By-Law Enforcement Annual Report

At the Committee of the Whole meeting on January 30th, Brent Larmer’s By-Law department will publish their 2022 Annual Report – it’s their first. Their official name is now “Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing Services” and during 2022, they moved out of Victoria Hall to the adjacent Market building. There are no longer any seniors’ programs there and after renovations they plan that up to 10 employees will work there. The Annual report provides details on what the officers have been doing and what is planned for 2023. The report clearly indicates that the department will be measuring their work by implementing Service Level Agreements (SLAs). These are stated levels of performance to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – that is, response times. Download the report from links in Resources below but here is a summary.

Highlights of Activities in 2022

  • Parking Violations: 4,200
  • Calls for Service for Property/Parking/Animal activities: 1007
  • Calls for Service for Animal issues: 173
  • Inspection of Homeless encampments: 71
  • Responded to Nuisance and Noise complaints: 78
  • Licensed Lottery Events: 1,253
  • Issued Sign Permits: 52

More information – content of appendices
Download all 7 appendices here (one pdf)

  • 34 Bylaws are enforced – see Appendix 1. Some By-Laws are available for Download – go here for my comprehensive guide to by-laws.
  • “Enforcement is typically undertaken on a complaint basis; however, Officers may utilize a combination of reactive and proactive enforcement approaches to achieve compliance, including the undertaking of specific enforcement projects.” Appendix 2 gives a list of these “projects” with an indication of when officers are proactive.
  • Appendix 3 lists Property Related Calls – that is “ensuring that properties meet minimum standards as they relate to health and safety, property maintenance and appropriate land use”. There were 148 calls concerning “property standards” but only one about “idling”.
  • Appendix 4 provides details on parking tickets including for 2021. E.g. 4,109 proactive enforcement in 2022 vs 3,835 in 2021;
  • Appendix 5 lists Animal related statistics. 173 calls but only 18 offences.
  • Appendix 6 provides SLAs (response times) for various by-laws plus the performance in meeting the SLA. For example, calls for the Boulevard By-Law when there is an emergency or unsafe condition specifies both initial response and final resolution in one day. Calls for the Boulevard By-Law in the General case specifies 14 days for initial response and final resolution in 30 days. These times were met in 91% of the 34 cases.
  • Appendix 7 provides details on Licensing activities – e.g. 1,253 lottery events licensed in 2022 and 858 dog licences were issued. More about Dog by-law here.

Resources

Print Article: 

 

11 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Small Time Lover
1 year ago

Why are so many bylaws on the books not being enforced? People smoke, urinate and defecate all the time in Peace Park during fishing season which is all year. The chances of catching someone in the act is pretty slim. Has anyone actually been ticketed for that? We have vehicles illegally parked on our street all the time, November 1st to March 31st . I understand our bylaw officers can’t be everywhere all the time. I just don’t see why we have so many bylaws that can not possibly be regularly enforced, if at all.

Tucker
Reply to  Small Time Lover
1 year ago

I understand too, that the Bylaw officer can’t be around all the time, but when we had a camper parked on our street, he was here right away and they got a ticket. The service was good. We also have vehicles parked illegally on our street now, even though the Town put up “no parking” signs last week. But I was told by the newcomer to town that “we really don’t care if we get a ticket”. So there are people out there who consistently just don’t obey the law, they are the ones who are “you can’t tell me because I know better”.

marya
Reply to  Tucker
1 year ago

It is those people,Tucker, who You so well describe who are the reason that we have to have by-laws…

Dunkirk
1 year ago

I have never had a positive experience as a result of any community By-laws(or those who enforce them)–and –personally, I would love to see a Council that makes an effort to eliminate an existing, outdated By-law every time they introduce a new one….

With that said—any Municipal Dept that actually can provide an Annual Report 30 days after the conclusion of the year complete with KPI’s needs to be applauded and recognized. Well done, Mr. Larmer. Thank you-

Why can’t other Departments do the same? Planning…Finance…?
Watching our poor Council struggling with 2 year old data trying to go upstream against another record budget increase is difficult. Municipal budgets are all about wages and salaries. Having staff who make 3 times the local annual median wage looking into ways to save $2000 is both false economy and provides a shinny object for our elected representatives to look at while salaries and benefits accumulate. Freeze those until you get up-to-date data…

Concerned
Reply to  Dunkirk
1 year ago

How about comparing apples to apples and compare them to their municipal counterparts you will see many in Port Hope make more than those here in Cobourg.

Eastender
1 year ago

I wonder what the “Encampment Response Plan to address homelessness”
plan is? And how it addresses homelessness?
And with 7 employees in a building that can hold up to 10, does this mean
3 more employees will be hired?

Sandpiper
Reply to  Eastender
1 year ago

Only 10 employees in total when they used to get 30 to 60 Seniors in there doing Art , Bridge , Photo Club . etc. Are they all sitting behind their desks at the same time ? Our Condo board has placed dozens of Calls over the year
you always have to leave a message which is seldom returned the same day ..
Problem Solved right its over
As far as the Homeless issue they simply ask them to move on leaving behind
trash and No Frills food carts , bicycles etc they say are not theirs .
I wonder why ?? and then the residents get the clean it up or else letter from By Law , with the threat of a fine or a Bill $ from the Town if not handled in 72 hrs Pro Active Please !

Concerned
Reply to  Sandpiper
1 year ago

Did they have full office spaces ie desks printers cabinets probably not and did they have an office space for a manager? Probably not.

Sandpiper
Reply to  Concerned
1 year ago

No just Card Tables and chairs . food table , Art easels & craft supplies

Cobourg taxpayer
1 year ago

Interesting report. What was the revenue from tickets issued?

cornbread
Reply to  Cobourg taxpayer
1 year ago

You should mean: Revenue versus Cost.