City of Guelph may look to regulate donation bins and newspaper boxes

guelphmercury.com
April 29, 2014
By Vik Kirsch

The municipality is considering licensing and regulating clothing donation bins on public and private property, and is also looking at doing the same with local newspaper boxes.

Coun. Ian Findlay said Tuesday the city's received quite a few public complaints on these, "particularly the clothing bins that are popping up everywhere."

On May 6, the proposal comes before council's operations, transit and emergency services committee, which he chairs, with municipal staff seeking guidance on how best to change the city's business licensing bylaw.

"On the surface, I think it's a great start to providing some regulation," Findlay said.

The issue made local headlines in 2012 when a yellow-and-red clothing donation bin traced to a private Brantford firm appeared overnight at a west-side plaza near the Guelph Food Bank, others following close behind throughout the city and region. The food bank, which also collects clothing for the local community, complained it was unclear where clothing from the private pins was destined and who benefitted.

Residents also raised concerns about unsightly messes when unwanted clothing, furniture and trash was dumped around the bins. City Hall began removing the wood bins from municipal property last fall.

Findlay said the public questions whether the bin firms are legitimate charities, with cost-recovery licensing intended to identify and regulate these businesses.

Further, a staff report to the committee outlines complaints to the city about distribution boxes for newspaper and special publications like real estate flyers getting knocked over or becoming unsightly when paper scatters.

The report sampled some Ontario cities that regulate these boxes, noting fees imposed range from no cost in Ottawa to $50 per box in Vaughan.

But Findlay said licensing and regulation wouldn't occur without consultation with the public and affected businesses.

"I'm certainly looking forward to hearing more from stakeholders."

That was welcomed by Mercury publisher Paul McCuaig.

"We relish that opportunity it discuss it with them," McCuaig said Tuesday. "They can't do it in a vacuum." But he added he doesn't immediately see the merit of the city licensing newspaper boxes.

"I'm not sure how boxes get dragged into it," the publisher said. "We really need to get a better sense of what they envision."

In his estimation, the main city focus appears to be on who benefits when donation bins materialize in a city and what to do when they become dumping grounds.

Coun. Bob Bell, chair of the city's planning committee, said people see the donation bins as eyesores.

"I know there have been many, many complaints over the use of charity bins for dumpsters," Bell said. And not all are owned by charities, he said.

That's why he recommends donors consider local alternatives such as the community-minded St. Vincent de Paul and Goodwill organizations who find "a good home" for their items close at hand.

As to newspaper boxes, Bell said "it's nice to have them at a few locations." They can be a bit of a "nuisance" in higher numbers, but they don't become dumping grounds, he added.

The main issue, Bell agreed, is the clothing donation bins of dubious origin and "I'm glad we're seeing some regulations proposed on these."