Yard waste collection continues in Wheatley

WHEATLEY — Chatham-Kent Council, at their meeting on November 9, voted down a recommendation by administration to discontinue yard waste pickup in the municipality.

Before the 1988 amalgamation that brought Wheatley under the Chatham-Kent umbrella, residents had yard waste pickup service provided. The same went for other small communities like Erieau, Tilbury and Bothwell.

Administration wanted to end the service and have the tax levy reduced so that residents were not paying for a service they would no longer receive.

Councillor Mark Authier spoke up at the meeting, saying, “I’m so frustrated right now. I can’t believe that we’re bringing this up. People are paying for it. It’s not costing Chatham-Kent money.”

Councillor Trevor Thompson also spoke out against the idea, citing frustration among taxpayers who never asked for the service to be discontinued.

Councillor Melissa Harrigan agreed with her colleagues.

“It’s important that we engage with the community around this,” she said. “I cannot support the motion.”

In the end, council voted overwhelmingly against the recommendation and Wheatley’s yard waste pickup will continue.