City's pesticide fee a 'tax grab' says Charlottetown councillor

Charlottetown city councillorBob Doironis fuming over the "unnecessary" $50 fee city residents have to pay to apply to spray their lawn with banned pesticides.

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It's nothing but a "tax grab," Doiron said.

The fee was introduced as part of a cosmetic pesticide ban in Charlottetown that came into effect on Jan. 1, 2017. The ban restricts the use ofnon-domestic pesticides on residential and commercial property in Charlottetown.

If property owners believe they have infestations of particular insects or plants they can apply to the city, and for a $50 fee have a technician with the city confirm a diagnosis made by a professional lawn care company.

That confirmation would allow the company to use more potent pesticides on the city's banned list.

"People are upset they have an infestation of chinch bugs," Doiron said.

He said that constituents in his districtare "in the process of losing their lawns and losing thousands of dollars" and that any natural remediesto combat the bugs are"not working."

"This is another fee the city shouldn't be involved in."

Residents complaining, says Doiron

Doironsaid his constituents aren't the type "to fight and argue and speak out against this type of thing"but he saidthey have approached him to express their frustrations with the $50 fee and the approval process.

He also added that he's spoken with pesticide applicators in Charlottetown but says he isn'tbeing lobbied by any company to fight the fee.

"I haven't been lobbiedbythem to put this forward, I'm doing this for the residents the residents have been the ones that are calling me and e-mailing me about this."

Doironplans on taking residents comments to thenext city council meeting onAug. 14.

"We have many things to do in the city, and checking people's lawns shouldn't be one of them."

Deputy Mayor Mike Duffy, who is also the chair of the environment and sustainability committee,told CBC News last weekthat the bylaw is a "living document" and that citizens should bring any concerns to city hall, so when it is reviewed in the fall any complaintswill be brought up during the discussion.

He said that since the city is in its first year of the ban hehopesresidents will be patient.

"We just don't want the willy-nilly use of very strong toxic chemicals," said Duffy.

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