Minor bylaw infractions and tickets issued by the City of Cranbrook may be handed out through a new system starting on April 1st.
According to City officials, the new bylaw notice enforcement and dispute adjudication system will allow local governments to manage bylaw disputes, such as animal control and parking tickets.
“The creation of this new bylaw notice and adjudication system was a key goal of this Council found in our current strategic plan. I am very pleased to see this system coming online, and I want to thank City staff for all their hard work bringing this forward,” said Mayor Lee Pratt.
City staff note that the new system will relieve pressure off the already over-burdened Provincial Court system. Private adjudicators are appointed by the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Office to hear bylaw disputes at the local level through this process.
“The Bylaw Notice and Dispute Adjudication System is a new service that will simplify and streamline the dispute resolution process,” says Molly van Leusden, Coordinator with Engineering and Development Services. “Locally managed bylaw enforcement for minor contraventions will be cost-effective and efficient, while providing more timely personalized services to the community.”
As of April 1st, those who receive a bylaw ticket can either pay it or dispute it within 14 days of receiving it. Information on how to pay or dispute is printed on the back of each ticket.
City officials said the screening officer will review any disputes sent in through the bylaw notice dispute form, found either through the city or online.
When a ticket is disputed, the screening officer will do one of three things:
- Cancel a bylaw notice.
- Enter a compliance agreement and reduce the penalty upon compliance with the bylaw.
- Uphold the bylaw notice.
If it is upheld, you will have the option of requesting an adjudication hearing.
Tickets can be paid online, or at City Hall or Engineering and Development Services, located in the back of Cranbrook’s public library building.