Drayton Valley Community Standards Bylaw amendments remove appeal process for snowy sidewalks, overgrown grass

Last week, Drayton Valley town council unanimously passed second and third readings of assorted amendments to the Community Standards Bylaw.

The bylaw was last updated in 2022, and since then, administration says community needs have changed and new concerns have emerged.

Some notable changes include:

• Shortening the timeline requiring the repair or removal of a structure deemed unsafe or unfit for human habitation to 180 days, from two years.
• Introducing an offence to falsely advertise as being part of the Trespassing Agent Program.
• Introducing an offence for scavenging or dumpster diving in residential or commercial waste or recycling containers.
• Removing the ability to appeal an order issued by a peace officer for 10 offences, such as overgrown vegetation or snow and ice interfering with sidewalks, roads or any property besides your own.

Before the amendments were passed, when an order was issued, at least 14 days needed to pass before a 14-day appeal process could begin. The town said that the timeline drastically reduced its ability to efficiently and effectively respond to public concerns that could impede safety.

The amendment requires enforcement services to give 24-hours notice for non-compliance, and if compliance isn’t met within that timeframe, the town can proceed with contracting work to address the issue. An invoice for the work will be issued to the property owner, and if it goes unpaid, it will be added to their tax roll.

At the time of first reading, the amendments also proposed rescinding the Curfew, Smoking and Cannabis-Free Public Spaces Bylaws due to redundancy under provincial legislation. For the second and third readings, that element was removed, meaning the bylaws are still in effect. They will return to council at a future meeting for further consideration.

During the regular council meeting on Feb. 18, Councillor Cody Brooks indicated he would prefer to see the Smoking and Cannabis-Free Public Spaces Bylaws remain in effect, as provincial governments and their legislation can change.

Drayton Valley Enforcement Services reported that provincial smoking laws are more comprehensive and current than the town’s. It added that the Cannabis-Free Public Spaces Bylaw was created ahead of cannabis legalization, when officials were unsure how the community would respond, and has not been needed in practice.