An open Letter to the City of Grand Forks Council, RDKB Board and the citizens of the City and Area D
This letter is a request to city council and RDKB to take another look at the plan to remove the downtown waste bins.
As far as I have been able to determine, no one has consulted the citizens of the city and Area D, small businesses or the chamber of commerce on this plan. These are the people most affected by this decision.
Let’s look at some of the issues more closely and maybe find some alternatives.
The new fire truck is not the problem. The problem is a few volunteer firemen parking spots have to be moved.
Moving the bins up to the landfill site could be a safety problem. A year or so back there was talk of the regional district wanting to close the Reuse Centre.
One of the reasons given was that the site was an industrial area with big trucks and heavy equipment roaming around—not a good place for the public.
Won’t the bins bring more public to the site? In addition, this location means access only seven hours a day, six days a week.
The bins are now in a very convenient location for the public as they do business downtown. Will people really drive up to the dump to drop off a few glass jars or other recyclables they want to get rid or will they be disposed of somewhere else?
Concern for the neighbours is a consideration but there are only two homes adjacent to the site and one of these has a high solid fence.
How much extra cost will small businesses have to shoulder to run to the dump and back? Is this an encouragement to downtown small business or a deterrent?
What about the impact on carbon neutrality the city adopted? Won’t the extra distance and traffic to the dump release more carbon into the atmosphere?
These are just a few things that need further consideration through public involvement and input before this plan is finalized. I urge the city and RDKB to seek public input on this plan before further action is taken.
– Ray Hanson, Grand Forks