Town of Stettler council awards compost screening job budgeted for $25k

Stettler town council approved a tender offer to screen compost in an effort to keep foreign objects out of the valuable material. ECA Review/S.Salkeld
Written by Stu Salkeld

Stettler town council approved a tender offer to screen compost in an effort to keep foreign objects out of the valuable material. ECA Review/S.Salkeld

Stettler town awarded a contract for compost work after councillors examined the results of a request for proposals. The decision was made at the June 6 regular meeting of council.

Director of Operations Melissa Robbins presented the results of a request for proposal that was issued regarding compost screening work.

Robbins explained the Public Works budget annually has $25,000 set aside for certain projects which are alternated year to year; this year it’s time to do compost screening.

“Twenty twenty-three operating budget includes $25,000 to screen the existing compost pile,” stated Robbins’ report to councillors.

She explained a formal tender wasn’t issued because of the modest dollar amount, but requests for proposals were sent to seven companies that handle such work, including four local businesses.

“Two tenders were received, all prices exclude GST,” stated Robbins’ report to council.

“Blue Grass Sod Farm Ltd. offered to do the work for $18,900 while Wally’s Backhoe Services Ltd. made an offer of $22,500.

There was no discussion among councillors. Councillors unanimously agreed to offer the work to Blue Grass Sod Farms Ltd. for the screening of compost to a maximum expenditure of $25,000, excluding tax, funded through the 2023 operating budget.

In an email June 7 Robbins stated screening the compost minimizes the risk of anything sneaking in there that doesn’t belong.

“We screen the compost to remove any garbage that didn’t compost, or larger shrubs/tree branches that get disposed of into the compost pile,” she stated in an email.

“The screening removes the larger items that don’t compost with the result being a compost product that can be used.”

She added that the compost in question comes from the residents of Stettler and area.

“It’s mostly from the public,” stated Robbins June 7. “It is the material that is collected from the grass clipping bins set out all over town for public use, or from anyone who drops grass clippings off at the transfer station.”

Seniors development
The large seniors housing development known as the Wellings of Stettler is proceeding.

In Robbins’ regular manager’s report, she noted she’d attended multiple Alberta Environment and developer meetings.

Ground was broken on the development’s 48th Ave. property last year.

Pothole patrol
Transportation staff member Sarah McCrindle noted in her report to council that staff had been filling potholes around Stettler, including at the health unit parking lot and on the road inside the cemetery while also noting staff hauled material and had the grader spread it out to fix the entrance to the sports park.

Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative reporter
ECA Review

About the author

Stu Salkeld

Stu Salkeld, who has upwards of 28 years of experience in the Alberta community newspaper industry, is now covering councils and other news in the Stettler region and has experience working in the area as well.

He has joined the ECA Review as a Local Journalism Initiative Journalist.

Stu earned his two-year diploma in print journalism from SAIT in Calgary from 1993 to ’95 and was raised in Oyen, Alta., one of the communities within the ECA Review’s coverage area.