The Town of Bashaw is re-evaluating having two Sani-dump stations open in the community.
Sani-dumps are currently located at the campground and at the Heritage Park site behind the arena for campers to offload wastewater from their campers.
While the stations at one time were pay-to-dump, in 2023 council approved leaving them open for free dumping as people would wedge items into the port which would fall in and plug the station.
"We still seeing increased costs," said Town of Bashaw chief administrative officer (CAO) Theresa Fuller.
"The recommendation is to remove one of them."
According to Fuller, administration is recommending the closure of the Heritage Park dump as it is costing more in staff costs and it is not attached to the town's sewer system.
Coun. Cindy Orom queried whether or not the campground Sani-dump alone would handle all the users.
"It's got a better chance of not clogging as it feeds to the lift station," said town foreman Patrick Taylor.
When Orom asked why people would use one dump over the other, Mayor Rob McDonald noted "convenience."
McDonald, himself a camper, says that with the Heritage Park location coming into town off the highway it's a convenient pit-stop on his way home from a weekend camping without having to detour to the campground.
"It's a real luxury for a town our size to have two (dumps)," said Orom.
However, it was noted that with users of the dump tossing in used diapers and other materials into the dump stations, the staff time is getting cost-prohibitive considering they are generating no revenue.
According to Taylor, the town really has two options with the Heritage Park Sani-dump to cut staff costs: shut it down or improve it, and improving it could cost up to $100,000.
"My preference would be keeping the campground (dump) because it goes directly into the wastewater system," said Taylor.
Ultimately, council tabled any immediate decision on the future of the Heritage Park Sani-dump while administration looks do any grants for the possible improvements of the location.
Non-local ice rates
Users of the Bashaw arena deemed non-local will be paying a little more for ice time this upcoming season.
With the rate having not been reviewed since 2019, administration brought it back to council during the Sept. 4 meeting after checking with other nearby municipalities.
"We want to be very fair with what we are charging," said Fuller, noting that Bashaw is an under-sized facility.
Non-local users are facility users who do not use the facility on a regular basis.
With non-local rates varying from $120 to $167 for adults and $100 to $153 for adults, administration recommended raising ice fees to $140 for adults and $120 for youth.
The first reading of the Master Fee Bylaw to change the fee was passed in a motion by Coun. Bryan Gust.
