Applying the city’s new waste program to condominium complexes is an evolving process, said public works director Glenn Tompolski.
Most of the city’s 90-plus condominium developments already use private waste collection so the new city program has no impact on them. One condo complex has moved to private waste collection since the inception of the new waste program.
The 35 or so complexes that remain with city waste collection have the option of participating in the new organics program. Several have done so but most have opted out because they already pay a landscape contractor to cut their grass, do landscaping and haul away yard waste, Tompolski said.
“What we’re finding is some are actually coming back and opting in because the other part of the program is the household organics,” he said.
At the Lacombe Pointe Condominium complex, the residents all received the same size of garbage cart because the association gets one utility bill for the entire complex.
“We had a lot of complaints at first because people said the containers are too small. We just told them ‘you need to reduce what you’re throwing out,’” said association president Sandy Mitchell.
Her complex is using the brown carts but opted out of the green ones because it would have put them over budget.
“There was a lot of complaints at first but I think everyone’s gotten used to it,” she said. “They just need to start recycling. That’s the biggest key.”
Condo dweller Ireen Slater agreed.
“We should just try to make it work,” she said. “It’s a good thing.”
