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Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Councillor wants amalgamation on fall election ballot
Non-binding vote: Woike wants to know what the public thinks of Duncan and North Cowichan joining forces Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
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Kelvin McCulloch, CEO of Duncan-based Buckerfield’s, has plenty of questions about the MMBC recycling program scheduled for start-up in May.
Peter W. Rusland
Buckerfield’s boss refusing to pay new recycling fee Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
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elvin McCulloch is a David against what he sees as Goliath recycling fees facing many B.C. companies producing printed paper and packaging. To the Buckerfield’s CEO, Goliath is MultiMaterials B.C., a non-profit stewardship agency tasked by provincial legislation to collect recycling fees from large companies. Locally, those fees will subsidize North Cowichan, Duncan, Lake Cowichan, Ladysmith and CVRD recycling programs at about $34 per household. But McCulloch says since Buckerfield’s already funds recycling through property taxes, his eight stores won’t pay MMBC until his questions about transparency,
democracy and economics are answered. He figured the Duncan-based firm would pay MMBC about $60,000 a year for recycling its feed bags, shopping bags and more — plus about $35,000 each of his stores pays in property taxes. McCulloch’s sling shot holds legal opinions about MMBC’s contracts, plus counter-proposals to help other businesses facing the same fees — like big-box stores and newspaper chains — cope. “Business leaders are in shock and don’t know what to do,” he said. “If (increased) recycling fees were charged through (business and home) property taxes, it would be far less than MMBC’s fees.” He wants watchdogging by B.C.’s auditor general, and other safeguards put in place. “They could direct funds wherever they want; there’s no accountability,” he said,
noting MMBC sets its own fees based on printed-paper and packaging volumes. “They just have to show they’re a nonprofit agency.” But MMBC’s Allen Langdon had a far simpler message about the firms he said have basically had a free ride on taxpayer-paid recycling costs for years. “The more packaging you put into the market, the more your fees are. It’s designed to make a level playing field.” Langdon said McCulloch had not contacted him, adding Buckerfield’s feed bags and more won’t be subject to fees unless the material goes to homes, not farms. “McCulloch’s really challenging the government,” he said, noting some 850 of about 2,500 large firms generating printing and packaging have signed with MMBC. more on page 9
he longstanding question of a Duncan/ North Cowichan amalgamation has resurfaced. Councillor Jennifer Woike will ask North Cowichan today to back her notice of motion seeking a non-binding question on the local Nov. 15 civic election ballot to gauge general voter support for amalgamation of North Cowichan and Duncan. “It’s moot if the city doesn’t follow suit,” she said. But if half of North Cowichan’s Jennifer Woike: notice of motion voters favour joining the city in some kind of restructure, further debate and study could happen. “I’d say 50% (voter interest) is fair; that’s what council bases local area petitions on.” Woike admitted recurring questions of amalgamation, and forming several Cowichan municipalities, is a long haul. “Amalgamation of Duncan and North Cowichan would be the beginning of a more regionalized governance.” Her long-term vision is cleaving Cowichan into two or three municipalities, and scrubbing service duplication. “Long term, I’d like to see us do away with the Cowichan Valley Regional District. “We have 18 volunteer fire departments. Is that efficient?” Amalgamation would also offer Cowichanians “a sense of place,” she said. “We’d have to rebrand ourselves as a valley, and unique municipalities. That’s something North Cowichan struggles to do, and it’s not working. “So little information flows from the CVRD back to North Cowichan, and it’s hard to keep track of who’s responsible for what. “If we can get something that interests people, maybe we can increase voter turnout. “Even if we can get the conversation happening, we’re winning,” Woike said.
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