On May 3, 2023, Executive Committee considered report EX23-37 and tabled it to its May 31, 2023, meeting, directing Administration to prepare a supplementary report that outlines similar to the City of Kelowna:
1. How the City could develop a pesticide registry along with the staffing and cost involved; and
2. In the absence of a full pesticide ban, include recommended regulations on weed control companies to post warning signage before and after they apply yard pesticides for individuals, especially children and pets to avoid walking on the affected area for a set amount of time.
Financial, Policy/Strategic and Environmental impacts are detailed in EX23-37.
Other options are identified in the main report, EX 23-37.
A high-level communications plan that illustrates how the Communications & Engagement Department will engage the public and commercial pesticide businesses will be developed. A plan will also be established to inform citizens of best practices and alternative methods to pesticide use.
Administration engaged the City of Kelowna and requested information about their Commercial Pesticide Notification Registry, which has been in place since prior to 2010. The registry was established for residential property owners who wish to be informed when commercial spray operations (using pesticides including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and rodenticides) are occurring on bordering residential properties. An overview of their registry and administration process is provided in Appendix A – City of Kelowna Program. At this point in time, Administration has not been able to gather detailed program costs from Kelowna for establishment or ongoing support for comparison purposes.
There are three elements to this process: (i) establishment of restrictions related to the application of pesticides; (ii) creation of a list of approved commercial pesticide applicators and (iii) process for notifying bordering property owners. A possible Regina approach is illustrated in the table below.
Program Element | Kelowna’s Approach | Regina’s Possible Approach |
Restrictions | Pesticides must be applied by an approved commercial applicator. | Adopt option 2 from the main report EX23-37. Pesticides must be applied by an approved commercial applicator within city limits. |
Approval process for applicators | This is managed through the business license program. All pesticide companies are required to register for a business license. Through this process, they are added to a list of approved commercial pesticide applicators. | In the absence of a business license program, Administration would propose a process whereby pesticide companies submit their provincial pesticide servicing license to the City to be added to an approved commercial pesticide applicator list. This list would be made available on the public website and on request by a property owner. |
Process for property owner notification of spraying (note 1) | Property owners can apply annually to be notified when an approved commercial pesticide applicator is spraying on a bordering property. Property owners can choose to be notified up to 24 hours in advance of the spraying and can also choose notification method (email, phone call, hand delivered or signage). | Commercial pesticide applicators applying restricted products (as determined by the City) would be required to notify all bordering properties in writing, without the need for residents to first register for notification. The notification, hand-delivered with a minimum of 24 hours advanced notice, would list what products are being used and the affected property would be signed for 48 hours after the pesticide application. |
Note 1: An alternative to Regina’s possible approach to notifying residents of the spraying would be to establish a registry similar to Kelowna. Interested residential parties would apply annually to be placed on the registry. Staff would then use geospatial technology to map the residences on the registry and provide the addresses to the approved commercial pesticide applicators. The applicators would be required to notify only those residences on the registry.
While this proposed approach would reduce the volume of notifications for pesticide applicators, it places the burden on the property owner to register for the notification. The process would also require an additional investment of $20,000 annually for city staff, including technical and communications support for promotion and management of the registry, geospatial mapping of residents who sign up for notification, and investigation of complaints.
Administration continues to recommend the approach outlined in the main report, which involves a significant reduction in cosmetic pesticide use on City property alongside a public education campaign on best practices and alternatives to chemical application. Administration would continue to notify residents in an area when spraying, as is illustrated in Appendix B.
This is a supplemental report that responds to City Council’s motion from the May 3, 2023, Executive Committee meeting after reviewing the initial pesticide report (EX23-37).
Respectfully Submitted, Respectfully Submitted,
Laurie Shalley, Director Deborah Bryden, Executive Director
Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services City Planning & Community Development
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