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By Aaron Schulze

Bear-Resistant Carts

Kamloops city staff seeking approval for purchase of hundreds of bear-resistant waste carts

Jun 2, 2024 | 10:40 AM

KAMLOOPS — Bear-resistant solid waste carts could be distributed across the City of Kamloops on an on-requested basis.

City of Kamloops staff are recommending the livability and sustainability select committee send a motion to council that would authorize the purchase of 400 120-litre bear-resistant organic carts and 600 120-litre bear resistant garbage carts.

In the report for Tuesday’s (June 4) livability and sustainability select committee, staff expect the price tag to be nearly $195,000. Staff suggest covering the cost with the city’s Solid Waste Reserve, although the purchase would also result in a $20 increase to the annual cart lease fee per bear-resistant cart to offset a $125 difference from a non-bear resistant cart.

“The cost of a non-bear-resistant 120-litre organics or garbage cart is approximately $70, and the cost of a bear-resistant 120-litre cart is $195,” the report states. “The annual $20 increase for each bear-resistant cart would be split into four $5 payments on the residents’ quarterly utility bill. Under this pricing model, the cost of the bear-resistant carts would be recovered in just over six years, based on current pricing.”

The cart lease fees for residents with bear-resistant carts would go from $12 to $32 for organics, and from $85 to $105 for garbage.

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If Kamloops council approves the motion, the report says the order would be placed in July with the exchanging of the bear-resistant carts taking place depending on the supply. Increased enforcement from the city’s community services officers to ensure residents are securely storing their solid waste carts would begin in October.

The motion comes near the end of a one-year pilot project where 255 regular organics collection carts were switched out with bear-resistant carts. City staff’s report found that 32 per cent of the carts were stored outside, and of that, an average of 30 per cent were not locked during bear season from April to November.

Additionally, at the end of April, city staff say 12 per cent of the bear-resistant carts were found to be damaged, but in all cases the damage was done to the carabiner-style lock, which was either missing or damaged by being overextended.

If the livability and sustainability select committee approves the motion, the quickest Kamloops council would be able to authorize would be the June 11 regular meeting.