North Bay City Council will vote during its Jan. 30 regular meeting on an increase to tipping fees at the Merrick Landfill facility after a proposal was unanimously recommended to move forward from the committee level.
See related: Dump bump: Landfill tipping fees to rise?
Karin Pratte, the City of North Bay's senior environment and facilities engineer explained the reasoning behind the fee increases on Monday evening during a public meeting. Pratte also answered questions from committee members but there were no presentations from members of the public on the matter.
If given final council approval, effective April 1, the ICI (Industrial, Commercial, Institutional) tipping fee will increase from $105 per tonne to $110. A private vehicle with six bags of waste or less will rise from $5 to $10 while a private vehicle with more than six bags will see a jump from $20 to $25. A private vehicle towing a single-axle trailer will be charged a tipping fee at Merrick Landfill of $35, up from $30.
The user rates and tipping fees go toward covering various expenses, such as costs for the entire waste management program — including capital costs to establish, improve, and upgrade the site — annual operating costs, plus ancillary services such as recycling and waste reduction programs.
The Merrick Landfill's "operating and capital costs are forecasted to continue to increase due to cost escalations for items such as fuel, parts, chemicals and labour," according to Pratte's report recommending the increases.
"The tipping fee increase is to bring us closer to cost recovery. We have not been at cost recovery at our Merrick Landfill site," Pratte said in responding to a question from Coun. Sara Inch. The tipping fee increases also "encourages waste diversion.
"It is part of our waste diversion plan to get closer to cost recovery in order for residents, businesses, and industry to have a better understanding of the actual cost of the waste at our Merrick Landfill site. Then, they can be encouraged to have ways to reduce or reuse, as opposed to using the landfill site."
"So, you're saying that we haven't been meeting costs for the past two years?" Inch asked.
Pratte answered, "I don't think we've ever had full cost recovery from our tipping fees."
Coun. Tanya Vrebosch stayed with the cost recovery theme, asking if any comparable municipal landfills ever reach full cost recovery.
Pratte noted Peterborough, Ont., is a fair comparator to North Bay and its ICI tipping fee is $145 per tonne.
"For now, the plan, if approved, is to go up to $110 per tonne, and in the future, we will likely see increases, as well — similar to CPI. So, gradually we are increasing the costs to get closer to that cost recovery, as well as having our operating costs reimbursed through the tipping fees."
Coun. Mark King asked about the volume of waste arriving at the landfill since the City of North Bay decided to take control of the facility in 2022.
In 2022, then again in 2023, the volume of waste was the lowest the landfill had ever received Pratte shared, saying it was a "good news story" that reinforced the waste diversion strategy. The Merrick Landfill opened in 1994.
"We've had success with our in-house operation," Pratte stated, promising to go into more detail during the upcoming operating budget deliberations.
Mayor Peter Chirico asked if the volume of recycling had risen, corresponding to the drop in waste delivered to the landfill.
"We are seeing an increase in our recyclables, however, not to the same degree," Pratte responded. "That may be because of the power of purchasing and residents are going to the 'reduce' before the 'reuse' and the 'recycle' — which is even better."
See: City: 2-trash bag limit leads to less waste and more recycling
According to Pratte's report, "The proposed rate changes are recommended to offset the reduction in tipping volumes that have resulted from enhanced recycling initiatives. Waste diversion from the landfill will extend the life of the asset, however, reduced volumes also result in reduced revenues. The recommended rate increase will maintain revenues in the 2024 Administrative Operating budget to the 2023 revenue. In the event the rate change is not approved the 2024 Operating Budget will be adjusted accordingly."