Sunnyhill Housing Co-operative Ltd.
787 Third Street NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1P1
403-270-8405

General Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, November 28, 2018
7:00pm – 8:00pm
Calgary Curling Club
 2nd floor, blue room
 720 3 Street NW, Calgary, AB

In attendance: Ben Arkell (10), Richard Harrison (18), Pamela Boyd (36), Kathleen Shepherd (746), Joleen Edmondson (763), Jane Roberts (767), Bruce Eason (779), Cindy Schnee (801), Eric Moschopedis (803), Buzz Viberg (805), Rachel Rose (807), Sherry Kozak (817), Coeur Riley (823), Belle Auld (825), Helen Wirrell (839), Mark Terrell (849)
1.	Call to order: 7:09 by Richard Harrison
2.	Approval of proposed agenda: M/S/C Sherry/Bruce
3.	Opening remarks and introductions: 
a.	Minutes are being recorded as Andrea is unavailable for this meeting but she will type them up and distribute to Membership
b.	Membership introductions
4.	Business - Grounds Committee motion:
MOTION by Pamela Boyd:
That SHC cancel its garbage collection contract with the City and adopt the Grounds Committee recommendation to use our recycling and compost contractor, BluPlanet Recycling, for all our waste collection. 
Seconded by Bruce
Reasons:
•	City garbage fees going up dramatically Jan. 1, 2019
•	Overflowing recycling bins
•	City bins don’t leave room for recycling and compost in most of our enclosures
•	We seldom use capacity of current City garbage bins
At present we pay the City an average of $288 per month for garbage collection and BluPlanet $684 per month for recycling and compost collection. Total current cost $972 per month
The City has announced it will no longer subsidize garbage collection, effective Jan. 1, 2019, and our monthly garbage bill will go to $954 if we keep the current seven containers in place. With no change in City contract and BluPlanet arrangements, total would be $1,638 per month.
Based on discussions with BluPlanet and surveys of our bin usage, Grounds has come up with a proposal to meet all of our disposal needs, including recycling volumes and enclosures, for $1,775 per month.
We need to give the City 30 days’ notice to halt or alter our garbage pickup. Therefore, we should decide before Dec. 1 what to do about garbage collection. 
The main changes involve larger recycling and compost bins, including two big recycling bins by the garage and in Sunnyhill Lane for overflow and items like cardboard, along with smaller bins for conventional garbage.
In this proposal, BluPlanet would take over garbage collection from the City. Because the BluPlanet bins are on casters, all of the waste containers (including recycling and compost) would fit inside the current enclosures. We had been planning to build additional enclosures for compost and recycling—a challenging task on most of the sites--but this would no longer be necessary. 
Here is how the bins would be distributed (one cubic yard is approximately 200 U.S. gallons):
Location	Current	Proposed	
22 SHL	1 4-yard garbage
2 32-gal compost
3 64-gal recycling	1 2-yard garbage
1 64-gal compost
2 95-gal recycling	
4-6 SHL	1 4-yard garbage
2 32-gal compost
3 64-gal recycling	1 2-yard garbage
1 64-gal compost
1 2-yard recycling	
738 4th St.	1 3-yard garbage
1 32-gal compost
2 64-gal recycling	1 2-yard garbage
1 64-gal compost
2 95-gal recycling	
767 3rd St.	1 3-yard garbage
1 32-gal compost
2 64-gal recycling	1 2-yard garbage
1 64-gal compost
2 95-gal recycling	
801 3rd St.	1 3-yard garbage
1 32-gal compost
3 64-gal recycling	1 2-yard garbage
1 64-gal compost
2 95-gal recycling	
garage	1 3-yard garbage
1 4-yard garbage
2 32-gal compost
3 64-gal recycling	1 4-yard garbage
1 64-gal compost
1 2-yard recycling	

