Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 14/05) - Terry Woolf knew the city charges people to drop off old appliances at the dump. What he didn't know was that the city landfill doesn't accept cash.

The Yellowknife resident said he was shocked when he approached the toll gate Sept. 2, and was told the $10 he offered to dispose of his friend's broken down water heater was not acceptable.

Since July 1, the dump has only accepted payment by debit or credit card only.

"I was dumbfound," said Woolf.

"I actually lied to him. I said I didn't have a credit card. I do have one but I didn't want to put a $10 charge on it, and I didn't understand the point in it.

"I said, 'look, take my $10, I'll dump the hot water heater and then I'll go."

After a heated debate with the gatekeeper, Woolf finally struck an agreement with a landfill supervisor, who told him he could leave the water heater behind as long as he promised to go to City Hall and pay the fee.

But after driving to City Hall, Woolf said staff there apparently didn't know how to process tipping fees. He said a pair of employees at the front counter puzzled over the problem but couldn't figure out how to enter the transaction on their computers.

"I was getting impatient," said Woolf.

"I finally said, 'look, just take the $10 and give me a receipt,' but they were confused as hell."

The one bit of information he did extract from them was that the reason why the dump didn't accept cash was out of fear that the toll gate could get robbed.

"So I said, 'what do you mean? You can't get robbed here?'" said Woolf.

"She said, 'oh, you're being smart.' I probably was, but when is the last time you've ever heard of someone sticking up a dump?"

Woolf said not only does he find the city's payment policy at the dump silly, but discriminatory as well.

He imagines, even in this day and age, that not everyone in the city possesses a credit card or even a debit card.

"This whole thing is ill-conceived, it's elitist," said Woolf.

City councillor Bob Brooks, who had just returned from holidays, said he had no idea the city wouldn't accept cash at the dump, but promised to make inquiries.

"That's simply ridiculous," he said.

Coun. Alan Woytuik said he received a number of e-mails regarding the problem about two weeks ago. After inquiring at City Hall, he said he was told that "the problem would be taken care of."

Public Works director Greg Kehoe admitted that not all has gone well since the tipping fees were introduced in July, but said the city is looking at ways for the landfill gatekeeper to accept cash without risk of being robbed, although he isn't exactly sure how yet.

"The challenge is that we're the busiest place on a Saturday and Sunday in town, which could accumulate in a lot of money," said Kehoe.

"Somebody might rob the dump."

As for the confusion Woolf experienced at City Hall, Kehoe said a memo will be going out to make sure staff are aware of the tipping fees.

"It's unfortunate, the city apologizes for it," said Kehoe.

"If anybody gives us money we'd certainly like to accept it."