Kat Slorstad from Fort St. James, has been busy.
She has been trying to get ICI recycling in the community through a Community Co-op model.
In a letter to Bev Playfair, mayor at the time, dated March 9, Slorstad explained that she has been working on a Co-op model along with other businesses in Fort St. James and has completed a business plan, feasibility study, etc.
READ MORE: ICI recycling services could be carried out in a Community Co-op model, says local business owner
Slorstad wrote in the letter that she had met with David Schroeter, economic development officer, to check the possibility of her company Imperative Recycling to take over operations at the Integris Recycling Centre for April 1, 2020.
“I expressed to him that I don’t have the capacity to take it over as a private company as the start-up costs would be too high for me as well as the unrealistic rates I would have to charge the businesses for service to make a profit,” stated the letter.
Schroeter suggested a Co-op model as a possible option at the time.
Since then, Slorstad gathered other business owners to form a steering committee to explore the feasibility of the business model.
There are five business owners on this committee. They met on Feb. 13 for the first time and discussed ICI and how a Co-op could be the solution.
“Everyone agreed that we should go ahead with the project and collectively run the ICI Recycling as a Non-Profit Community Service Co-op out of the Integris Recycling Centre,” the letter stated.
The purpose of the letter is to make sure that the district is still willing to give the Integris Recycling Centre for this purpose.
Slorstad told the Caledonia Courier March 20 in an email statement that she was confident the Co-op model could be incorporated in the next two weeks, but now with COVID-19, “I am not quite sure if that will happen.”
Usually the government takes two to six weeks to process the paperwork, and Slorstad isn’t sure about how long it will take to get an incorporation certificate.
But if the district doesn’t allow Slorstad to use the Integris building, that will be a problem as well.
“I believe in the last council meeting, they had approved to dissolve the assets regarding that building so I am a little bit nervous about the whole thing.”
More to come.
Aman Parhar
Editor, Vanderhoof Omineca Express
aman.parhar@ominecaexpress.com
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