TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: March 9, 2026 Report No. SI-26-005
TO: Committee of the Whole
FROM: Judy Kitts, Director, Strategic Initiatives
SUBJECT: After-Hours Bylaw Enforcement
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Committee of the Whole review the information contained in this report and provide direction to staff regarding the preferred approach to after-hours bylaw enforcement.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Township is reviewing its approach to after-hours bylaw enforcement in response to Council direction. Recent analysis indicates that unmet after-hours demand is narrow and highly targeted, consisting primarily of proactive time-limited parking enforcement rather than urgent or unresolved bylaw complaints. Four options are presented, ranging from maintaining and strengthening the current VicPD-delivered model to establishing a fully Township-led after-hours program.
BACKGROUND:
Bylaw Enforcement Approach
The Township of Esquimalt’s approach to bylaw enforcement is focused on education and behaviour change, rather than punitive measures. The goal of enforcement is to support community safety, livability, and shared expectations. Compliance is primarily achieved through education, warnings, and Bylaw Offence Notice (BON) tickets. The program is not intended or designed to generate revenue. Under this approach, successful bylaw enforcement would ultimately lead to higher compliance over time, meaning fewer tickets are issued and, consequently, less revenue is generated.
Staffing Structure & Capacity
The Township’s Strategic Initiatives Department has oversight of bylaw services. The department is staffed by 3.5 positions; however, the full complement of staff time is not dedicated exclusively to bylaw enforcement. The Director of Strategic Initiatives and Licensing Clerk support other functions alongside bylaw. Specifically, the Licensing Clerk supports business licensing and dog licensing, and the Director of Strategic Initiatives supports policing services, First Nations engagement, the Council Priorities Plan, and broader Township strategic initiatives.
The Bylaw Team includes:
• Bylaw Management Officer, who provides bylaw enforcement services Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.;
• Licensing Clerk, who is responsible for processing BON tickets, handling payments, processing disputes and collections, and managing related administrative tasks;
• Director of Strategic Initiatives, who serves as the Screening Officer, reviewing disputes as they arise and ensuring compliance with the Bylaw Notice Adjudication System; and
• Auxiliary Bylaw Management Officer, who provides coverage during holidays, leaves, and other periods when additional enforcement capacity is required.
The Strategic Initiatives Department team delivers a significant volume of work despite being a small unit with no internal redundancy and limited administrative support. As a result, the team is exposed to operational vulnerabilities that may impact service continuity, file progression, and the ability to respond effectively to emerging priorities.
Although the auxiliary bylaw position provides some relief, it is dedicated solely to enforcement duties and does not backfill broader team functions. The absence of general administrative support further increases pressure on existing staff and concentrates all corporate knowledge and workflow management within a small number of individuals.
Additionally, both Bylaw Officers, our full‑time officer and the auxiliary officer, are approaching the later stages of their careers. Without a clear succession plan in place, the organization is at heightened risk of knowledge loss and service disruption. Proactive planning is essential to ensure continuity of enforcement services, maintain consistency in regulatory practice, and support a smooth transition as retirement timelines become clearer.
As a result, any decision to expand or adjust after‑hours enforcement must be considered in the broader context of workforce sustainability, succession planning, and the operational limits of the existing Bylaw program. Aligning service expectations with capacity will be essential to maintaining reliable and consistent enforcement over the coming years.
Enforcement Trends & Complaints
The Bylaw Management Officer spends approximately 60% of their time proactively enforcing bylaw violations, primarily parking-related matters, and 40% responding to community complaints. With the introduction of time-limited parking areas in 2025, proactive enforcement in these zones increased. For a summary of BONs and warning tickets by area for 2025, see Appendix A: 2025 Bylaw Enforcement Summary.
On average, the Township receives 60 bylaw complaints monthly, with approximately 70% related to parking. The next most common issues were noise complaints, followed by unsightly property. A detailed breakdown of bylaw complaints over time is provided in Appendix B: 2025 Bylaw Complaints Summary.
