(Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Nicole Reis

Concrete Garbage Bins

Meadow Lake business owners want concrete waste bins addressed

Feb 27, 2020 | 1:57 PM

Some business owners in town are complaining about loitering and obstructions caused by concrete garbage bins lining Centre Street downtown.

Richard Levesque said at this week’s council meeting, the biggest complaint from local business owners is ravens spreading garbage where the bins are situated.

“If we put some swivel lids on the existing containers, that would probably solve both problems,” he said.

Levesque raised the issue at council this week, learning what could have been an administrative procedure now must be a notice of motion, according to new council policy. This means the policy issues raised in council will be addressed formally at a following council meeting.

Geoff Barton, owner of the Medicine Shoppe said he brought the garbage bin issue to council nearly one year ago. In previous years with significant snowfall, snow removal trucks form snowbanks which obstruct his customers entering the business from parking spaces on the street.

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“It really makes it difficult for people to get in,” Barton said. “I asked the city to shuffle the bins a few feet down.”

When Barton raised the bin relocation last year, he said the city perceived his problem as a loitering issue.

“It depends on the weather. On nicer days we’ll still see adults congregating and hanging out. Some days it’s more of a problem than others,” he said.

Employees at The Source next door said loitering is more of an issue across the street but noted the ravens still present a problem when they pull garbage out of the bins.

“In the winter time we don’t see as many [people loitering] because it’s too cold,” assistant manager Kevin Conrad said. “As we get into better months, yes, it becomes a bit of an issue. When they’re in front of a business, customers can become a little uncomfortable.”

Conrad went on to say birds pulling trash out of bins and people sitting on bins could be solved by a lid redesign.

Levesque motioned to have the issue reviewed at the next council meeting on March 9.

—

nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722