I work for Mayor Nenshi, ask me anything!

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by XxBIGDOGxX1817

Whats up with all the burnt out street lights. They don't even seem burnt out... kilometer long stretches out through out the city.

Are you referring to that stretch along Country Hills Blvd west of Sarcee? I drove there a short while ago. Very unnerving to have no lights on there. The one time I really felt like I needed to use my headlights in the city.

[DownInFlames]

Bunk, I have a question about the proposed mandatory recycling for multi-family dwellings. Our building already has a space for recycling, and our building manager takes it to one of the collection depots. Would that still be allowed under the new bylaw, or would we be forced to sign a contract with a private recycler?

[Violator]

I know after the floods EPCOR came in and helped restore power and do other things to help out but how come they are still in town?

I saw them on Saturday on elbow drive working with the city

[V]

Epcor does a lot of work for the city in streetlighting, signals and on the lrt. That will probably increase as Enmax continues to fail wrt streetlighting maintenance. I remember Enmax being in the paper last year or the year before for the same issue. I doubt will get any better.

Full disclosure, I work with Epcor.

[tete]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

Bunk, I have a question about the proposed mandatory recycling for multi-family dwellings. Our building already has a space for recycling, and our building manager takes it to one of the collection depots. Would that still be allowed under the new bylaw, or would we be forced to sign a contract with a private recycler?

Just to piggy back on that question, when will a decision be made? Inasmuch as I'd love to have recycling in our condo, it'd be a nightmare in our building because there is no room at all for bins - there's only a few inches of clearance to get the garbage bin out, no space for recycling.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

Bunk, I have a question about the proposed mandatory recycling for multi-family dwellings. Our building already has a space for recycling, and our building manager takes it to one of the collection depots. Would that still be allowed under the new bylaw, or would we be forced to sign a contract with a private recycler?

That's not known yet. The bylaw will be crafted over the next year or so. Be sure to get plugged into it, so you can provide your feedback.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by tete

Just to piggy back on that question, when will a decision be made? Inasmuch as I'd love to have recycling in our condo, it'd be a nightmare in our building because there is no room at all for bins - there's only a few inches of clearance to get the garbage bin out, no space for recycling.

Council will decide on the overall direction for a bylaw in a few weeks, bylaw will be crafted over the next year or so. I believe the aim for the by-law to come into force beginning 2016.

Our condo started recycling about six months ago. We had some issues with space, but found with recycling we could dramatically reduce our bin's size. In the end it was a wash.

Part of the reason the City prefers private collection for multi is because each building is different - but providers have become very creative in figuring out solutions in the more challenging buildings.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by tete

Just to piggy back on that question, when will a decision be made? Inasmuch as I'd love to have recycling in our condo, it'd be a nightmare in our building because there is no room at all for bins - there's only a few inches of clearance to get the garbage bin out, no space for recycling.

My building has the same problem. We've looked into it and there's nowhere to put a recycling bin.

Originally Posted by Bunk

That's not known yet. The bylaw will be crafted over the next year or so. Be sure to get plugged into it, so you can provide your feedback.

I hope the feedback method is a lot better than the one they did a year or so ago. That was basically four choices that were all essentially the same thing slightly re-worded, and there was nowhere to leave any meaningful feedback.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Bunk

That's not known yet. The bylaw will be crafted over the next year or so. Be sure to get plugged into it, so you can provide your feedback.

How would someone get plugged into that exactly?

I have serious concerns about this plan. I own an inner city condo that used to do private recycling, with the bins in the back storage room. There isn't room anywhere in the back for another bin, so it had to be inside. It's an inner-city building, and we were getting break-ins to steal the bottles. Then, after the homeless (or whoever) broke the glass to get in, we would have other people come and vandalize the interior of the building. CPS said there was really nothing they could do, and suggested we stop storing recyclables in the storage room.

Could I suggest that this bylaw only appply to new buildings going forward?

[Bill Bumface]

^They need to get rid of the deposit system. It's a really silly inefficiency when you have blue bins for everyone in the city anyway.

I don't put any recycling in my blue bin because I don't want it getting rifled through.

Instead, I get to put a bunch of sticky garbage in my car, and go wait in line to get my own money back.

Yayyyyyyyyyy.

[Hockeyguy15]

I believe our apartment building already recycles. We have someone who enters our parkade and takes the recycling from beside the garbage bins, we do not move anything outside.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

I believe our apartment building already recycles. We have someone who enters our parkade and takes the recycling from beside the garbage bins, we do not move anything outside.

I would say most buildings already do this, and the ones who don't have a pretty good reason, most commonly a lack of space. I don't see the need for this to be mandated, to be honest.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

How would someone get plugged into that exactly?

I have serious concerns about this plan. I own an inner city condo that used to do private recycling, with the bins in the back storage room. There isn't room anywhere in the back for another bin, so it had to be inside. It's an inner-city building, and we were getting break-ins to steal the bottles. Then, after the homeless (or whoever) broke the glass to get in, we would have other people come and vandalize the interior of the building. CPS said there was really nothing they could do, and suggested we stop storing recyclables in the storage room.

Could I suggest that this bylaw only appply to new buildings going forward?

There's several conduits.

Keep an eye on the City's Waste and Recycling page periodically.

http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/WRS/Pages/...-Services.aspx

There'll be updates and calls for feedback through the City's twitter account, facebook page so you can follow those.

Send emails, letters or phone your Councillor's Office. You can certainly write me an email and I can pass those concerns to the right folks.

So for example you could ask for a policy that would exempt a building based on certain constraints that might exist. The City could evaluate those on a case-by-case basis.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I would say most buildings already do this, and the ones who don't have a pretty good reason, most commonly a lack of space. I don't see the need for this to be mandated, to be honest.

About 70% of multi-family buildings don't have any recycling system to speak of. The City is trying to divert a much larger proportion of materials away from landfills. For buildings that do recycling diversion rates are excellent. On a volunteer basis has taken us about as far as we will go with multi-family buildings, the next step is to mandate it - of course now the task is to make sure that's implemented in a reasonable fashion.

[GGG]

The best solution for the inner city is the bum box program. You leave the bottles on the curb and they get hauled away for free. Best system ever.

[Frank MetaMusil]

Are there current revenues listed anywhere for the city's recycling program Bunk?

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Bunk

About 70% of multi-family buildings don't have any recycling system to speak of. The City is trying to divert a much larger proportion of materials away from landfills. For buildings that do recycling diversion rates are excellent. On a volunteer basis has taken us about as far as we will go with multi-family buildings, the next step is to mandate it - of course now the task is to make sure that's implemented in a reasonable fashion.

Interesting. I would have guessed much higher than that, but I'm only familiar with apartments that have been converted to condos. Maybe buildings operated as apartments have lower recycling rates

[CubicleGeek]

^ Funny thing, I thought 70% was extremely high as all 3 condos I've lived in had recycling down in the garbage room. I just thought that was normal.

[Hockeyguy15]

Can you explain the reasoning behind considering this gas tax?

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Can you explain the reasoning behind considering this gas tax?

It will provide the ability to fund large infrastructure projects?