Canmore council voted to move forward the schedule for an enhanced recycling program that will begin with a pilot project this year.
But the move comes without a location for municipal waste infrastructure that can handle an expanded program for the whole town.
Councillor Hans Helder made the motion to move the pilot and its subsequent town-wide rollout forward from 2012 and 2013.
Originally, the pilot project was set to start in 2010, but the Town was unable to site an expanded material recycling facility over the last year.
Manager of public works Andreas Comeau said in 2011, the Town is planning on conducting a $95,000 feasibility study to look at different ways available to the Town to deal with its waste.
Comeau said results of the study would give the municipality a better idea of the infrastructure needed.
“Whatever option is finalized would take a year to a year-and-a-half to put into place,” he said.
Comeau said the current facility, in Elk Run and adjacent to residential neighbourhoods, could accommodate increased amounts of fibre from a pilot project, but not a full town-wide enhanced recycling program.
However, plastics and metals would have to be shipped to Banff to be sorted at its facility.
Mayor Ron Casey argued against the change in schedule for the project.
“I understand thoroughly it has been on the books and had we been able to locate a material recycling facility, this project would be underway,” Casey said.
The mayor said to move forward with the feasibility study and the pilot at the same time is jumping ahead. He said the Town will have a better idea of how to proceed after the study is complete.
Helder, however, expressed concern recycling in Canmore is in a “never ending cycle of hurry up and wait for another study”.
“Without taking the initial step it is always possible to wait another year,” he said. “One way to delay a project is to study it to determine if there is an alternative way of doing things and there is always going to be an alternative.
“I think it is time to put some pressure on the process.”
Councillors Joanna McCallum, Ed Russell and the mayor voted against the motion.
As a result of the approved motion, Casey made a further motion, which was defeated, to cancel the waste feasibility study.
