Peachland
Local News ... Pg 1-3 Peachland Views ... Pg 4-5 Community Events... Pg 6 Peachland Byelection...Pg 8-9 Classifieds... Pg 12 Real Estate... Pg 16
September 24, 2010 Peachland, BC
Volume 06 | Number 38
The 2010-2011 Peachland Ambassador Ashleigh Menard Poole (left) and Vice Ambassador Anya Mayoss-Hurd (right) with RCMP const. Jennifer McRae (centre) following the Peachland Ambassador coronation Photo Joanne Layh ceremonies held at the Peachland Community Centre on September 18.
Big Brother will be watching your rubbish By Joanne Layh Curbside waste pickup is about to get high tech and a lot more personal soon. This week, council supported the completion of the residential curbside waste reduction radiofrequency identification (RFID) system, which means that in the near future, your rubbish bins will be monitored much more closely than they are today. RDCO (Regional District of the Central Okanagan) waste reduction manager Peter Rotheisler explained how the new technology would work. “We would utilize the RFID technology, which
is in place already on all curbside carts. Each time a cart is tipped, an onboard computer on the truck would read the owner of the cart, the time the cart was tipped and the material type (garbage, recycling or yard waste). Then it would give the driver the opportunity to push a button to identify if there were any problems. Maybe there was an item in the cart that wasn’t supposed to be there or the cart was in the wrong location or any number of different things that we would like to improve with the program,” Rotheisler said. “Part of the ID system is being able to capture an image so if somebody does put some-
thing illegal in, the driver simply pushes a button, an image is captured, and it provides us with the necessary evidence to thoroughly show, ‘here is the contents of your cart. Here is the date and time it was picked up’ and for enforcement purposes, the evidence is there.” Rotheisler says the real advantage of the RFID monitoring system is that they can focus specifically on individual residents if there is a problem rather than targeting the entire population. The RFID also has the capability to function similarly to a water meter by measuring how often the bin is tipped. “It gives us the oppor-
tunity to investigate a tracking how many carts user pay system where are tipped each week – residents are no longer right now all they know is charged the same fee how much material is beno matter how much ing picked up in total. they’re using the system, He anticipates that a but they’re user pay pilot charged a fee project could based on how begin as early often their as next year. cart is tipped. With a user It fundamenpay system, tally changes Rotheisler the way we says there is a bill our citigreat potential zens for waste for the nummanagement. ber of carts It gives them tipped each an incentive to go Photo Joanne Layh week to reduce the down. amount of waste they’re However, not everyone using, a financial incen- was entirely convinced of tive,” Rotheisler says. the benefits. At present, Rotheisler “It is very seductive to says they have no way of believe you can reduce
the cost of the system and place the controls in the right place when you have such a high level of fixed costs within the system,” Councillor Condon said, speaking to the recent experience with water meters in Peachland. He also raised privacy concerns with the new system. “To actually have somebody with the opportunity to sit in a truck and inspect my garbage and photograph it, I find quite offensive.” “It does seem a bit big brotherish,” Mayor Fielding said. The RFID will come with an annual cost of $1.50 to $1.70 per household and will continue until 2016.
Peachland Johnston Meier Insurance
!aw for a $100 gift IN W TtoO TarEe R EerN dr onthly going have a m , we thanking all of our
our way of Starting in Octob siness or service as of gift cards to choose from! bu l ca lo a m fro e certificat a selection ra will even give you t – we will draw fo llo ba a in l fil d loyal clients! We an . is stop by the office last issue of the View for each month All you have to do e th in r ne ce that win ed!) winner and announ ation party date still to be determin ov (Ren
5878C Beach Avenue Avenue, Peachland Peachland, BC 1-877-767-2510 767-2500