REQUEST FOR DECISION
DATE: March 27, 2019 Report No. CSS-19-007
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Blair McDonald, Director of Community Safety Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Amendment to Council Policy No. ADMIN-68 Bylaw Enforcement
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council approves the amended Council Policy No. ADMIN-68 Bylaw Enforcement as attached to Staff Report CSS-19-007.
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RELEVANT POLICY:
Council Policy No. ADMIN-68 Bylaw Enforcement
STRATEGIC RELEVANCE:
Healthy, Livable and Diverse Community
BACKGROUND:
As a result of a complaint, the Office of the Ombudsperson conducted an investigation into bylaw enforcement and other processes within the Township. While the outcome of the investigation was mostly positive, a recommendation was made that the Township amend its Bylaw Enforcement Policy to include information relating to notification to complainants regarding the outcome of bylaw investigations.
ISSUES:
1. Rationale for Selected Option
While the recommended actions as identified by the Office of the Ombudsperson are carried out as a matter of practice in most instances, the Office of the Ombudsperson recommended that those actions be formally included in the Bylaw Enforcement Policy. The recommended addition to the Policy encompasses four points:
* Acknowledgement of the complaint
* Describe any investigative steps taken to assess the complaint
* Describe any enforcement action taken or planned, or the reasons for no enforcement action; and
* Provide any other relevant information to the complainant.
These points are included in the amended Policy as section 3.6.
2. Organizational Implications
As previously noted, these actions are usually taken as a matter of course during bylaw investigations; however, adding them to the Policy formalizes the requirement. Adhering to the requirement will not add significantly to the Bylaw Management Officer's workload, as in most cases these...
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