PERIOD REPORT
DATE: May 26, 2025 Report No. CSS-25-002
TO: Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Joel Clary, Director of Engineering & Public Works
SUBJECT:TITLECommunity Safety Services Department - 2025 First Period ReportBody
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Community Safety Services Department from January 1, 2025 to April 30, 2025. The Director of Community Safety Services position remains vacant due to the unplanned extended absence and subsequent retirement of the incumbent. The responsibilities of this role remained shared between the Director of Engineering and Public Works (bylaw and building inspections), Manager of Economic Development (business licencing), Fire Chief (emergency management), and the Chief Administrative Officer (Public Safety Building and policing.
A re-organization of this department is in progress. The building inspections and permits function has been assigned to the Director of Development Services. The emergency management function has been assigned to the Fire Chief. Business licensing remains temporarily assigned to the Manager of Economic Development. Bylaw enforcement remains temporarily assigned to the Director of Engineering and Public Works.
The role of Director of Community Safety Services has been updated with new responsibilities and will now be known as the Director of Strategic Initiatives. A competition for this director role is underway. The new director will retain responsibility for bylaw enforcement and police liaison. Special projects such as Police Model Transition and delivery of the new Public Safety Building will be assigned to this director. Finally, ownership of the Council Priorities Plan process and key organization-wide initiatives falling under Council’s focus area of Good Governance and Organizational Excellence will be assigned to this director.
.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Bylaw Enforcement
• Bylaw Offence Notice Disputes
In this period, 17 BONs were referred to the screening officer level. Of those, 11 were cancelled and 6 were upheld for payment. No matters were referred for adjudication.
Bylaw Contraventions and Complaints, BONs and Animal Management Report [Attachment #1]
• Dog Licensing
During the first period, 1,387 licenses were sold: 566 from Municipal Hall, 271 from vendors and 550 online.
Dog licenses can be renewed in several ways:
o Purchase at the Municipal Hall in person
o By mail
o Online through MyEsquimalt
o Purchase through Victoria Animal Control Services
o Purchase at Castle Building Centre in Victoria West and Shoppers Drug Mart in Esquimalt
• Deer Study
In the first period of 2025, the project team received a grant extension to December 31, 2025 at no cost to the Township. This extension gives the project team time to incorporate and analyze the fall/winter 2024 data that was recently collected. Following this, the project team’s next steps are to:
1. Finalize the density estimates;
2. Finalize estimates of post IC fawning rates; and
3. Finalize the models showing where remaining deer are expected to be.
These steps will provide the Township with information on whether to consider IC in the future, and some advice around landscape management to handle the problem. The project team expects to present their findings to Council and permanently remove cameras in fall 2025.
2. Building Inspections/Permits
• The first period of 2025 resulted in a decrease in demand for permits compared with the first period of 2024. The total value of construction in the first period of 2025 was $4.4 million compared with $17.2 million in the first period of 2024. Similar to construction values, the permit fees are showing a decrease, with $53,767 in the first period of 2025 compared to $165,438 for the first period of 2024.
• Attachments
Building Permits Chart [Attachment #2]
3. Policing -
• Staff continue to explore potential shared services concepts that could support a new policing model in Esquimalt. An update to Council on progress and way ahead is not expected until fall 2025.
4. Public Safety Building -
• The construction phase of the Public Safety Building began in June 2024. As of mid-May 2025, the construction phase is proceeding on schedule and on-budget. Staff are planning to present a mid-construction project brief for Council in this upcoming period. No further issues or concerns to report.
II. COMMITTEES
• No Community Safety Services Staff currently sit on any Council appointed committees.