Manager of Utilities John McKiernan presented a Request for Decision to the Kneehill County Council regarding Hamlet Curbside Garbage Collection during the August 25, 2026 Regular Meeting of Council.
Currently, Kneehill County collects waste weekly from the hamlets of Huxley, Sunnyslope, Swalwell, Torrington, and Wimborne through a contracted service. The current contractor provided formal written notice on July 3, 2026, to terminate the Hamlet Curbside Collection Agreement, with a notice period of six months. The contractor will provide service to the end of 2026, but beyond that, Administration needed Council’s direction on how to proceed in 2027.
Mr. McKiernan presented three potential options:
1) Contracted Curbside Collection;
2) Internal Curbside Collection;
3) Terminate Curbside Garbage Collection.
Council had no appetite for either option 2 or option 3.
Council unanimously moved to “Direct Administration to begin an RFP process for the continuation of Hamlet curbside garbage collection in Huxley, Swalwell, Sunnyslope, Torrington, and Wimborne with a new contractor beginning January 1, 2027. Collection would be provided bi-weekly using garbage collection carts. The purchase and delivery of carts would be funded from the Hamlet Infrastructure Reserve, and the service rate would be adjusted through the Master Rates Bylaw to reflect program costs.”
Automated carts, which were chosen by Council, are estimated to cost $30,800 for initial purchase, including freight and delivery. The cart purchase would be funded from the Hamlet Infrastructure Reserve for the approximately 260 collection sites within the hamlets. It was noted that the County owning the carts is standard, as opposed to the contractor owning them, as contractors may change in the future.
Contracted weekly collection is estimated at approximately $93,600 per year, though actual costs will be determined through the tender and proposal process.
Administration will now prepare and issue the RFP, evaluate submissions and bring the recommended contract back to Council for approval.