MANITOUWADGE -- A meeting was held on Thursday night to discuss and review the proposed Property Standards Bylaws.
These bylaws, which were last updated in 1987, provide for a minimum level of standards which the Township expects property owners to maintain, especially in the areas of health and safety issues, and being proactive in maintaining the structure of homes and other dwellings within the township.
A separate, but similar bylaw, ‘Keep Manitouwadge Attractive’, was passed in 2019, but was more geared toward cleaning up unsightly yards and streets, and preventing actions that may result in obstructions on private or town owned land, such as snow or garbage dumping, or the storage of recreational vehicles in inappropriate locations.
Guest Zoom-speaker, Shayne Turner, the former director of bylaw enforcement for the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Mississauga, addressed the small gathering of residents to clarify the reasons for the bylaws. He explained that very little has changed over the years in respect to standard ‘good neighbour’ guidelines, such as debris or unkempt lawns, but some of the safety criteria must be updated, especially when it pertains to rental property. New building, electrical and other codes have been created in the last 37 years, and must be updated to bring them into compliance.
After the formal presentation, the floor was opened to questions and answers from the in-person audience, the Zoom participants, and from the 173 individuals who responded to the survey, which has been available online since September of 2021. Although other questions followed, the first and main concern was that of privacy. Many folks wanted to know what the legalities and procedures are that the bylaw officers must adhere to before entering a private property. It was explained that the authorized by-law officer must only arrive at the dwelling at an appropriate time of day, show their ID, and that they could not enter without consent.
The Township further added, “Our first course of action upon receiving a complaint is to speak with the property owner to advise them of the complaint and to hear their side of the issue. This is generally a conversation we have over the phone.”
‘Most of the issues are reactive. They’re complaint driven,’ Mr. Turner explained. “The bylaw officers aren’t just randomly checking up on things, they’re usually dealing with issues that relate to safety.” He went on to further explain that bylaws are simply tools to be used to protect people; they lay the foundation of what the legal health and safety standards are, and set the framework for the officers to work within.
There are levels of repercussions for bylaw infractions, ranging from an informal warning to charges being laid, or the issue can be repaired or removed by the township, and a bill will be sent to the owner. Once the bylaw is formally established, a Property Standards Appeals Committee consisting of three citizens will be appointed by Council. The purpose of the Committee is to hear appeals by property owners or their agents who have received an order from the Township's Property Standards Officer.
The information gathered at this meeting will be considered and the new bylaw will be enacted at a future Township Council meeting.
For more information regarding these and other Township of Manitouwadge bylaws, go to the My Manitouwadge Property Standards Bylaw Public Input page, or the Manitouwadge Bylaws page on the Township website.