BEAR PROOF RESIDENTIAL WASTE BIN AND WILDLIFE ATTRACTANT REVIEW

BEAR PROOF RESIDENTIAL WASTE BIN AND WILDLIFE ATTRACTANT REVIEW

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the report titled “Bear Proof Residential Waste Bin and Wildlife Attractant Review” by the Director of Engineering be received for information.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to respond to action item C-104-23 from the September 5, 2023 Regular Meeing of Council:

“THAT a report with options on the possibility of establishing a wildlife attractant bylaw and the provision of bear proof waste bins be provided.”

TIME CRITICAL:

This report is not time critical.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Due to (1) the significant cost to supply “Bear Proof” bins, (2) the varied effectiveness of these bins to deny access to wildlife, and (3) the unknown amount of interest View Royal residents may have, staff do not recommend procuring “Bear Proof” bins at this time. However, the inclusion of “Bear Proof” bins are feasible within the Town should Council wish to escalate procuring these bins for its residents in the future.

The implementation of a wildlife attractant bylaw will result in an increase in level of service for the Town’s Bylaw Enforcement Division. One of the most important aspects of a successful wildlife attractant bylaw is the enforcement of fines associated with non-compliance.

As a result, staff recommend taking a stepped approach by first educating residents through the Town’s communication channels, providing valuable information that is freely available (Wildsafe BC and Get Bear Safe resources).

BACKGROUND:

Current Administration of Residential Waste Bins

Waste bins for both garbage and food scraps are provided by the Town to its residents through its third-party service provider (Waste Management). Residents that either (1) require new bins due to a new house move, or (2) require new bins due to damaged existing bins, are provided new bins upon request. This is conducted without a purchasing fee as the Town has a budget, through its collection fees, to purchase spare bins as and when needed.

Both residential garbage and food scrap bins are wheeled, 24-gallon waste bins capable of being lifted into the service provider’s truck expediently through its automated tipper (bins are lifted through the truck’s machinery instead of by labour).

Current Residential and Household Food Waste Bylaw 745

The current Bylaw: Collection and Disposal of Residential and Household food Waste Bylaw No. 745, 2009 (“Bylaw 745”), contains instructions to residents in how and when to place containers for pickup. This is to promote pickup from the service provider in a timely manner without risk of late or denial of pickups. Some highlighted requirements identified in Bylaw 745 include but are not limited to:

• Placing the bins for collection no later than 7:00AM on the day of collection
• Using only the containers supplied by the Town, through the service provider
• Providing specific instruction in how and where to place the bins
• Ensuring container lids are closed when placed curbside
• Maintain all bins in a safe, sanitary, clean, and usable condition, ensuring no liquid runs into or accumulates in the containers
• Enclose any excess garbage in a securely fastened impermeable bag with requisite View Royal bag tags

While some of these requirements incidentally reduce and discourage the chances of wildlife encounters, there is no specific clause in Bylaw 745 that enforces requirements to mitigate the exposure of wildlife attractants. No fines currently exist for wildlife attractants within the Town’s Municipal Ticketing Information Bylaw 643.

DISCUSSION:

“Bear Proof” Waste Bins – Feasibility and Review

Staff consulted with its service provider to confirm the feasibility of utilizing “bear proof” waste bins without adversely impacting their current level of service.

The service provider confirmed that there is one type of bear proof waste bin that it currently services for the City of Coquitlam, City of Castlegar and District of Sparwood.

It was also confirmed that its current trucks for View Royal would be able to tip these carts in the same way as it currently does with existing bins.

There are several factors that Council should consider regarding these bear proof waste bins:

1. The “bear proof” mechanism is simply a standard cart with the addition of two latches on the top secured by carabiners (Figure 1). This is the only cart type that the supplier accepts, and the bins are regularly used in the communities noted above
2. Residents are required to unlatch the lids first during pickup days. This means that the bear proof bins only have an elevated level of protection over the Town’s current bins during non pick up days
3. While the latch may deter smaller wildlife, it likely would not withstand an aggressive and determined bear
4. The bear proof bins are significantly more expensive to purchase than the existing View Royal bins (almost twice as expensive)

Figure 1: Waste Bin with Lid Latches

Staff Review of Wildlife Attractant Bylaws

It is important to note that wildlife management is a Provincial responsibility. Should a human-wildlife conflict within the Town of View Royal occur, and in addition to informing the Town’s RCMP, the public are to notify conservation officers immediately. The sooner that BC conservation officers are contacted, the better the chances of a positive outcome for both wildlife and the neighbourhood.

The regulation and management of refuse and other wildlife attractants that can potentially bring wildlife into communities is the responsibility of Local Government. Staff conducted a cursory scan of municipalities in Greater Victoria and have found no wildlife attractant bylaws per se. The closest community with a wildlife attractant bylaw that imposes fines appears to be the Cowichan Valley Regional District. More peripheral scans also indicate similar bylaws and fines from the Village of Cumberland. This is not an exhaustive list of all communities on Vancouver Island, but it does indicate that wildlife attractant bylaws, while few, vary throughout the region.

It should be noted that the effectiveness of regulations imposed by Bylaw are predicated on the enforcement of fines. If fines are to be incorporated into the Town’s Municipal Ticketing Information Bylaw, it is expected that the level of service of the Town’s Bylaw Enforcement division will increase. Calls to Bylaw Enforcement would be complaints based, and it is unknown at this time how many calls the Town may see regarding wildlife attractant infractions.

Despite the above, many communities alternatively take an educational and reminder approach that motivates residents in minimizing the availableness of foods and substances to wildlife. There is a wealth of information that communities refer to such as the Wildsafe BC website and the Get Bear Smart website, and many of the strategies provided can be done by the resident (better storage of waste bins, timing of curbside placement, etc.).

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

As described above, changes to the current waste bins and the inclusion of a wildlife attractant bylaw would impact levels of service to varying degrees.

“Bear Proof” bins are feasible for the current collection service. However, these bins are significantly more expensive to procure and replace unless other funding options are explored (i.e. resident paid). It is also unknown how many residents may request these bins, resulting in potential delivery disruptions due to supply chain.

ALTERNATIVES:

Council may direct staff to seek alternative options, including options to supply “Bear Proof” bins and/or to draft a wildlife attractant bylaw.

CONCLUSION:

Upgrading to “Bear Safe” bins will impact the Town’s solid waste budget due to the significant costs of these bins. Unless other funding measures are explored, this option will result in an increase in level of service required of the current waste collection program.

A new wildlife attractant bylaw has the potential to increase the level of service required of the Bylaw Enforcement Division.

Therefore, staff recommend taking a stepped approach: one that starts with educating and reminding the community of the need to mitigate opportunities for wildlife to access food resources. Staff could harness its social media, e-newsletter and website at a key time of the year to inform residents.