After finding many city-owned properties were becoming besieged by unsightly charitable donation bins, Richmond city council is moving to implement a new bylaw aimed at kicking them off the curb.
The bylaw was presented to councillors on Monday at a committee meeting and will head to council for final approval in two weeks. It proposes that only charities registered with the Canadian Revenue Agency may be permitted to place donation bins on city land.
Bins must have signage to indicate what the charity does for the community and no third-party advertisements are allowed. The bin must also have a phone number for the charity in the event it becomes messy; if it does, the city will allow the charity up to 24 hours to clean up its mess before being hit with a $150 fine.
The City of Richmond plans to license up to 50 donation bins, at $100 each, at specific sites across the city.
Organizations with existing bins on city land will need to apply to have them stay put.
The charities must also put down a $1,000 damage deposit per bin, to a maximum of $3,000.
The city also will fine anyone placing a donation bin on city land without a permit to the tune of $475.
The new bylaw is said to be revenue neutral.
