April 21, 1999

To:Scarborough Community Council

From:City Clerk

Subject:Compost Give-Away Days

Recommendation:

The Works and Utilities Committee on April 21, 1999, received the report dated April 19, 1999, from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services for information; and directed that a copy thereof be forwarded to the Scarborough Community Council.

Background:

The Works and Utilities Committee on April 21, 1999, had before it a communication (April 7, 1999) from the City Clerk advising that the Scarborough Community Council, at its meeting held on March 30, 1999, directed that the Works and Utilities Committee be requested to re-establish the "compost give-away" days conducted by the former City of Scarborough Council, and direct the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to report to the Scarborough Community Council on a method of accomplishing this event.

The Committee also had before it a report (April 19, 1999) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services responding to the request from the Scarborough Community Council and updating the Committee on guidelines related to requests from Councillors for delivery of finished compost to locations other than Environment Days; and recommending that this report be received for information and forwarded to Scarborough Community Council.

City Clerk

Trudy Perrin/es.16

c:Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services

General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services

(Report dated April 19, 1999, addressed to the

Works and Utilities Committee from the

Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services)

Purpose:

To respond to the request from Scarborough Community Council, and to update your Committee on guidelines related to requests from Councillors for delivery of finished compost to locations other than Environment Days.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

This report is for information only, and therefore there are no financial implications.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that this report be received for information and forwarded to Scarborough Community Council.

Council Reference/Background/History:

At its meeting of March 30, 1999, Scarborough Community Council directed "that the Works and Utilities Committee be requested to re-establish the compost give-away days conducted by the former City of Scarborough Council, and direct the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to report to Scarborough Community Council on a method of accomplishing this event."

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

In 1998, approximately 850 tonnes of finished compost were delivered by our Department to sites in Scarborough for the Councillors' compost give-away days. An additional quantity of approximately 250 tonnes were delivered to other sites for distribution to the public, at the request of other Toronto Councillors. These quantities were over and above finished compost distributed at Environment Days.

We had anticipated continuing this compost delivery program in 1999; however, on February 24, 1999, Budget Committee directed that we reduce the Environment Day budget by $50,000.00, or if this was not possible, to find this reduction elsewhere in the Department's budget.

An amount of $500,000.00 had been budgeted for in 1999 to operate the Environment Days (excluding the additional cost of providing blue and grey boxes free of charge at Environment Days, as approved by Budget Committee on April 9, 1999). This amount was comprised of $300,000.00 for wages, supplies, services and other expenses required to arrange, co-ordinate and operate the Environment Days, and $200,000.00 for the management and disposal of household hazardous waste collected at the events.

After reviewing our budget to ascertain how we could meet the $50,000.00 reduction directed by Budget Committee, we were able to reduce staff costs associated with Environment Days by $25,000.00 and identified an additional saving of $25,000.00 by discontinuing the free delivery of finished compost to sites other than Environment Days, at the request of Councillors. Therefore, the decision was made to discontinue the free compost delivery service and to charge Councillors requesting delivery of compost to sites other than Environment Days, such as the compost give-away days in Scarborough, a fee of $250.00 per load (approximately 15 tonnes) in order to cover our costs.

Subsequently, on April 14, 1999, Council decided that Councillors may choose to apply the $500.00 they are each allotted in 1999 for promotion of Environment Days through their newsletter to the cost of having compost delivered. For example, a Councillor may decide to forfeit the $500.00 reimbursement for promotion of his/her Environment Day and instead have two loads of finished compost delivered to a specific site(s).

Conclusions:

In order to achieve the budget reduction directed by Budget Committee, it was necessary to discontinue the free delivery of finished compost, requested by Councillors, to sites other than Environment Days. Councillors requesting such deliveries will be charged $250.00 per load in order that the Department does not exceed its budget in 1999. However, Councillors do have the option of applying the $500.00 they are allotted in 1999 for promotion of their Environment Days to the cost of having compost delivered.

Contact Name:

Tim Michael

Manager - Waste Diversion

Solid Waste Management Services

Metro Hall

Phone: (416) 392-8506

Fax: (416) 392-4754

E-mail: Tim_Michael@metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca