PORT McNEILL — In conjunction with approval of the 2011 budget, the Regional District of Mount Waddington Board of Directors passed a series of bylaws related to the budget process during its regular meeting Mar. 15.
Among those updated or established were bylaws addressing tipping rates at 7 Mile Landfill and solid waste transfer stations on Malcolm Island and in Woss and Coal Harbour; water and sewer service and street lighting rates in Coal Harbour; a new fee schedule for Chilton Regional Arena; and an increase in the allowable levy to fund recreational buildings and grounds in the Hyde Creek Settlement Plan area.
Solid waste rates
Bylaw No. 810 establishes a new tipping schedule for 7 Mile Landfill, including for residential and commercial waste, and for controlled/hazardous/contaminated material. Several items will remain free for residents to drop, including sorted recyclables, scrap metal including all appliances, fine (compostable) yard waste and product stewardship items, including car/light truck tires up to 16 inches.
Bylaw No. 812 repeals the rate and regulation bylaw 802 established in December for the new waste transfer station on Malcolm Island and clarifies the tipping fees and other rate schedules for the Island's service.
Bylaw No. 816 sets rates for solid waste collection at apartment and B&B units in Coal Harbour and amends previous descriptions of those units. Under the new bylaw, an apartment unit will include any self-contained dwelling unit within or attached to a residential dwelling, apartment building or other building, which may be used as a residence on long- or short-term basis, including guest cottages.
Bylaw No. 817 amends the Woss Garbage Removal rates and bylaws, increasing the annual removal fee from $186 to $236 per residence. The increase reflects the cost of garbage removal from the hamlet and factors the waste transfer station set to be constructed this year.
"I'd like to see an effort put in for that transfer station before we start paying that rate," said Dave Rushton, Area D director and member of the Woss Residents Association. "Can you give us a date for completion in July?"
"Our aggressive estimate is to have that running by the end of May," RDMW Operations Manager Patrick Donaghy answered.
"Even better," said Rushton. "We'll start paying it then."
Arena fees set
Bylaw No. 811 sets fees for Chilton Regional Arena and repeals and replaces Bylaw 788 from 2009.
Coal Harbour services
Bylaws 814 and 815 replace sections of previous bylaws dealing with definitions and rates for dwelling units for water and sewer service. The new bylaws establish rates for multiple-dwelling buildings, ranging from apartments to bed and breakfasts and other dwelling rooms with separate entrances "used or designed to be used as the permanent residence or home of one family," such as mother-in-law apartments.
It establishes separate tolls for each residence where tolls are not on metered systems, even if served by the same line.
The bylaws also set commercial water and sewer rates.
Bylaw 809 raises the allowable expenditure for street lighting service for Coal Harbour from $5,000 to $5,700 annually, though one director added a qualifier to that cost.
"I'd like to invite someone from BC Hydro to come and speak about the street lights," said Norm Prince, Area C director. "If the lights are out longer than 10 days, I'm not paying for them."