The City of Burnaby is currently losing about $60,000 in uncollected fees for curbside collection at rowhouses, according to a recent staff report.
While most rowhouses are in stratas as part of a multi-family complex, a staff report notes “a number” of non-strata row housing properties exist throughout the Lower Mainland.
Rowhouses can receive either multi-family waste collection or residential curbside collection. But the current waste and recycling bylaw doesn’t impose fees on row housing properties that receive curbside collection, “although the services provided are similar to those provided to single- and two-family dwellings for which an annual fee is charged,” according to the staff report.
This became particularly apparent to the city after it revamped its taxation and reporting system, allowing it to review its fees and taxes.
“This review identified that some row housing in receipt of residential curbside collection are not being charged for the service – be it in the form of an annual or quarterly fee,” the staff report notes.
The review identified around 1,000 row housing properties that have not been charged for residential curbside collection by the city, adding up to around $60,000 in lost revenue.
To remedy the matter, staff recommended some changes to the current solid waste and recycling bylaw. The amendments to the bylaw are largely around language, adding references to rowhouse properties throughout the bylaw.
The changes also clarify how rate changes take place when a homeowner requests a larger or smaller garbage can before the end of the year.
Rather than altering the fee for that year, the fee will remain the same and increase or decrease – depending on whether a larger or smaller garbage can is requested – in the following year.
The bylaw amendments, which are set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, were passed by council without comment.