Once we see how this works, we can adjust the volumes and placement to meet demand. We also will need to educate members to look for other bins when the nearest one is full, to do a better job sorting recyclables, to flatten cardboard, and to use the larger recycling bins by the garage and in Sunnyhill Lane. 
The best deal we could get from the City would be to reduce our current garbage bin sizes. We currently have three 4-cubic-yard and four 3-cubic-yard bins. If we went down to seven 2-cubic-yard City bins, the cost after Jan. 1 would be $630 per month. The garbage component of the BluPlanet proposal, for the same 14 cubic yards of capacity, would be $645 per month. However, all the City bins are the same width and have to be sideways in the enclosure for pickup by their trucks, so using the City would not solve our enclosure problem. We have estimated that extending the enclosures will cost at least $500 and may not be practical at all in several locations (see one experimental prototype at the enclosure near 801 3rd St.)
Background
The City’s black garbage bins for residential households hold 64 gallons. If we produced that much for 66 units, it would total 4224 gallons or 21 cubic yards. Our current capacity is 24 cubic yards, and we rarely come close to that—typically well under 20. The proposal of five 2-yard and one 4-yard bin would bring our capacity down to 14 cubic yards. That will be challenging, but should help to encourage the continuing trend to more recycling and composting. BluPlanet’s price for garbage is almost identical to the City’s 2019 price for the same volume, and we get the added logistical advantage of bins on casters, so all the waste containers fit inside the enclosures. 
Our compost volumes have been increasing, but haven’t reached capacity. It will be tidier to have a smaller number of larger compost bins. 
We currently have 16 64-gallon recycling bins, for a total of 1024 gallons capacity. The proposal will increase capacity to 1560 gallons, with 800 gallons of that in the 2-yard bins by the garage and in SHL. 
Summary:
•	Recycling bins have been overflowing, and we’ve been getting extra fees for improper sorting (especially cardboard not flattened and placed beside or behind bins)
•	Compost volumes have been steadily increasing and will eventually approach capacity of current bins
•	Garbage volumes are generally much less than the capacity of the current City bins
•	Recycling and compost bins don’t fit inside most of the enclosures because of the way the City garbage bins are configured for pickup by their trucks
Here is the BluPlanet cost estimate:

The committee has decided that we also need a second 2-yard recycling bin in Sunnyhill Lane (additional $170 cost). This would replace two 95-gallon bins (saving $70), for a net increase of $100 over the BluPlanet estimate.
This information was compiled by Bob Bott based on October Grounds meeting with Nelson Berlin of BluPlanet, research by Peter Clyne, follow-up meetings with Nelson, Pam, and Andrea, discussion at Nov. 5 Grounds meeting, and comments from the Board.
“Waste not, want not.” –adage often attributed to Ben Franklin (1772)
“Willful waste makes woeful want.” –earlier version (1576)
Discussion:
-	Garbage usage has decreased so the large bins are not being filled. Bigger composts and recycling bins are now required
-	If the change is approved Sunnyhill will save the cost of having Dale renovate the existing garbage enclosures
-	There will be more room in the bigger compost bins for yard waste
-	Thanks to Bob and Pam for doing all the legwork on this project
-	Smaller garbage bins will hopefully prevent people from dumping items that do not belong in the garbage bins, such as mattresses
-	Will Blu Planet stay competitive with their prices?
o	Their numbers are very competitive with the City of Calgary
-	The garbage enclosure that has been renovated already, will there be something done with it so that it is not used for a private area that people will use as a toilet? If it’s not going to be filled with something that has a practical use then can it be removed?
-	Is Blu Planet competitive with other suppliers?
o	We don’t really know but Blu Planet is an award winning organization and through past research it was found that Blu Planet offered the best pricing for our needs
-	Are we signing a contract with Blu Planet or month by month?
o	Month by month
-	Large spring cleaning bin needs to be marketed well so that people aren’t putting large items in the garbage bins
-	Benefits of using private company is that they are not relegated to the city’s dump and can be taken outside of the city
-	Is it a 1 time expense to change the garbage enclosures?
o	Yes
-	We have to educate people on how to use garbage/compost/recycle properly
-	It would be a great idea that when new Members move in that they receive the recycling/compost/garbage instructions
-	Clarification of cost of Blu Planet please
o	$1875/month
-	How much extra have we been paying Blu Planet to clean up the boxes
o	Would have to ask Andrea what the cost has been
-	Refundable items space should be considered also if we are reconfiguring the garbage enclosures
-	Signage should be put up explaining the fee for extras that are picked up
-	If cardboard is flattened and placed beside the bin, are we charged for that?
o	Not if it’s a reasonable amount and is broken down
-	Will the garbage by the garage be a closed top? People walk by on the path and toss their dog feces in the garbage enclosures 
o	It will be like the rest of them
-	Put a sign on the garbage enclosures asking people to use the containers instead of just tossing in the enclosure
-	Question called
-	Motion carried
5.	Adjournment: 7:45pm