The Town of Smithers is buying a used garbage truck to use until the new one, which has been ordered, arrives.
At the June 10 regular meeting of council, council authorized staff to purchase an interim garbage truck from Tracks or Treads Equipment Sales and Rentals not exceed the budgeted amount of $200,000. However, there is one currently available that will suit the town’s needs for about half that amount.
Council also authorized staff to dispose of the old truck once the new one comes in. The hope is to recover about 90 per cent of its cost.
Staff told council that, in early 2022, a change in recycling facility location from Telkwa to Witset created major challenges for the town’s curbside recycling program.
“The additional distance to transport recyclable material to the Witset facility requires staff to deploy an additional truck and operator to maintain the identified level of service while not affecting other services. The additional transportation costs have resulted in increased fuel costs and more carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere,” director of operations Chris Lawrence wrote in a report.
He went on to say garbage and recycling services are continuous and under heavy demand. The current units are deployed every weekday throughout the year for a minimum of eight hours. With the heavy use, the trucks see extensive wear and tear and should be replaced more often than other equipment in the Operations Department. The current fleet asset management plan that these units fall under identifies a 10-year replacement cycle.
The new garbage truck will arrive in Smithers in the fall of 2026. With the long build time, the garbage and recycling program runs the risk of major service disruptions. The town’s current single axle Haul-All units require continuous maintenance and can have a major failure at a moment's notice. Lawrence told council these units are often taken to local equipment shops on the weekends to have repairs completed that are outside of the town’s operational hours.
