City may charge for bins placed on street
Saskatoon appears on the verge of joining other large Prairie cities in charging a fee to place items such as disposal bins on roadways.
City council’s transportation committee voted Tuesday to endorse a report that proposes fees for bins on streets, as well as for closure of streets or parts of streets.
The move aims to encourage the quick removal of trash bins from roadways, the committee heard.
“It eliminates the folks who take months in the summer to do a project when it could be done in a month,” said Jay Magus, the city’s acting director of transportation.
Angela Gardiner, acting general manager of transportation and utilities, said complaints have been lodged about bins on streets for up to six months. She said the fees would pay for the cost of administering a more effective bylaw.
Coun. Randy Donauer voted against endorsing the move. The report now moves on to council for final approval.
The report notes Regina, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton all charge fees for bins on streets and closure of streets or parts of streets.
The proposed cost for placing a seven-by-16-foot bin in a parking lane for 20 days is $71.20, including the $40 administration cost for a permit.
That’s higher than the comparable fee in Regina ($40.80), but lower than in Calgary ($74.78) and Winnipeg ($101.92).
The fee for closing a parking lane and a traffic lane five vehicles long for 20 days is proposed to be $219.40, which, again, is higher than the comparable fee in Regina ($116.20), but lower than in Calgary ($1,139.67) and Winnipeg ($356.72).
James Polley, owner of Allan’s Disposal Services Ltd., spoke against charging fees.
“It’s just too much,” Polley told the committee.
Earlier this year, the city also introduced stiffer fines for unauthorized use of streets or alleys, including a $500 fine for use of a street without a permit.
The city issued 947 right-of-way permits in 2015 and 890 in 2014. The number dropped to 415 in 2016 after administration fees for issuing a permit were introduced.