In-house yard waste collection would cost millions more than private contractor: report

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Employing city staff for yard waste collection would cost the City of Winnipeg millions more than paying a private contractor, according to a new report.

The report found in-house collection of leaf and yard waste for just the downtown area is estimated at $8.9 million over a seven-year period. This is nearly $3 million more than the projected contracted price of $6.1 million.

The report, put together by the public service, also found that a city-wide in-house yard waste service would cost $38.8 million over seven years as opposed to $27.5 million for a private contractor.

The report explained some of the extra costs of an in-house service include hiring and employing new crews and building an additional storage facility to house the required vehicles.

The public service noted that adopting the downtown or city-wide collection options would also require an increase in the solid waste utility budget, as well as the waste management fee.

The report, which can be found online, will be discussed by the standing policy committee on water, waste and environment on Friday.