qathet Regional District’s committee of the whole will be recommending that the regional board adopt a region-wide illegal dumping strategy.
At the committee of the whole meeting on Thursday, December 12, directors considered an illegal dumping strategy authored by the Let’s Talk Trash team.
In discussing the motion, Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne pointed to one of the action descriptions in the document, which calls for the creation of a regulatory illegal dumping bylaw that is enforceable region-wide. Gisborne asked if the regional district has the staff to enforce a region-wide illegal dumping bylaw.
Chief administrative officer Al Radke said that would have to be taken into consideration if the regional district was to move down that path.
Committee chair Sandy McCormick said she also had concerns about enforcement because it has come up before and it was determined that such bylaws were not enforceable. She thanked the Let’s Talk Trash team for developing a report that was very comprehensive.
“It’s an excellent job you have done in putting this together,” said McCormick.
City director George Doubt said it was an impressive document, but as Gisborne pointed out, if it was going to make a difference, it would take some investment in resources for enforcement.
Doubt said, first off, a bylaw would be required and there would have to be someone to enforce that bylaw, which involves staff time and money. He added that there would also be funding required for signage.
“I haven’t seen a willingness by the board to hire bylaw enforcement officers or to create bylaws that require them; in a lot of ways it’s aspirational,” said Doubt. “Thank you for creating the document, it’s a good one, but to be really effective, the board would have to think about what are we going to do about enforcement if the board chooses to do that sometime in the future.”
Manager of asset management and strategic initiatives Mike Wall said there has been some indication from the RCMP that they could help enforce a bylaw, so that could be something to explore.
Let’s Talk Trash team member Abby McLennan said in the Comox Valley Regional District, its bylaw offers up enforcement to different peace officers, so the regional district would not necessarily have to have its own bylaw officers. She said it could allow conservation officers, the RCMP or forestry officers to follow up on the bylaw.
According to a staff report, the proposed illegal dumping strategy is a three-year plan that maps the way forward for all organizations and agencies that have a role or responsibility in monitoring or enforcement of illegal dumping. The document states that to have the most substantial impact in addressing illegal dumping and its impacts, it is essential that all organizations and agencies that have a role or responsibility in monitoring or enforcement of illegal dumping work together, and are informed and guided by the same strategy.
