Public complaints about paying double tipping fees have been heard, says Tim DesChamp, operations supervisor for Skeena Queen Charlotte Regional District waste management.
He said a review of the solid waste bylaw is under way to try and address the topic, but it could take a few months to complete.
Queen Charlotte business owner Keith Moore made a presentation to the Islands Solid Waste Advisory Committee last week. He leases a dumpster from a private company and pays tipping fees to them for dumping in the landfill. But he also pays a fee to the regional district for garbage pickup, which he says he does not use.
He said he prefers using a dumpster because it is tidier than using several cans in front of his multi-purpose building downtown.
The regional district does not provide a dumpster service.
Mr. DesChamp said there is a debate about whether this customer is being billed twice or not. He has to research how the rates were set up to understand whether the charge is a per household fee or something else.
He did say the fee covers garbage pick-up and maintenance of the island landfill. Also residents who will be vacant from the property for more than two months can cancel their fees at no charge.
He is going to look into other regional districts and municipalities fee structures in the review.
The Observer called the Kitimat-Stikine regional district and discovered that it does not provide garbage pick-up.
Terrace, on the other hand, does not provide commercial service at all, so commercial businesses are not charged a municipal garbage fee.
Mr. DesChamp said after completing his research, he will make recommendations to ISWAC about the bylaw. ISWAC will then, in turn, make recommendations to the regional district.