Transfer station to become a year-round operation again

The South Walsingham Transfer Station may once again be a year-round operation following a decision by Norfolk Count councilors.

Meeting at a council-in-committee meeting on Tuesday, councilors voted to reverse a previous decision that kept the transfer station closed over the winter. If the decision is endorsed by council, the station will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to 3:45 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm

“The South Walsingham Transfer Station is vital to the west end,” Coun. Linda Vandendriessche said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We missed it when it was closed.

“There was a lot of garbage that was thrown into ditches and farms, we had garbage all of the time.”

The previous council decided in January 2021 to close the transfer station for four months over the winter as a cost-saving measure.

But on Tuesday councilors learned the move didn’t work out quite as planned.

Councilors were told the four-month closure resulted in an increase in illegal dumping. An estimated four metric tons of illegally dumped garbage was collected by county staff over the four-month period.

Meanwhile, a Concession Road 3 resident picked up 122 bags of garbage last year which was, in turn, picked up by county staff as a goodwill gesture.

The closure also resulted in a lot of complaints sent to county staff and councilors from residents.

As well, the county had a hard time finding people to work at the transfer station given its reduced hours.

count. Chris Van Paassen said the original decision to close the transfer station didn’t generate the anticipated savings because staff had to go and pick up illegally dumped garbage.

“I think there is a definite need for this transfer station in the west end,” Van Paassen said. “I think there’s a definite need to keep it open year round.”

He then suggested that council accept Option 2 put forward by county staff – keep the transfer station open year-round.

Option 1 called for called for the transfer station to remain closed over the winter months.

As a result of council’s decision, county staff will have to look at replacing the transfer station’s weigh scale which is well beyond its shelf life. The weigh scale has suffered a lot of deterioration and needs to be replaced at an estimated cost of $150,000.

The need for a new weigh scale prompted a thinking ‘outside of the box’ suggestion from Coun. Mike Columbus.

He suggested county staff look into the possibility of making a new weigh scale a commercial venture, something that could be used by businesses in the west end of the county.

Columbus said other than a few grain elevators, there aren’t any commercial-sized weigh scales in the county’s west end. Such a move could help offset the cost of a new scale.

County staff said it wasn’t something they had been considered, but can be reviewed.

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