City to review bylaw enforcement concerns

Bruce Walkinshaw - Penticton Western News Published: April 30, 2010 3:00 PM

City of Penticton management will look into the Downtown Penticton Association's concerns that city bylaw enforcement officers spend more time in the downtown core than is appropriate or fair. In a letter to council, DPA executive director Barb Haynes had said that the association, which represents almost 600 members, had received many complaints from business owners and patrons in the downtown and that the overall sentiment is that bylaw officers are spending "too spend much of their day-to-day activities focused on the downtown core." "We know that much of that has to do with parking because we are the only area where there is paid parking, however, that should not be a penalizing factor for the downtown core and some of that time should maybe be spent looking at some of the other bylaws that are also on the books," Haynes told the Western News. "I think there is a feeling that when parking signs and regulations are the only thing we enforce as a community and there is only one area in an entire community that has those regulations, the individuals participating in that area cannot help but feel targeted."

Haynes asked the city to conduct a detailed audit of the activities of the city's enforcement officers to determine whether or not there is an appropriate allocation of officer attention throughout the city. City CAO Dennis Back said that the DPA's concerns probably have some validity. "The (bylaw enforcement officers) have multiple responsibilities across the city. They don't just spend all their day in the downtown. They do things like go to schools to check for parking issues and watch for safety issues with children being dropped off," responded Back. "However, there probably is some legitimacy to what they are saying."

Back said that one of the contributing factors to the perception that the downtown core is getting too much attention is the fact that the enforcement officers work out of City Hall. "Perception in this case may approach reality to the extent that they work at City Hall so they are coming and going," explained Back. "They walk through downtown to go anywhere, even grab a coffee. They're working and doing that at the same time. So, the downtown probably does get a lot of attention." Back said that although the city does not regularly review allocations of the city's three bylaw officers time, if valid complaints come in he looks into them. "I think that it is maybe worthy of some discussion," said Back. "If we are getting people like Barb Hanyes saying that the membership of her association is concerned. We will sit up and listen."I have a very good relationship with her and with members of the DPA. So, I will follow up with it."