The recent messy and unorganized state of the designated recycling area in town caused municipal officials to take action after numerous complaints were received.
Shortly after Christmas Day, recyclable material began to build up and overflow the dumpsters at the Sundre recycling depot, causing people to endlessly pile the material around the dumpsters and the site.
ìWe had several complaints about the site itself,î said Sundre mayor Annette Clews.
The Mountain View Regional Waste Management Commission is contracted to provide the service to Sundre. Therefore, she said the town doesn't have any control over cleaning up the site.
ìWe noticed that it was not being maintained to the level that it should be and people were phoning and expressing their concerns to the town, because most people understand that it's the town's responsibility, but it's not,î said Clews.
ìWe immediately started phoning (the commission) and we weren't getting any response so we would like to have a formal complaint.î
Clews brought up the issue at the council meeting on Jan. 7. Council authorized the town's chief administrative officer, Dean Pickering, to write a letter to the chair of the waste management board, outlining the concerns.
Since the council meeting, town officials attempted to contact the waste management service several times, until Pickering was successful in reaching them last Wednesday, said Clews. The commission cleaned up the mess that same day, she added.
ìOne of the reasons we were writing the letter is because it is a cost to our residents and as a cost we expect a certain level of service and when that level of service is not being met then we need to ensure that they are being held accountable for it,î said Clews.
