Four Summerland bylaws have been replaced with one new bylaw to deal with community nuisances.
On June 14, Summerland council gave first three readings to its Good Neighbour Bylaw to address unsightly properties, weed control, boulevard maintenance, snow, ice and rubbish removal and noise control. These four bylaws were all created in the 1990s.
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Under the new bylaw, fees are imposed if a property has more than one nuisance service call in a 24-hour period, or more than three nuisance service calls in a 12-month period.
“Properties causing significant ongoing nuisances can disrupt whole neighbourhoods and negatively affect the enjoyment and peace of residents in surrounding areas,” bylaw enforcement officer Dan Maja said in a report to council.
The bylaw also includes regulations for public spaces. These include deterrents for public disorder, spitting, urinating, fighting, vandalism and littering. In addition, there are regulations limiting pandhandling.
Compliance orders may also be issued to deal with rubbish, materials graffiti and weeds on a property.
At the 2020 strategic planning process, a good neighbour bylaw was identified as a priority for the community. Other communities in B.C. have similar bylaws in place. These include Nakusp, Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, Surrey, Vernon and West Kelowna.
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