If an amendment to the city’s fire prevention bylaw makes it past third reading and adoption, residents looking to add flames to their yard maintenance routine will pay $10 for a permit.
Nelson fire chief Simon Grypma had suggested council charge residents $25 for burning permits, with the cash supporting the department’s community wildfire education program.
But councillor Donna Macdonald argued at council’s last meeting that a high penalty didn’t make sense if council actually wants to see people burning large yard waste.
“By passing this amendment, we have acknowledged burning is an okay thing to do,” she said. “So saying we’re going to charge $25 to encourage other means of waste disposal doesn’t make any sense.”
She suggested the $10 fee instead, through fellow councillor Bob Adams — who led the charge to bring backyard burning back to the city last year — thought even that was too high.
“I just don’t think there needs to be a fee for it at all,” he said.
The bylaw changes, which would give the fire chief authority to set up a period of burning in the spring and a fall, passed first and second reading with support of only half the council. Councillors Kozak, Charlesworth and Stacey voted against backyard burning, with mayor John Dooley offering the tie-breaking yea vote.
Because councillors changed the cost of buying a permit, the bylaw will have to be tweaked before it goes to third reading, which won’t take until May’s regular council meeting. Adoption of burning would come at a separate meeting after that.