Generally, enforcement practices changed in 2025 in response to resident and business feedback about limited parking availability in the Town Centre during the engagement for the Esquimalt Road Active Transportation and Underground Improvements Phase 2 Project. To address these concerns, staff increased parking availability by adding new spaces and implementing time-limited restrictions supported by active bylaw enforcement. This resulted in increased proactive enforcement in the Town Centre, including after-hours enforcement described above, to increase vehicle turnover. Staff are seeking public feedback on the impact of these changes as part of the second round of project engagement. A map of time-limited parking areas is included in Appendix C: Traffic Order Map.
After-Hours Bylaw
After-hours bylaw enforcement (evenings and weekends) has historically not been a regular service delivered by the Township’s Bylaw Team. Instead, after-hours response has been provided by the Victoria Police Department (VicPD).
Council Direction
Council’s interest in enhancing after-hours enforcement originates from direction provided at the October 30, 2023 council meeting:
That Council direct staff to prepare background materials and facilitate a Council discussion exploring options to enhance evening and weekend bylaw enforcement, particularly focusing on parking issues.
On May 26, 2025, following the Bylaw Level of Service Review (see staff report CSS-25-003), Council directed staff to:
iii. initiate after-hours bylaw enforcement utilizing existing staff, as resources allow; and
iv. report back to Council in 2026 on performance of after-hours enforcement through operational updates.
As part of the 2025 budget process, Council approved a $50,000 supplemental core budget increase to support implementation of the Parking Strategy, including the transition from Residential Parking Only zones to Permit Parking zones and associated enforcement needs.
Staff Action:
To gain a better understanding of after-hours bylaw needs, staff engaged with VicPD’s Esquimalt Division Inspector King, who advised that their after-hours bylaw-related work is largely driven by calls received during evenings and weekends, as well as direction from the Township’s Bylaw Management Officer, who advises VicPD of any notable concerns arising during weekday enforcement.
Data provided by VicPD indicates that seven Bylaw Offence Notices (BONs) were issued in 2024 and two in 2025. VicPD also noted that not all calls generate a file, as some matters are resolved on scene, meaning file counts do not reliably represent enforcement activity. These data gaps are further affected by the call-handling process at E-Comm. Residents reporting bylaw concerns after hours often experience long wait times, and some callers abandon the call before reaching an operator. Even when calls are taken, bylaw-only matters may not be dispatched to VicPD if they are triaged as lower-priority. As a result, a portion of community concerns may never reach an attending officer, limiting both enforcement responsiveness and the Township’s ability to assess actual demand.
In alignment with Council’s direction, the Township’s Bylaw Team conducted a pilot period of periodic after-hours enforcement between July 2025 and February 2026. During this pilot, weekend calls continued to be routed through E‑Comm, as per regular practice. Because these calls were not redirected to Township staff, the Bylaw Team was only able to receive complaints submitted through:
• the Township’s bylaw email inbox,
• the online bylaw complaint form, and
• direct contact with the Bylaw Management Officer.
As a result, the pilot did not capture the full volume of after-hours bylaw‑related calls received by E‑Comm. Further detail is provided in the analysis below and in Appendix D: Township After-Hours Tracking Report.
ANALYSIS:
Staff understand that VicPD’s after-hours bylaw response is primarily reactive and based on calls received. Although officers are responding to these matters, the Township does not currently receive complete data on call volumes or enforcement activity, limiting the ability to assess overall effectiveness. This challenge is compounded by the fact that the arrangement has developed informally and lacks defined service levels, key performance indicators (KPIs), and regular reporting.
In the 2026 VicPD budget presentation to Council on February 23, Chief Constable Wilson stated VicPD’s willingness to support enhanced after-hours bylaw enforcement. She advised that VicPD is preparing to implement a dedicated Bylaw Program in response to the Township’s expressed needs. As part of this program, she committed to assigning an officer to conduct bylaw-related duties approximately 3-4 hours per day, 3-4 days per week. This reflects VicPD’s interest in providing more structured and proactive support and presents an opportunity to formalize expectations within a renewed service model.
Chief Constable Wilson’s commitment, combined with rising policing costs, creates a timely opportunity to work with VicPD to formalize after-hours expectations, including clear service levels, increased community visibility, and timely response aligned with the Township’s investment.
At the same time, the Township’s pilot program provides insight into after-hours demand and can help to inform the path forward.
