what is by any measure a shocking increase in the cost of the Town’s solid waste collection service, attributable to the addition of a separate “kitchen organics” stream.
The writer’s comments were spot on. Service delivery from any kind of bureaucracy always tends towards a “one size fits all” philosophy. This is not a condemnation; it is just a recognition of an inherent feature of this particular form of organization.
Living in Central Saanich, I am very grateful that successive councils over the years have resisted the temptation to provide solid waste pickup as a municipal service, whether by their own crews or through a contractor.
As an individual, I am free to contract with whomever I choose for this service, and my locally owned private sector contractor offers great flexibility in terms of frequency of pickup, volume and materials. Separate kitchen waste pickup is available, but with a garburator along with backyard composting, I do not need it and am free to continue with garbage pickup alone.
I am not compelled to pay for a service that I do not require.
From what I have observed, my solid waste collection contractor runs a low overhead, responsive, no frills operation that gets the job done.
I feel I am getting good value for my dollar.
William E. Cochrane
Saanichton
