By-law Enforcement During COVID-19 Pandemic

By-law Enforcement Service Disruptions During COVID-19

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Council at its Emergency Council Meeting on March 13, 2020 deemed it essential and expeditious to protect the safety and wellbeing of our staff and community by closing Town Hall and implementing an alternative service protocol for essential services until further notice.

At the direction of Council, certain enforcement procedures/processes have been and may need to continue to be adjusted to accommodate the requirements and/or recommendations of public health professionals.

 

Alternate Services Protocol

At this time, there will be a delay in responding to and resolving by-law requests for services, however, our Municipal Law Enforcement Officers continue to respond to complaints using appropriate discretion and based on the urgency of the matters.

We will:

  1. Continue to encourage compliance through education and awareness;
  2. Continue to use discretion in the enforcement of a Town by-law, including determining appropriate enforcement actions to take, if any;
  3. Only patrol for high priority matters that are highly likely to pose an immediate and substantial health & safety risk;
  4. Not proactively enforce low or medium priority matters that do not pose an immediate and substantial health & safety risk;
  5. Not be enforcing downtown paid parking rules however, all other parking rules will apply; and
  6. Support enforcement of the Provincial Orders by assisting the OPP to:
    • Inspect and monitor non-essential businesses that are required to be closed during the pandemic as mandated by the Province Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.9 from March 25 to April 7, 2020 (or as extended as necessary by the Province).
    • Patrol parks and public spaces to educate the public on the importance of physical distancing