Leamington's municipal council will look for ways to address a problem with garbage uptown.
The problem dates back to 1993 when the Uptown Leamington Business Improvement Association assumed garbage pickup for its members. By 1995, the BIA asked the municipality to resume the service, but councillors refused. A year later, it hired a contractor, but four years later, the contractor withdrew its service. By 2004, complaints increased about town and private properties being used as a dumping ground.
Mayor John Paterson says the town has been picking up the garbage with a small packer, but once again there are complaints about unsightly garbage left on the curb in front of businesses and unkempt collection containers.
"There will always be those people who abuse the garbage canisters around town. They miss their garbage pickup in the morning, so they bring it up and put it somewhere else where it'll be picked up sooner or later," says Paterson. "There are people living above the businesses that are not necessarily following the rules the way they should be, as to when those garbage bags should be out. And there are businesses, as well that aren't really behaving well."
He says it is usually the responsible business owners who complain to the municipality.
Paterson says council will debate its options Monday night, but he hopes the consensus is to increase the fines for not following disposal rules and to double down on enforcement.