City takes on bylaw busters
July 05, 2010
Jenni Dunning
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/801785
Downtown, it's absentee landlords. In the Mountain Brow lands, it's illegal dumping. Near Mohawk College, it's tall weeds and garbage.
Each area of Hamilton has different hot-button issues to be addressed in a new pilot project that put more bylaw enforcement officers on city streets.
The city has hired six municipal bylaw enforcement officers to beef up enforcement for bylaw busters in Wards 1 to 8.
It's a move several city councillors said they hope will improve their wards' "chronic" problems.
According to a report to be presented to the economic development and planning committee today, the officers were trained last month and will be sworn in at a committee of the whole meeting tomorrow.
"We have a lot of enforcement problems ... related to the lack of manpower," said Councillor Bob Bratina. "We're not doing the best job we can. If more enforcement officers are going to help, then good."
The initiative, dubbed Project Compliance, will cost the city nearly $600,000. About $450,000 will go toward hiring the part-time officers for 18 months, averaging $75,000 per officer.
A temporary, full-time clerk would also be hired at a cost of $90,000 and $58,000 will be allocated to operate three cars.
Fees and fines from the program would go to a city parking financial reserve, which plans to cover the $598,000 price tag.
The officers would focus on particular property standard issues in each ward involved in the project.
Absentee landlords are a "chronic issue" in Ward 2, said Bratina.
One Toronto-based landlord owns 55 Hamilton properties with tenants whose homes are covered in trash, he said.
"Residents are generally fed up with the general lack of response to complaints. Hopefully this is a step forward," Bratina said.
Absentee landlords are also an issue in Ward 4, between Ottawa Street and Nash Road, said Councillor Sam Merulla.
This pilot project will help keep landlords -- and the city -- accountable, he added.
"People expect a certain standard from us," he said. "We have bylaws in place, but we didn't have the resources to pursue the bylaws."
Councillor Tom Jackson said he thinks a recent spike in illegal dumping in Ward 6 along the Mountain Brow lands is backlash from the city's one bag garbage limit.
"I strongly support some additional tools and manpower to target (the dumping)," he said. "It's hurting our image."
Unkempt student housing, including unshovelled sidewalks, garbage piles and tall weeds, is a problem in Ward 8, said Councillor Terry Whitehead, adding he hopes the project will continue past its 18-month trial period.
"Once in a while you need to try something a little different to see if it bears fruit," he said. "Most of our bylaws are reactive, not proactive. It certainly will be a very worthwhile exercise."