Delayed recycling collection in Barrie should be caught up by mid-Saturday, city councillors were told tonight.
“We started off the week about a day and a half behind, and we’ve communicated the challenges — the driver shortages, the (Family Day) holiday and the weather delays,” said Dave Friary, the city’s director of operations. “We’re only a day behind now, so the hope is that we finish up Wednesday (collections on Thursday) and we actually start moving into the Thursday (collections) as well.
“The contractor (Waste Connections of Canada) again today brought in an additional three trucks for recycling pickup, so there is no delay on garbage and organics, but recycling is still a little bit behind,” Friary added. “They will continue to bring in extra staff, extra trucks and our hope is to be totally finished by Saturday midday.”
Coun. Sergio Morales said recycling pick-up is something Barrie residents need to be able to rely upon.
“It’s a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but I have residents now asking me … should (they) even bother putting out (recyclables) Thursday,” he said. “When you start losing the confidence of residents — the trust, the faith — it’s tough to get back.”
“We are meeting with their (Waste Connections’) staff on a daily basis, twice daily, to get updates so we are staying on them and trying to get things moving along as quick as we can,” Friary said.
Morales asked if there are claw-back clauses in the city’s contract with Waste Connections for non-performance or delays.
“Yes, they are built into the contract and we do review any delays,” Friary said. “If there are justifications for liquidated damages, they will be applied, but we’re trying to work with the contractor and get through these delays.”
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall said earlier this week that following a competitive RFP (request for proposals) bid process, the city awarded the next contract for curbside collection to a different contractor, beginning May 2024. The recyclables contract is worth $1.8 million to $2 million annually, based on tonnage.
Delays in curbside, residential recyclable pickup took place on Barrie streets starting last week. Blue and grey boxes of recyclables were left at the end of driveways, some covered with snow — as were leaf and yard waste bags in the fall and early winter of 2022.
Waste Connections has the curbside garbage, recyclables, organics, and yard waste pick-up contract with the City of Barrie.
A nationwide shortage of licensed DZ drivers has been identified as one reason for the delays picking up recyclables.
Last fall, bags of yard waste — leaves, sticks, etc. — were left on city curbs for weeks without being picked up and many were buried under snowfall.
Last November, Nuttall said the city would seek financial penalties from Waste Connections, as per the contract, for yard waste not picked up that fall, to recoup those costs for taxpayers.
Nuttall said the contractor was informed, in writing, that the city was seeking financial penalties on behalf of Barrie taxpayers in accordance with the contract due to non-fulfillment and negligence of contractual responsibilities.
In December, city staff said they were unable to provide the dollar amount the city would seek in penalties, just that the city’s agreement with Waste Connections
Nuttall said the city did issue financial penalties to Waste Connections in the fall, but said he was not able to disclose the dollar amount of the financial penalties..