Editor:
I have read the Sunshine Coast Regional District staff proposal by Dion Whyte regarding the plans to bring a delegation to the RCBC's Zero Waste Conference in Whistler to participate in a panel discussion.
At the cost of $350 per person and travel expenses, it looks like it will cost the taxpayers in the neighborhood of $10,000. Staff, board members, Site Waste Management Plan members plus others could easily be 20 to 30 people times $350. Interestingly, this is close to the base cost amount quoted for a referendum for the Pender Harbour Landfill as requested by director Eric Graham: $12,500.
At a much lower cost, a professional Zero Waste expert could be brought to the Coast and could meet with all interested parties. I would propose bringing Richard Anthony of Richard Anthony Associates. He is also on the board of directors of the Zero Waste International Alliance and has helped many communities design and build a resource recovery facility.
I believe this would be a much better way to spend our tax dollars and actually get something accomplished. We do not need more roundtable discussions; we need real planning and decision making.
With proper planning, the whole transfer station option could become a moot point as more and more items were recovered from the waste stream. Like most of the Area A taxpayers, I am finding it hard to understand closing the landfill, spending money on a transfer station and setting up a resource recovery facility.
This could also perhaps redeem the board with the Area A voters who are very unhappy with the latest decision regarding the landfill. At least you could bring in all sides to work together for the one thing everyone seems to agree on: a resource recovery park.
Beverly Saunders
Egmont
