The City of Nelson has voted against adopting a citywide rollout of its pre-treated organics program, opting instead for a scaled expansion.
Staff recommended the city purchase 1,900 more FoodCycler appliances to equip all remaining eligible households as part of a six-year residential organics diversion program.
The recommendation followed several workshops reviewing results of the pilot program but failed to advance.
“It seems like a lot to deal with at one time,” said Councillor Keith Page.
“I’m just sensing that there’s more conversation to be had here, so I’m not comfortable in moving full force into this program.”
Councillor Leslie Payne also raised concerns about cost and participation rates, specifically the value of purchasing the full allotment.
“Since we didn’t get over two years a 100 per cent adoption rate in Fairview, I’m very curious to see how we would plan to get a 100 per cent adoption rate across the city,” said Payne.
“So investing in 1,900 units does not seem like a good investment to me. That’s a $1.2 million purchase and I think we’re in a time where its critically important for us to consider how we use our money.”
Instead, council shifted to a phased approach driven by residential demand.
“I think we should just deal with our wait list this year. I think we should probably create a space for a wet drop-off somewhere, and we should see how effective that is,” added Page.
Council ultimately amended the motion, reducing the potential purchase from 1,900 units to “up to 1,000,” which was approved.
In addition to the phased approach, council approved direction for staff to develop policies and an implementation plan aimed at strengthening organics diversion and recycling.
That work will include exploring regulatory tools, continued waste measurement and enhancements to the city’s central organic waste drop-off infrastructure.
Council also touched on the possibility of introducing new services, including biannual yard waste collection and launching a small-scale “clear bag no tag policy”, though Payne expressed hesitation, citing affordability concerns.
“I’m uncomfortable at this point in time with the current tax burden we have of introducing new services. I think that people, folks are doing fine hauling that stuff to Grohman Narrows right now and I just am uncomfortable in contemplating new services.”
But Mayor Janice Morrison argued that investigation does not commit the city to immediate spending.
“If we don’t leave it in there we don’t really know what the cost potential could be and I think that while some might be able to haul their things to Grohman Narrows not everybody can not everybody can do that so I think it’s about again making sure that we’re providing opportunity for residents.”
Council further directed staff to complete a full organics diversion program review, including comparisons with other options such as green cart collection, by December 2030.
The timeline aligns with the expected end-of-life warranty periods for existing FoodCycler units and is intended to give future council members updated data on program performance, participation rates and alternative systems.
Staff analysis provided to council indicated that while capital costs between the FoodCycler and green cart models are similar over six years, operating costs for a green cart program would be about $2 million higher, mainly due to third-party collection expenses.
Under the approved phased approach, Nelson will continue expanding its pre-treated organics program incrementally rather than proceeding with a full citywide rollout in 2026.
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