Councillor calls for more consistent trash collection

(File photo.)

Cindy Gilroy is calling for the city to mandate a minimum number of garbage bins on the properties of multi-family residences after a garbage pile-up in her ward.

The Daniel McIntyre councillor introduced the motion at Thursday's city council meeting.

Gilroy said a building in her ward didn't have a garbage bin at all, leading to a pile-up of trash and excessive litter. When she tried to figure out what was going on, she discovered the building's garbage collection was not under the city's jurisdiction.

She said the building had hired private contractors that were negligent, and that there was nothing in the city by-laws to protect residents from falling through the cracks.

Gilroy wants the city to decide who gets municipal trash collection and who doesn't.

"In order to get an occupancy permit, we have to know they have to have a garbage bin in mind. And I think that that will deal with a lot of the inner city garbage that we're seeing."

The motion was one of three made by Gilroy at the council meeting. The first called for a bylaw change that would allow demolition permits for residential buildings to be approved without the currently required public hearing.

She also wants to allow more fines for neighbourhood livability bylaw offences to be added to property tax bills. All three motions will be referred to committee meetings following the Oct. 26 municipal election.