During the Township’s pilot program, the Bylaw Team found that after-hours demand appeared low, and most activity involved proactive enforcement of time-limited parking areas. However, because weekend calls continued to be routed through E-Comm, the pilot did not capture all after-hours complaints. The Bylaw Team had access only to complaints submitted through the Township’s bylaw email, the online form, or direct contact with the officer. As such, the pilot data does not provide a complete picture of after-hours complaints and should be interpreted with that limitation in mind.
Even with these limitations, the information collected during the pilot points to two primary areas of after‑hours need:
1. Saturday Parking Enforcement
Findings:
• Parking was the primary driver of after‑hours activity during the pilot.
• Most activity involved proactive enforcement of time‑limited parking, which was introduced in fall 2025 to address Town Centre parking pressures.
Considerations:
• Relatively few after‑hours complaints were received directly, but data is incomplete because weekend calls continued to route through E‑Comm, not to Township staff.
• Residential Parking Only zones were not included in the pilot because they cannot currently be enforced on weekends; staff cannot run licence plates outside regular business hours to confirm residency.
• Permit Parking implementation planned for 2026-2027 will introduce new signage and compliance requirements that will likely increase monitoring needs.
2. Special Events
• The Bylaw Team attended the Celebration of Lights on December 7, 2025.
• The Bylaw Team did not receive any complaints regarding the Celebration of Lights, though data is incomplete because weekend calls continued to route through E‑Comm, not to Township staff.
• The Bylaw Team helped ensure the parade route was cleared, contacting owners of vehicles parked along the route and arranging for three vehicles to be towed when owners could not be reached.
Considerations:
• Overall, bylaw receives relatively few calls during Township events.
• On occasion the team has received complaints regarding loud music during Ribfest and noise during Buccaneer Days’ “Wakey Wakey”.
• While various infractions occur during these events, the Township has not taken a proactive ticket-focused approach; instead, the emphasis has been on visibility and community presence.
In considering the path forward, several objectives may guide Council’s decision, including:
• strengthening VicPD’s role in after-hours bylaw response,
• improving consistency and continuity of enforcement,
• ensuring visibility during peak events,
• increasing responsiveness to community concerns, and
• addressing specific need areas such as time-limited parking and future Permit Parking zones.
In addition, as outlined in the Background section, any adjustments to after‑hours expectations must be assessed in the context of the Department of Strategic Initiatives’ current operational capacity, staffing structure, and succession planning considerations. These factors do not determine the direction but shape what is feasible and sustainable. The Director of Strategic Initiatives anticipates that, depending on Council’s direction and the evolution of service needs, a future budget submission in the 2027-2028 period may include a request for an additional FTE to support program sustainability.
The scale, cost, and staffing implications of any after-hours program will depend on which of these objectives Council prioritizes.
In addition to the after-hours pilot project, staff are progressing work on two related initiatives. Further information on collections and the bylaw modernization project is provided in Appendix E: Strategic Initiatives Bylaw Projects, Update.
OPTIONS:
Given this context, Council is presented with the following options regarding after-hours bylaw enforcement.
Option 1 - Maintain a VicPD-Delivered Model with Strengthened Metrics (Staff Recommended)
Resolution: That Council direct staff to maintain a VicPD-delivered after-hours service model, and to work with VicPD to establish defined service levels, KPIs, and regular reporting.
Considerations:
• No new financial impact to the Township.
• Requires formalizing expectations with VicPD, including measurable KPIs, service delivery benchmarks, and regular updates.
• Ensures after‑hours bylaw calls are appropriately prioritized by VicPD among other competing calls for service.
• Provides an opportunity for VicPD officers to increase visibility and engagement within the Esquimalt community, particularly during peak activity periods.
• Relies on VicPD’s capacity and operational model to meet the Township’s expectations.
Option 2 - Establish a Targeted Township-Led After-Hours Program (Staff Recommended)
Resolution: That Council direct staff to focus after-hours enforcement exclusively on Saturday parking and Township events.
Considerations:
• Moderate cost: Proposal to either (a) contract services through RFP process or (b) add an additional Bylaw Enforcement Officer to Township’s Bylaw Team.
• Addresses the clearest enforcement gaps.
• Provides the opportunity to manage future changes related to permit parking.
• Improves responsiveness and municipal control.
