Just in time for International Compost Awareness Week (the first week of May), council gave their final approval to the wildlife attractant bylaw on April 26.
There was some discussion about the only amendment council made to the law — namely the exclusion of compost, so long as it doesn’t attract wildlife — before speeding it through the first three readings and adopting it for the city.
The bylaw reinforces Rosslander’s common-sense approach to living with wild animals and wandering pets by asking that potential attractants be kept secure from nosey intruders.
On April 11, at the previous council meeting, the bylaw was amended to explicitly permit composting to decompose organic wastes in the backyard to create soil, but the definition singled out “plant matter” to the neglect of animals, fungi, and bacteria.
Coun. Hanne Smith said “we forgot about animal materials, but I’m not sure we’re going to gain much from changing the definition.”
“I don’t think the bylaw officer is going to run around and check each pile unless it’s attracting wildlife,” Smith joked.
Coun. Kathy Wallace said the definition focused on plant decomposition, but that “doesn’t mean it’s the only thing there.”
Coun. Laurie Charlton felt the definition confused the use of “compost” as a verb, the process of making compost, with the noun, the material it is composed of that might, if the process were flawed, attract wildlife.
Mayor Granstrom brought it back to business: “I understand your point, I don’t want to make light of it, but the alternative is to scrap the bylaw.”
Nobody wanted to do that, and the bylaw was adopted unanimously after “-ing” was added to compost to fix the verb-noun conundrum.
Around the world, people have found many ways to compost everything from leafy greens to meaty bones in ways that are safe, healthy, and unattractive to scavengers.
The Compost Council of Canada (CCC - www.compost.org) writes: “Excessive or offensive odours are generally a sign that the composting process is not proceeding properly, usually because of inadequate aeration or excessive moisture.”
The treatment for smelly composts at the home scale is usually to turn the pile and add carbon — leaves, straw, wood chips and shavings.
The CCC said: “Preventing odours and ensuring that the site is kept clean will ensure that the site does not attract rodents or other pests.”