Local gardeners will likely pay a buck more than they expected for city compost, at least for their initial order.

At Monday evening's city council meeting, members passed first and second readings of a bylaw setting the price for a 20-litre bag of city compost at $5 or $6, depending on whether the customer needs a new bag.

The decision comes after city staff had originally proposed the price at $5 per 20 litres of compost, with or without the bag. The price was set at a cost-recovery rate related to operating the compost facility at the landfill.

When it was put before city council for discussion though, Coun. Doug Graham suggested a deposit be put on the burlap sack bags that will be used, as a way to encourage buyers to return them.

The proposal for the $6 bags isn't technically a deposit where residents get their $1 back later for returning their bags. However, if they return to buy more compost and re-use their old bags, it would cost them the originally proposed $5.

Council will have to pass third reading of the bylaw, expected later this month, before staff can begin selling the compost.

Council agreed on the proposed price of the compost and the bags. Coun. Ranj Pillai, however, continued his arguments from a week earlier that the city should be exploring options to have the bags produced locally.

He had pointed out last week that while the city is trying to practise sustainability through its composting program, the bags were likely shipped from overseas, which doesn't lend itself well to sustainability concepts.

Pillai asked Brian Crist, the city's director of operations, how far the city has gotten in looking at a local supply. Crist explained that staff had explored it but there is no one in town supplying such bags right now.

That answer didn't appear good enough for Pillai. He suggested the city needs to take it "one step forward” through an expression of interest to see if there are any local companies or organizations that would want to start a new project. It could be a good opportunity for a non-profit organization to make some extra cash, he said.

"Let's not just take a look around,” he said.

He went on to counter arguments by Coun. Dave Austin that if the work is sourced locally, it's likely whoever does it will simply order the bags from Outside. Pillai noted the bags are simply a piece of burlap sewn into a sack, which a local group could do.

He then suggested the city at least look at finding a local source for the bags.

Coun. Florence Roberts noted it could be next year when and if the city starts producing other products it is proposing – such as potting soil – from the compostable waste it collects.

Moving ahead with it will take some time, city manager Dennis Shewfelt said, noting it can be put on the list of items for city staff to follow up on.