Summerside, P.E.I. welcomes new bylaw enforcement officer
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SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Bylaw enforcement is about to develop into so much simpler in Summerside.
After years of discussions, the town has employed a devoted bylaw enforcement officer to fill a place that has been empty for so long as anybody at metropolis corridor can keep in mind.
“So long as I’ve been round, there’s by no means been one,” mentioned JP Desrosiers, Summerside’s deputy chief administrative officer.
On Monday, Oct. 2, Garth MacKinnon formally stepped into the long-awaited function. His duties, mentioned Desrosiers, embrace parking enforcement, ugly properties, animal management and different complaints and bylaw violations.
Beforehand, bylaw enforcement fell to Summerside Police Companies or different municipal officers, relying on the infraction at hand. Then, 4 years in the past, councillors started discussing the potential of hiring somebody particularly to sort out these duties.
“Once I was first elected to council throughout my first time period, it was a problem that popped up a number of instances,” mentioned Deputy Mayor Cory Snow.
“I observed, and different councillors observed that police have been placing numerous time and assets into bylaw complaints when there’s different, severe issues that police providers may very well be coping with.”
A yr in the past, discussions turned extra concrete, and the town budgeted for and seemed to recruit a bylaw enforcement officer.
“There’s been a want from council and from workers to implement a few of our extra on-the-ground kind bylaw infractions,” mentioned Desrosiers. “There’s simply been ongoing progress in a few of these bylaw complaints coming into council. What we have been beginning to see, was it simply wasn’t a unbelievable use of police assets.”
Having MacKinnon take over these roles, mentioned Desrosiers, means extra energetic enforcement, in addition to permitting metropolis police to concentrate on larger precedence duties.
To Snow’s data, the town as soon as, years in the past, had somebody on workers to deal with bylaw complaints. When that stopped, although, it fell to police duty and labored effectively sufficient over time.
“Sadly, now, the problems police providers are coping with have elevated, the seriousness of what they’re coping with has elevated,” mentioned Snow.
“They’ve been spending their time working throughout the metropolis to make it as secure as attainable for residents. With regards to bylaw complaints … it’s one thing that may be taken off the police service’s plate.”
MacKinnon’s presence, mentioned Snow, will even assist unencumber councillors’ time. Moderately than reaching out to council immediately, who would then comply with up on the grievance, MacKinnon will have the ability to take the lead.
“We’ve created a bylaw grievance type the place individuals can problem their complaints and the bylaw officer has it on file, and it creates a monitoring system as effectively,” mentioned Snow.
“I believe we’re streamlining numerous the processes that must do with it. It ought to make issues higher and the general public ought to see enhancements.”
Kristin Gardiner is a reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. She will be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on X @KristinGardiner.
