Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County has set the next step to hire a bylaw enforcement officer.

At its regular meeting Feb. 8, council gave first two readings to a bylaw to create the position.

“The draft bylaw was reviewed by our lawyers Reynolds, Mirth, Richards and Farmer and the recommended changes have been incorporated in the final draft,” says Pat Olansky, director of planning and development.

Council has recently approved a one-year contract position when it discussed its interim budget, she noted.

The bylaw enforcement officer will solely enforce bylaws, and not serve the role as a peace officer since the county currently has a contract for those services with the Town of High Prairie, says CAO Roy Brideau.

“Once the bylaw is adopted, staff can develop a job description,” Reeve Ken Matthews says.

It then enables the county to post the position.

The officer would serve in a professional manner and work in co-operation with staff and citizens.

“You want to take a helpful approach, rather than the big hammer,” Brideau says, responding to a question how the officer would handle the role.

One councillor suggests the position be filled by someone with few ties to the county.

“You shouldn’t hire a local person because they would have conflict,” Joussard Councillor Ed Podollan says.

Under the bylaw, the officer would enforce bylaws, investigate and respond to complaints of alleged breaches, conduct routine patrols to ensure bylaws are complied with, and issue offence tickets.

An enforcement officer was a major addition when the county adopted its interim budget Dec. 5.

“We have a number of bylaws that we feel we are not enforcing,” Matthews says when he commented on the interim budget in January.

A bylaw enforcement officer was suggested during an open house June 28 in Joussard to review the draft municipal development plan and land-use bylaw.

The Municipal Government Act requires every council who hires a bylaw control officer to pass a bylaw that specifies the powers and duties.