The city is looking to strengthen their authority against unsightly properties in Prince George.
At Monday night's meeting, city council will vote to give the first three readings to a new property maintenance bylaw.
Replacing the current maintenance bylaw set in 1989, the new regulations would "broaden the city's ability to respond to un-kept properties," said a report from bylaw services manager Guy Gusdal. The new bylaw is intended to cover the exterior elements of private property that are visible beyond the property's boundary.
The new bylaw includes a section dealing with vacant and unsecured buildings as well as provisions for the upkeep of retaining walls, exterior walls, accessory buildings feeding and controlling wildlife and water ponds.
While many rules have been tightened, there are also some that were relaxed. In the current bylaw, snow and ice are supposed to be removed from residential sidewalks by 10 a.m. the the day after the snowfall. Under the new regulations, property owners or occupiers have four days to clear it up.
It also spells out a step-by-step process by which property infractions will be dealt with, from first notice to an eventual fine of up to $10,000.
According to Gusdal's report, there is expected to be a slight increase in the number and variety of calls to the bylaw department once the general public becomes familiar with the new rules.
"Complaints regarding buildings or their structures that have minor issues will be give a lower priority which means, depending on the officer workload at the time, bylaw staff's response to the complaint may be delayed before appropriate action is taken," the report said.
Council is also asked to back up the new rules with their own umbrella statement of support in the form of a new Community Standard for Building and Other Structure Exterior Maintenance policy.
The policy is aimed at property owners who are not adequately maintaining their structures and should help the city resolve the worst of the problems before they have to come before council for remedial action.
