Port Moody residents won’t be forced to store their solid waste bins in an enclosed shed — as long as they take care of their carts so bears don’t get into them.
On Tuesday (Feb. 8), council will consider an amendment to the city’s bylaw to give enforcement officers the ability to require the carts be stored in a secure enclosure:
- if a homeowner’s cart has been damaged more than three times in a calendar year
- if the homeowner has been issued more than two tickets in a year for not managing their carts correctly
- if a conservation officer has notified the city of a recurrent problem at an address or area
Failure to comply could cost a homeowner or resident $500 for the first offence, $750 for the second and $1,000 after that.
In a report to council, Port Moody’s solid waste and recycling coordinator Donna Bucsis said the city is one of the “most progressive municipalities in addressing human–black bear conflicts.”
However, the extra enforcement is “an additional tool to better manage non-natural food attractants.”
Currently, carts must remain stored and locked until 5:30 a.m. on waste collection days and must be removed from the street and relocked by 8 p.m. that night.
Owners are also responsible for cleaning up any spillage from their carts.
Last July, Carla Parr-Pearson of Tri-Cities Bear Aware told council, while the current rules have gone a long way to reducing the number of bear incidents in Port Moody, residents need to recognize even empty carts can attract bears and lead to problems.
“Tools are needed to motivate people to better store their carts,” she said.
“We need to intervene before a bear finds a food source.”
