There could be a seismic shift in the way garbage is collected in Stratford or things could essentially stay the same.
A management report from Emily Skelding, supervisor of waste operations for the City of Stratford, is part of Monday night’s city council agenda.
A new contract for waste collection would start November, 2026 and run until 2033.
The first option is a continuation of the current set-up, with weekly collection of garbage and green bins, twice-per week collection in the downtown, and seasonal collection of leaf and yard waste.
The city’s bag tag garbage system would continue and revenue of about $1.22 million per year would still financially sustain a big portion of waste collection.
The second option would see residential garbage collection switch to bi-weekly, once-per-week in the downtown, weekly green bin collection and seasonal collection of leaf and yard waste.
Residents, however, would receive wheeled garbage and green carts and the new system would have an automated cart-based service with lift arms.
Bag tags would be eliminated and the city would have to find an alternative user fee structure or adjust property taxes.
The report noted several reasons why the cart-based system is included in the proposal, noting a public survey showed a desire to scrap bag tags and move to a cart-based system.
A questionnaire on curbside collection with more than 1,000 responses found 63 per cent of respondents preferred weekly collection, “with a desire to introduce bins and discontinue bag tags.”
The automated cart collection option would cost an estimated $500,000 more per year than the current set-up, without factoring in bag tag revenue, over the seven year contract.
City council meets at city hall tonight beginning at 7 p.m.
