Bylaw department gets proactive

Clearview’s bylaw department is switching from reactive to proactive and will be doing a blitz on property standards and clean yard bylaws.
Council gave the order at its Sept. 23 meeting.
Until now, bylaw officers have been directed to respond only to written complaints. In May, Councillor Robert Walker put forward a motion, which was carried, asking staff to explore “opportunities to increase customer service and furthermore look at the reactive versus the proactive approach of enforcement” and account for it in the 2020 budget.
In 2018, the department received and investigated 785 complaints.
“A proactive approach will require additional resources to educate and enforce bylaw infractions,” reported Senior By-law Enforcement Officer Joseph Paddock. “This approach can be helpful for officers. It provides an opportunity for officers to get ahead of some situations and deter any further bylaw infractions. It also takes the onus from residents to file complaints against their neighbours. As part of this initiative, staff will be bringing forward an amendment to the Clean and Clear By-law to permit proactive enforcement.”
As a result council has approved increasing enforcement hours to evening and weekend coverage.
The department currently has one full-time officer and one part-time officer. To meet the new requirements, an additional part-time officer will be added, beginning April 1, 2020.
Staffing plus the purchase of a new vehicle and other expenses will result in an additional estimated budget increase of $110,000.