June 16, 2011
Carolyn Grant
PESTICIDE EXEMPTION GRANTED
After a bit of discussion, Council voted four to three this week to give first three readings to allow an exemption to the Cosmetic Pesticide Bylaw for lawnbowling greens.
The motion was voted against by Councillors Brent Bush, Paddy Weston and Bob West-Sells.
The application came from the Kimberley Lawn Bowling organization, who requested that they be given the same consideration as golf courses, who are exempt from the bylaw.
While those opposed argued that it was weakening a good bylaw, and that there are non-pesticide alternatives available, including turf building through organic means.
The issue was whether Council considered the lawn bowling greens similar to golf greens.
Coun. Bush said no, they were much smaller and therefore lend themselves to organic methods.
Coun. Mick Henningson said that lawn bowlers don’t want dandelions on their greens any more than a golfer.
“They deserve to have as good a green as a golfer,” he said.
Mayor Jim Ogilvie said that other communities with similar bylaws do exempt bowling greens and it was an error on Kimberley’s part not to include them when the bylaw was originally drafted.
via Kimberley City Council odds and ends | Local News | Kimberley Daily Bulletin, Kimberley, BC.
