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12TuesdayApril232013FortSmithcounciltakesmeasurestocutwastecostsResidentsworriednewfeeswillcausegarbagetopileupinwoodsPoliticsMunicipalByRENEFRANCOEURTheTownofFortSmithisintroducingnewrulestocutcostsinsolidwastemanage-mentbutsomeresidentsfeartheywillleadtoincreasedlit-teringalongtrailsandinthesurroundingwoods.Anewfeeof40perlo-cationforparticipatingintheannualspringcleanupwheretownemployeescomeandremoveclustersofwastefromresidentslawnswasintroducedinthetowns2013budget.Theissuewiththespringcleanupisthecostwererun-ningataheavydecitwiththisprogramFortSmithMayorBradBraketoldTheJournal.Thecostfortheserviceisbudgetedat26000buttheactualcostin2012was31405.Accordingtodocu-mentsobtainedbyTheJour-nalcouncilisstillproject-ingadecitof12000forthecleanup.Wedontexpecttomakemoneyoutofthisbutweretryingtooffsetthecostsas-sociatedwithitBrakesaid.Thecouncilunderstandsthenecessityofhavingthisandthatitsagoodthingforthecommunitybutwestillhavetobescallyresponsibletothetaxpayers.Springcleanupscheduledtogetunderwayoncethesnowmeltscanrunforuptotwoweeks.For40residentsdragalltheirgarbagetothecurbandhaveitpickeduporcantakeittothelandllduringtheseweekswhentip-pingfeesarewaived.Springcleanupdoesnotincludehazardouswasteremoval.Therearealsochangeshap-peningatthelandlltohelpthetowncutbackoncosts.Weveaddedtheoptionofpayingcashrightatthelandllgatefortippingfeesaddingupto20orlessbutwewouldpreferpeopletopaycashbecauseweretryingtocutdownonourcostsasso-ciatedwithbillingBrakeexplained.Forexampleyoubringatoastertothedumpanditsa2tippingfee.Inorderforustoprocessthat2billthegentlemanatthedumpllsoutaformatthedumpitgoestoadministrationitgoestonanceaninvoiceiscreatedanditsnallymailedout.Sotocollect2howmuchisitcostingusinmanhoursandpaperthemayorsaid.Tippingfeeshavebeeninplacesince2000passedinthethirdreadingofthebylaw.FeeswerelastamendedinDecember2012whenfouradditionalitemsnotprevi-ouslyacceptedatthelandllwereaddedtothelist.ThoseincludeATVs20emptyused45gallondrums10heatingfueltanks30andmobilehomeframes100.NootherchangeshavebeenmadeintermsofsolidwastemanagementwithinthetownBrakesaid.Thereisstillnofeeforhouseholdwastetakentothelandllwhichiscov-eredunderaresidentialsolidwastelevyof16permonth.TracyFreundofFortSmithsaidthereshouldbenotip-pingfeeswhatsoeveratthelandll.IvebeenpullingthingsfromwasherstowreckedvehiclesoutofthebushforyearsandItakeittothedumpandthenIgetchargedhesaid.Ifyoureacitizenofthistownandyoupayyourtaxesitshouldbefree.Freundwhosaidrecyclingandcreatingaslittlewasteaspossibleisimportanttohimisworriedthechangeswillincreasedumpinginthewoodedareassurroundingthetown.Thehoursatthedumparenotthatgoodforthoseofusworkingandsomepeoplearediscouraged...becausetheyknowtheygetchargedextraforunsecuredloads...Nowwehavetopaycashatthegateandtheresthisaddedspringcleanupbill.Ithinkpeoplewillsaytheycantbeboth-eredandcontinuetojustgodumpoutinthebush.AccordingtoJimHoodthetownssenioradministrativeofcertherearemeasuresinplacetodeterpeoplefromdumpingtrashwheretheyarenotsupposedto.Anytimesomeonemakesusawarethatsomethinghasbeendumpedsomewhereitshouldntbewedogoandtrytogureoutwhoitbelongstoandthenwecanchargethemunderourunsightlylandsbylawandwhatnot.IfwecantidentifyitwewilljustcleanitupHoodsaid.Freundbornandraisedintownrememberswhenthepubliccouldgoshoppingatthedump.WecalleditTiffanysandyoucouldpickupeverythingintherebeforeitgotcrushedandburied...Idliketoseesomethinglikethatagainhesaid.Brakesaidhesrequestedthelandlloperatorprovidehisthoughtsonrecyclingop-tionsandthatcouncilisse-riouslytalkingaboutacom-postingprograminthefuture.Thetownwillalsobemonitoringthelandllsit-uationtoseewhetherpay-ingcashatthegateworkswellornot.Wemaygotootherop-tionssuchasgivinginvoicesrightthereatthegateifthismethoddoesnotseemtobeworkingforpeopleHoodsaid.WhoopingcranesstartjourneytoWoodBuffaloByRENEFRANCOEURWoodBuffaloNationalParksflockofwhoopingcranesisheadedhometotheNorthwestTerritories.TheWhoopingCraneCon-servationAssociationWCCAreportedlastweekthatap-proximately50to60percentofthecraneshadalreadylefttheirwinteringgroundsontheTexascoastintheAran-sasNationalWildlifeRefuge.OnThursdayWCCAsChesterMcConnellsaidhere-ceivedwordoftherstwhoop-ingcranesightingoftheyearinCanadafromanobserverinRadissonSask.Thecitizenwhoreporteditadvisedthatoneandone-halffootofsnowwasonthegroundbutthewhooperswerestandinginadugoutMcConnellsaidinanemail.HopefullytheCanadianpub-licwillbehappythattheirbirdsarecominghometonest.Thebirdsundertakethe2500milemigrationeachyeartonestandreartheiryounginWoodBuffalo.USWhoopingCraneRecov-eryCoordinatorWadeHarrellmonitorstheockinAransasandreportedtoMcConnellthatdespitesomecranesstillbeingobservedontherefugethemigrationiswellunderway.Whilethebirdsseemtobeleavingenmassetheyactu-allyhavestaggereddeparturesandleaveinsmallgroupsHar-rellrelated.Birdwatcherscanlogtheircranesightingsatwww.whoop-ingcrane.com.Toseeamapillustratingthecranes2013migra-toryprogressvisitwww.whoopingcrane.commi-grationwhereobservationshavebeenpostedsincemidMarch.Thismapcannotbeusedtolocatethebirdsasallpostingsaredelayedbyatleastoneweektohelppre-ventharassmentofthebirds.Canadaishometotheworldslargestmigratorypopulationofwhoopingcranes.AccordingtoEnvi-ronmentCanadatherearealmost300birdsinthemi-gratoryWoodBuffaloock.WhoopingcranesweredesignatedasendangeredinCanadaintheyear2000.ThebirdsareprotectedbytheMigratoryBirdTreatyActandtheEndangeredSpeciesAct.EnvironmentWildlifePhotoLeanneSlivaPhotoTracyFreundAsignoutsidetheFortSmithlandllinformsresidentsthatcashisthenewpreferredpaymentmethodfortippingfeesof20orless.