Solid waste tipping fee debated by qathet Regional District reps

qathet Regional District’s (qRD) finance committee is recommending the regional board increase the municipal solid waste (MSW) tipping fees by $30 per tonne to cover costs of the program.

The committee is also recommending that the board direct staff to include that amount in the 2024 operating budget.

At the March 6 finance committee meeting, directors considered a staff recommendation to increase tipping fees by $23 per tonne to cover the direct costs of the MSW program. The rate is currently set at $250 per tonne, which, according to staff calculations, is $23 per tonne short of the projected cost of dealing with MSW in 2024.

Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne made a motion to increase the MSW tipping fees by $50 per tonne. There was no seconder for the motion.

Manager of environmental services Jason Kouwenhoven said there are financial rules in place under the Local Government Act governing recovery of costs. Manager of financial services Linda Greenan said the regional district should also cover indirect costs when looking at trying to cover tipping fee costs.

“I haven’t run the numbers but we definitely could go up further than the $23 increase,” said Greenan.

City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott said her understanding is that when regional districts make these kinds of levies, they have to be related to actual costs. She said the staff report said $23 per tonne was the actual cost. She asked for an explanation of the costs that could be supported.

Greenan said the fee could include indirect costs that go into managing the waste management service, and a portion of the recycling costs, and still be within the legislation.

Manager of asset management and strategic initiatives Arnold Schwabe said the $273 per tonne is direct costs the regional district knows it can account for should an audit occur.

“What everyone is dancing around is the indirect costs and no one wants to answer off the top of their head what those could be,” said Schwabe. “If you are looking for an answer today, we probably wouldn’t have one. It would be something we could probably account for but it would take some research. It’s not a quick answer, unfortunately. The $273 per tonne is a number we know we could justify.”

Elliott asked about the disposal of bags of garbage by residents and Kouwenhoven said there is no contemplation at this time of increasing the fee. He said the fee is $7.50 for a bag of garbage.

Elliott made a motion to increase MSW tipping fees by $30 per tonne.

Kouwenhoven said he believed a $30 per tonne increase was a much lower risk than a $50 per tonne increase.

“I’m more comfortable with this lower number,” added Kouwenhoven.

The committee unanimously voted to recommend that the regional board direct staff to increase the MSW tipping fees by $30 per tonne.

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