Huge fines are coming for property owners in Port Coquitlam who create havoc in neighbourhoods with noise, dilapidated buildings and unkempt yards.
And there will be more bylaw officers in the city working longer hours to ensure local regulations are adhered to, some even on bikes and in marked cars.
The initiatives come as Port Coquitlam is seeing a sharp climb in population and having to deal with COVID-19 related concerns, as well as parking, protection of water courses, illegal dumping, problem properties, bear complaints and those who don’t secure their garbage.
As well, Port Coquitlam bylaw officers have sometimes had to pick up discarded needles on city properties including parks, collecting 500 so far this year, and they are often tasked to deal with homeless camps to ensure conditions are sanitary and help those in need.
However, Mayor Brad West said having to deal with social issues wasn’t the main impetus for increasing the number of bylaw officers. The extra resources were needed, he added, to strengthen city bylaw enforcement in general.
“We’ve established improving safety as one of the key priorities for this council.” he told the Tri-City News recently after the city gave three readings to bylaws to enhance the role of bylaw officers and boost fines for nuisance properties.
The fines of up to $500 for repeated offences are expected to encourage property owners to move more quickly to address concerns of police and bylaw officers.
At council Tuesday, Oct. 13, West said the new Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw will provide a “stick” to landlords and other property owners who cause repeated problems requiring the city and RCMP to spend time and resources dealing with issues.
“We have our carrots, this is adding a bit of another stick in situations where we have a property owner that’s not paying attention…we now have a financial consequence we can start to impose that will perhaps get their attention much more quickly.”
There are about four or five nuisance properties in the city at any one time, according to bylaw manager Paula Jones, who said the nuisance bylaw would be applied in cases where there have been repeated issues, not for a single house party or a neighbour dispute.
In recent years, Port Coquitlam residents have complained about a number of nuisance properties, including one in the city where the building eventually burned down.
In order for a property to be declared a repeat nuisance it must have required more than one nuisance call within a 24-hour period or more than three over 12 months.
The bylaw outlines what and where items can be kept on properties, defines unsightliness, includes standards for yard maintenance, noxious weeds, garbage, pooled water and dilapidated vehicles, buildings and fences.
It also addresses graffiti and covers recurring nuisance noises and lighting, although not lighting on streets, vehicles, playing fields and school grounds.
The bylaw would allow the city to issue compliance orders, issue tickets with fines of up to $500 to recover costs for administration and remediation work, and charge new abatement fees for repeat nuisance calls requiring attendance by staff and RCMP officers. An appeal process is included for compliance orders and abatement fees.
The city will also have its bylaw officers sworn as peace officers under the Police Act, so individuals could be charged for obstructing or assaulting them.
As many as eight bylaw officers will be on the job starting mid-month, up from 5.5 (full-time equivalent), and their hours will be extended.
Bylaw officers will now be working from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, and enhancing their presence with bike patrols and marked vehicles.
“It’s a recognition of bylaw officers and the important work they do. It is not a nine to five Monday to Friday job — it’s a seven day a week job,” West said.
In addition to these measures, the city has added safety concerns to its corporate support department and hired Dominic Long, a director with experience in community safety in Vancouver to lead the Bylaw Services, Community Police, Communications, Corporate Office and Information Services divisions.
Once the new bylaws are adopted Oct. 27, the wording for the new Property Standards and Nuisance Abatement Bylaw 4910 and Delegation of Authority Bylaw 3876 will be posted at www.portcoquitlam.ca/bylaws.
