SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The city passed an increase to the landfill gate fee last week as part of the 2011 budget, raising it to $7 from $5.

An average nine per cent increase to all dump tipping and solid waste fees comes into effect Jan. 1, 2011. The increase is meant to keep the Solid Waste Management Fund out of a $120,000 annual deficit. Salvagers at the dump said they're more concerned about the incomplete three-cell salvaging site that is sitting unused behind the current site. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL photo

The extra $2 is part of an average nine per cent increase to all dump tipping and solid waste fees put in place to pull the Solid Waste Management Fund out of a forecasted $120,000 annual deficit.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said the deficit is part of "the cost of leaving."

"We're in the process of moving into the next cell of the solid waste facility and for the first time ever in the Northwest Territories we'll be closing a cell," he said. "We're the guinea pig, so we will be establishing the standard for other solid waste facilities in the territories, so as such we're dealing in very carefully engineered, but previously unknown territory.

"So there's money being expended out of that fund for moving to the next cell and toward closure of an area."

The toll was originally introduced in 2005 as a way to eliminate subsidies on garbage removal.

At the time residents said they were going to start dumping their waste on the side of the road or in the bush to avoid paying the gate fee.

Van Tighem said there ended up being very little illegal dumping.

"In some instances where illegal dumping occurred people left identifiers on it and they helped clean it up (after the city contacted them), so people are generally extremely responsible."

Derry Pond, who was at the dump Friday dropping off a fridge, said he often sees discarded appliances, furniture and batteries out in the bush when he's hunting.

"I think people would rather not pay the $40 (to throw out appliances), they'd rather throw them in the bush."

Pond said the $40 fee, which isn't increasing, is something to "grumble" about, but the $7 for residential waste isn't a lot of money.

"The dump is reaching its lifespan," he said. "If anything it (the increase) might slow people down."

He said he hopes people will think twice and bring things to the Salvation Army or the St. Patrick's Parish flea market to be recycled rather than throwing it in the landfill.

Wade Carpenter, who was salvaging Friday, said he misses the good old days when people didn't have to pay anything, but he understands that it costs money to provide services. He said he's more concerned with the salvaging site, which has been in limbo since a dump fire in September of 2009.

"I just wish they'd get the salvaging system back to the way it used to be," he said.

The city has been promising a new three-cell salvaging system, which is meant to create a safer, more organized salvaging site by having people set aside what they believe is salvageable in a separate location from the dumping area, since three week after the fire.

Mike Howden, who visits the landfill every day to salvage, said he's sick of waiting.

"I think it's preposterous," he said. "It's a continuous lie.

"That area has been sitting there for months and months," he said pointing to the new salvaging area. "I bet you it's next summer before we see it open."

At a city council meeting Nov. 8, Dennis Kefalas, director of public works for the city, said he hoped the three-cell system would be open in a week.

He told council the city was waiting on signage to arrive.

At the salvaging site on Monday, Howden pointed out that there are signs up, but the system still isn't in use.

"They keep telling lies," he said. "The excuse was signage and now there's signage out there."

In February, Kefalas told Yellowknifer the new facility was 70 per cent done and weeks away from completion. On Oct. 12 at a Solid Waste Management meeting, he said the project was about the "90 per cent solved."

Kefalas did not return phone calls by press time for comment on when the remaining 10 per cent would be complete.

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