During the Dec. 17 regular meeting of council, Chestermere City Council passed two bylaws, which will affect residents in 2020.
The first bylaw passed by council was updates to the Unsightly Property Bylaw.
“We live in a beautiful community, and this bylaw helps our peace officers ensure that it stays that way,” said Mayor Marshall Chalmers.
“In particular, it will help them enforce our expectations of responsible property ownership so that we can all enjoy a safe and tidy city,” he said.
The updated Unsightly Property Bylaw allows municipal enforcement to act against complaints that they lacked the authority and avenues to properly address before.
The most significant updates to the Unsightly Property Bylaw include prohibiting parked vehicles and trailers on front lawns, increased fines for unsightly construction sites, and charging vehicle owners caught dumping waste in rural areas.
The changes to the Unsightly Property Bylaw now include clearly defining property ownership to include corporations, developers, renters, and partnerships, expanding the scope of the bylaw to include properties that pose a danger to public safety, and ensuring construction sites are kept in a clean and orderly fashion to ensure public safety and prevent debris being blown off the site.
Chestermere City Council then approved the Fire Services Bylaw.
The Fire Services Bylaw establishes Chestermere Fire Services (CFS) as the official provider of fire and rescue services within the city, establishes the role of the Fire Chief, and defines fire services jurisdiction and enforcement of fire-related costs and services.
“Our Fire Services team does a great deal more than just responding to fires, and this bylaw provides clarity on their roles and responsibilities,” Chalmers said.
“On occasion, they have to respond to multiple false alarms at the same address. This bylaw enables them to recover the cost of that work,” he said.
The Fire Services Bylaw also promotes the city’s strategic visions of an Amazing Chestermere by providing a high quality of services and amenities, serving customers with excellence, and championing a safe community.
Along with the Unsightly Property Bylaw, and Fire Services Bylaw updates Chestermere City Council approved the creation of the Chestermere Economic Development Advisory Committee.
The Economic Development Advisory Committee will support economic investment and attraction in the community.
Council will be seeking resident members for the committee in early 2020.
For additional information on council decisions, please visit the City of Chestermere website at https://www.chestermere.ca/.