Option 3 - Continue Limited After-Hours Pilot
Resolution: That Council direct staff to continue limited after-hours enforcement on a pilot basis through fall 2026, focusing on Saturday parking enforcement and major community events, and report back in Q4 2026.
Considerations:
• Moderate cost, using auxiliary resources and staff overtime.
• Allows for continued data collection and assessment before committing to a long‑term model.
• Staff would communicate the pilot externally and encourage residents to submit after-hours complaints directly to the Township (rather than E-Comm), enabling a more complete and accurate understanding of after-hours enforcement needs.
Option 4 - Establish a Full After-Hours Bylaw Program
Resolution: That Council direct staff to develop a full after-hours bylaw program, including staffing model, costs, and service levels, for Council consideration.
Considerations:
• High cost and additional staffing.
• Full municipal control and visibility.
• Ensures consistent service levels but requires operational expansion.
• Inclusion of Permit Parking Enforcement, when implemented.
COUNCIL PRIORITY:
Engaged and Healthy Communities
Good Governance and Organizational Excellence
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
A total of $50,000, approved as part of the 2025 budget, has been earmarked to support after-hours bylaw enforcement initiatives. This funding is available to help implement Council’s approved approach and may offset some or all of the costs, depending on the scope and service model selected.
• Option 1 - VicPD Model with Strengthened Metrics
No new financial impact. After-hours bylaw response continues to be delivered by VicPD under the current model, with improved reporting and expectations incorporated into the existing policing framework.
• Option 2 - Targeted Township-Led After-Hours in High-Need Areas
Moderate financial impact, likely achievable within the current approved $50,000 budget. Costs may include:
o contracting after-hours enforcement services through an RFP process; or
o adding a new Bylaw Enforcement Officer position to support scheduled after-hours shifts.
o Staffing costs and contracting fees would be determined following Council direction. Contracting fees will depend on scale of work and market rates.
• Option 3 - Continue Limited After-Hours Pilot
Moderate financial impact, likely achievable within the current approved $50,000 budget. Service delivered through existing auxiliary resources and staff overtime. Final costs will vary depending on the number of shifts during the pilot period.
• Option 4 - Full After-Hours Bylaw Program
Higher financial impact. Ongoing staffing, training, equipment, and supervisory resources would be required. A detailed budget, including salary and operational costs, would prepared for Council consideration.
COMMUNICATIONS/ENGAGEMENT:
Communications and engagement activities will depend on the option chosen by Council. Should Council direct changes to the after-hours enforcement model, staff will:
• update the Township’s website and Public Notice Board with details of any changes to bylaw enforcement services;
• use social media and other Township platforms to communicate changes in enforcement coverage or new service expectations;
• develop public education materials, if required, to support awareness of parking regulations, time-limited zones, or event-related enforcement.
TIMELINES & NEXT STEPS:
Next steps will depend on the direction provided by Council:
• If Council selects Option 1 (VicPD Model):
No further action required. Staff will continue to monitor demand and report back if service pressures increase.
• If Council selects Option 2 (Targeted After-Hours Enforcement):
o Initiate RFP process or begin recruitment for an additional Bylaw Enforcement Officer (Q2-Q3 2026).
o Implement targeted after-hours enforcement for Saturday parking and major events (starting summer 2026).
o Report back to Council with performance and cost impacts (Q1 2027).
• If Council selects Option 3 (Pilot Extension):
o Continue limited after-hours enforcement through summer 2026.
o Compile and analyze service data over the pilot period.
o Return to Council with findings and recommendations in Q4 2026.
• If Council selects Option 4 (Full Program):
o Develop a detailed staffing model, service level framework, and cost estimate (Q2-Q3 2026).
o Return to Council for approval of budget and implementation (Q4 2026).
o Implementation would begin in 2027, subject to Council direction and budget approval.
REPORT REVIEWED BY:
1. Ian Irvine, Director of Finance, Reviewed
2. Deb Hopkins, Director of Corporate Services, Reviewed
3. Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer, Concurrence
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:
Appendix A: 2025 Bylaw Enforcement Summary
Appendix B: 2025 Bylaw Complaints Summary
Appendix C: Traffic Order Map
Appendix D: Township After-Hours Tracking Report
Appendix E: Strategic Initiatives Bylaw Projects, Update