My letter of July 11, left some residents in the area with the impression that the removal of all yard wood is mandatory for all Red and Blue Zone residents and that full compliance is required by the date of the scheduled Yard Wood Clean up Weekend, (Sept. 5-8). Please rest assured that at this time none of the residents in your neighbourhood are being ordered or compelled to comply with the Termite Management Plan. While your participation is strongly encouraged, please understand that it is voluntary.
Although the Termite Control Officer is empowered under the Termite Control Bylaw to require the removal of yard wood, I am not trying to run the project on an enforcement basis. On the contrary, I hope never to invoke the bylaw or to issue an order to comply. My goal is to promote community education about the pests and to encourage a cooperative effort to eradicate them from your neighbourhood, and our city
I believe that the project will work best if based as much as possible on enlightened self interest by property owners and their diligent voluntary compliance. If there are any aspect of the termite management plan which you feel are inappropriate, excessive, or particularly difficult or costly for you to comply with, please contact me so that we can explore alternatives or discuss a temporary open-ended exemption from compliance.
None of the Blue Zone area has ever been known to have termites and does not seem greatly at risk. Therefore if you are in the Blue Zone and have wood landscaping items that are too difficult or expensive to remove, feel free not to remove it, at this time. In the future if termites are found closer to your property, it may be necessary to reconsider the removal of your yard wood.
During the next three weeks I will finalize my recommendations for clean-up measures for those property owners residing in the Red Zone. I intend to map out the areas of critical concern, and drop off my suggestions in your mailbox on or before August 29th. All residents in the Red Zone are encouraged to participate in the Clean-up Weekend to the best of their ability.
If you reside in either the Red or Blue Zone and have concerns about your yard wood situation, or would like to discuss the clean-up plan and how it affects you, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I am at all times open to your feedback and suggestions. The plan is not set in stone and is not being imposed on the neighbourhood. I am here to work with you and I am open to all suggestions.
Much progress has already been made toward termite eradication in the neighbourhood and it is my hope that with further efforts for a few more years we will be able to certify the status of the neighbourhood as termite-free. For such a designation, the elimination of certain major items of yard wood from the Red Zone (such as wood sheds) is highly desirable. Termite Staff