Garbage bylaw, budget take the spotlight

January COW tackles unfinished business

This week's Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting set out to discuss a number of questions that remained unanswered at the December meeting, including budget issues and an amendment to the garbage bylaw.

The meeting on Tuesday was preceded by a special meeting addressing updates from the deadly Battani Creek landslide on December 24.

Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell concluded the special meeting by noting that the state of local emergency in place as a result of the landslide will remain in force until January 12 at the earliest.

Bylaw Officer Taj Bindra attended the COW meeting to request amendments to the garbage collection bylaw. He reiterated his concern about resident complaints, and noted that Lions Bay is the only one of 11 Bear Smart communities with a staggered collection schedule. He said a majority of communities have a 7 a.m.-7 p.m. collection window.

Bindra said office staff have logged four complaints about the current scheduling, but that more were received before they began tracking them. He added that he believes a rolling schedule (as suggested in December by Councillor Jaime Cunliffe) would create further confusion within the community, and that a set schedule is the easiest to enforce.

Earlier, Bear Smart committee chair Norma Rodgers had offered a passionate defence of the hard-won garbage collection system currently in place, in response to Bindra's remarks at the December meeting.

Rodgers noted that the old system allowing for outside placement of recycling the night before pick-up, and garbage after 5 a.m. on collection day meaning that "bears, raccoons, coyotes and ravens had access for too many hours and it resulted in debris strewn roads and frequent wildlife encounters."

She said the changes made to collection bylaws in the past were not arbitrary, but in fact a requirement to achieve Bear Smart community status by reducing the chances of human-bear conflicts. She added that the staggered times enacted in 2022 were crafted to lessen the amount of time garbage and food waste were roadside, and were particularly aimed toward areas in the Village where bears tend to frequent.

Rogers noted that current practices are designed to keep residents safe and reduce wildlife-human interactions, and suggested that a few complaints should not dictate policy. "If residents want to live in a rural forested environment then they have the responsibility to co-exist peacefully with the area’s wildlife, and this means taking more care with food waste," she said.

In response to Bindra's presentation, Councillor Neville Abbott pointed out that direct comparisons are sometimes unfair, as other larger communities often have bear-proof collection bins available. He noted that many complex considerations went into the formation of the current schedule, which he noted has had the biggest positive impact on bear interactions. He said that after the last meeting between Bear Smart and staff, his expectation was that staff would change the existing fee schedule, not tear up the bylaw.

Councillor Cunliffe noted that complaints are to be expected when people are fined for not following Village bylaws. She acknowledged that her earlier suggestion of rotating timeslots might be confusing and suggested investigating the option of running two trucks or two collection days as possible alternatives.

Councillor Michael Broughton said that while there is tremendous support for Bear Smart, he expressed concern that there have been instances when residents have felt intimidated by the rules, "almost to the extent of bullying."

Chief Administrative Officer Ross Blackwell noted that staff is not invested in one approach or another but is seeking middle ground and that Bindra's suggestions reflect common practice. He noted that Bear Smart pays a significant role in this community, and while staff recognizes importance of their input, it's not uncommon to tweak bylaws to find the "sweet spot".

After more discussion, it was agreed that more information was needed before a decision to change the bylaw could be made.

Blackwell also asked council members to consider possible topics for this year's Lower Mainland Local Government Association (LMLGA) and Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) meetings.

Financial Officer Joe Chirkoff presented more budget details, with a particular focus on supplementals for operating costs (highlighted on page 66 of the agenda).

Broughton asked Blackwell for clarification on the recent announcement of a "Community Feedback Opportunity" in response to the Lions Bay Beach Park revitalization project, to be held at the Village Hall on January 15 at 7 p.m. The project has been awarded to Nick Bray Architects, which has been retained to provide the design concepts, and Eurohouse Group which will complete construction. 

Blackwell clarified that no individual will be presenting that evening. Instead, storyboards outlining the plans will be made available with opportunities for residents to comment encouraged. He said post-it notes or something similar would be made available to the public to share their thoughts.

Staff will then collate the public comments and present them at the January 21 meeting, in order to seek direction from Council.

Broughton expressed concern that the work of the Beach Park committee and previous groups be reflected in the material presented, since the park "is the jewel of Lions Bay."

Blackwell assured him that all materials had been shared with the design team, but said that some earlier elements did not fit the current concept. "Don't let perfect get in the way of progress," he said, noting that there is no longer room in the timeline or the budget to consider multiple options.

The next meeting of Council is scheduled for January 21 at 6 p.m.

The Watershed welcomes your thoughts. Leave your comments below, or email us at editor@lionsbaywatershed.ca 

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