Top 5 inquiries made by Richmond Hill residents -- fall edition

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 4, 2021

The city's customer service centre, Access Richmond Hill, fielded close to 100,000 inquiries last year.

Here are the top five fall season questions asked by residents:

Q: How do I dispose of my pumpkins/fall decor after Halloween?

Pumpkins will be picked up as part of yard waste collection. Yard waste also includes leaves, pine cones, fallen fruit, trees, shrub trimmings, clean straw and dried corn stalks. Please note soil, sod and grass clippings are not accepted. Also, when gathering yard waste, please help keep leaves off the street to prevent blocking storm sewers.

Yard waste is collected weekly from Oct. 12 to Dec. 3 on your regular waste collection day. Or you can drop off your yard waste at York Region's Bloomington Yard Waste Depot for a fee. For more information, visit www.RichmondHill.ca/YardWaste.

Q: Can I sign up for pre-authorized payment for my tax and water bills?

Richmond Hill's Pre-authorized Debit Plan (PAD) offers you a convenient method to pay your tax and water bills with no activation fees. All payments are made automatically, removing the chance of missed payments or late charges.

Richmond Hill enrols tax accounts on PAD twice each year. The next deadline is Dec. 1 to be enrolled for the 2022 Interim Tax Billing.

For water bill payments, you can apply any time to be enrolled for the next scheduled billing.

Visit the Pre-Authorized Debit Plan Application for more information and to apply.

Q: Are you running in-person recreation programs for children this fall?

Yes! We are happy to welcome residents back safely to many of our community centres, arenas, fitness centres and other facilities! This fall and winter we are offering a wide variety of programs for all ages to keep you and your family active, engage your imaginations, and bring out your creativity -- both in person and at home.

We've got skating lessons, learn to swim programs, outdoor adventure programs, arts classes and more! Space is limited -- but don't worry, we have more programs opening up for the winter session. Winter program registration starts Wednesday, Dec. 1 for residents. Visit www.RichmondHill.ca/RecGuide to stay up to date and for information about COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Q: What can I do if I notice a street light is out by my house?

The city maintains more than 16,000 street lights in Richmond Hill! Reporting a street light issue is easy with our online reporting system. Let us know where the street light is located by entering an address, street intersection or Pole ID number. You can also select a location on the map provided -- just make sure you click on the light (not a nearby tree) to avoid delays. You can also call Access Richmond Hill at 905-771-8800 to report street light issues.

Q: My blue/green bin is broken. Can I exchange it for a new one?

Yes. Residents looking to exchange damaged or broken Richmond Hill labelled blue boxes (22 gallons or smaller) and/or green bins can do so for free at the city's Operations Centre (1200 Elgin Mills Rd. E.). Learn more at www.RichmondHill.ca/WasteBins.

ABOUT ACCESS RICHMOND HILL

The Access Richmond Hill Contact Centre helps you with general inquiries and responds to questions or concerns about programs and services. We also offer translation assistance for residents who need services in languages other than English.

Access Richmond Hill is open for in-person services Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 225 E. Beaver Creek Rd.. You can also contact them for help by phone at 905-771-8800 or email Access@richmondhill.ca.

Residents can also use the online portal at AccessRH.RichmondHill.ca to submit general inquiries, report street lights out, report trees that need maintenance, or book a waste pickup time for a large appliance.