In a time when many costs are rising, the Sunshine Coast Regional District is poised to retain current rates for next year’s garbage collection services. In a report received at the Nov. 10 committee of the whole meeting, it was noted that as a result of lower than expected expenses and higher revenues over the past two years, 2024 rates were recommended to remain at $201.26 for a single family residence and $169.67 for a unit in a mobile home park.
At the meeting, chief financial officer Tina Perreault noted that the regional garbage collection contract will be up for negotiation in 2024 and that she anticipated rates may need to rise to cover costs in 2025.
The board decision on that “no rate change” recommendation will be part of the 2024 budget process, which is to start Dec. 4. In a Nov. 9 press release, the region recommended residents looking for more details on next year’s spending plans browse the letstalk.scrd.ca/budget webpage where they can review information and submit questions.
Sewer rate change summaries online
In the area of regional wastewater systems, the committee followed staff recommendations as presented in reports at the meeting for a variety of proposed rate changes. Board rulings on both parcel fees and user rate changes are set for consideration on Dec.14. Each of those 15 systems has its own “let’s talk” page which will have updated information on 2024 rate proposals available. Impacted residents are encouraged to review those and submit any questions or comments online in advance of the board finalizing next year’s rates.
Wastewater parcel fees
The committee recommended that the majority of systems’ 2024 frontage (parcel) fees, which are charged to all properties in a system area and directed towards their capital costs, increase by $50 over 2023 levels. If approved, next year those would range from $252 to $500, depending on the site involved.
Exceptions are for Secret Cove and Sunnyside, where a parcel rate hike of $100 per year is recommended, which would take those to $352 and $502 respectively. No change in frontage fee was recommended for Pender's Sakinaw Ridge and, if approved, that system will continue with the highest rate of $862. For systems in the areas of Woodcreek, Langdale and Roberts Creek Co-Housing, the 2024 frontage rate adjustments are yet to be determined.
Wastewater user fees
User fees, paid by properties with active sewer connections and generally used to cover operational costs, are recommended to remain at current levels for the coming year in the Jolly Roger, Lee Bay, Square Bay, Langdale, Canoe Road, Merrill Crescent, Painted Boat and Sakinaw systems. Those annual charges range from a low of $487 at Lee Bay to just over $1,427 for Langdale.
During committee debate staff noted all systems are facing increasing costs, with sludge disposal rates increased at the District of Sechelt’s disposal facility. In addition, trucking costs went up by 25 to 30 per cent over the past year and that each system pays a share of what are increasing SCRD staff costs related to system operations.
The systems where user fees are proposed to remain stable have existing budgets or operational reserve funds to offset higher 2024 operating costs. For the remainder of the systems, a rise in user fees is needed to collect the funds estimated as required for the coming years operations.
An increase in those fees to $763 from $627 per single family residence for the five users connected to the Greaves Road sewer service area was recommended by the committee. In 2020, that rate was $596.
In the Woodcreek Park service area user fees of $800 are proposed for 2024. The current user rate per single family residential dwelling for is $782, up from $554 in 2020.
A proposal was supported for a 4.59 per cent user fee increase for the 32 residential and two commercial users of Secret Cove sewer service. Single family residential properties are currently paying $793 and that is projected to go to $829. That area’s marina user charge is to go from $810 to $847. The restaurant property is currently charged $1,152 and the new proposal is $1,205.
The 59 properties connected to the Curran Road service are each currently paying $668 in user fees and an increase to $742 has been recommended.
For Roberts Creek Co-Housing’s service area, a new user rate of $1,307 was recommended, up from the existing rate of $1,241.
A 2024 user rate of $1,143 has been proposed for the 28 users in the Lily Lake service area. That represents a 15 per cent increase over the 2023 rate of $992.
