City staff have a couple of months to study two new reduction activities.
During Monday night's meeting, city council backed Mayor Lyn Hall's recommendations to examine eliminating the change fee for those who want smaller garbage bins and to bring back the voluntary water metering program.
Currently, switching to a smaller a garbage container comes with a $30 fee.
"I think it's important that we make it as easy and as less expensive as possible for people to downsize," said Hall, noting that he sees lots of half-empty large- and medium-sized containers in his neighbourhood on garbage day.
"I think at the end of the day it has an extremely positive environmental impact in the city, it will help promote curbside recycling and at the end of it all, I'm hoping it will reduce the tonnage that goes in the landfill."
Hall's other initiative is to return a program first established in 2005, where the city paid for water meters for homeowners who agreed to cover the cost of installation.
"I know that for friends and colleagues that I've talked to, they have done their analysis of what the cost is and they want the option to put a water meter in their home and it's simply not available to them at this point," said Coun. Garth Frizzell.
According to public works director Gina Layte Liston, there's an average cost of $479 for a water meter. During the initial run of the program, installing the meters on existing homes (not new construction) could cost between $900 and $1,000. Some of those additional costs came from having to navigate finished basements, Layte Liston said.
Knowing who is going to pick up the cost will play a key role, said Coun. Brian Skakun.
"Because I can't see most people saying 'I'll pay a thousand bucks and I'll meter my water and then I'll get dinged more when I want to water my grass more,'" he said.
Coun. Frank Everitt also asked if there could be an examination of whether homeowners who do opt for the installation could have a trial run on their utility bills, to see if there's actual savings versus paying the flat rate.
City staff will return reports on the proposals before the end of the year.
On Monday night, city council also endorsed a Healthy Communities declaration, following up on a presentation in May by representatives from Blue Dot Prince George. The group - part of a movement spearheaded by David Suzuki - asked the city to sign on to a campaign prioritizing citizens' right to a healthy environment.
"Recognition of environmental rights goes hand in hand with recognition of a collective responsibility to work towards the preservation of a healthy environment," said a staff report on the declaration. The city already has a variety of plans and policies that align with the declaration, such as the downtown's district energy system, the clean air bylaw and being a signatory to the province's Climate Action Charter.
Endorsing the declaration also serves to raise the profile of people's right to a healthy environment "in solidarity with other municipalities across Canada...
ultimately resulting in a healthier country for all," said the staff report.
