By Joel van der Veen
CRAIK — Town council has indicated its support for a proposal to form a new task force to take on the role of enforcing Craik’s nuisance bylaw.
The proposed task force would develop a list of violations and then attempt to work with the property owners to rectify the problems.
Coun. David Ashdown brought his proposed nuisance abatement bylaw to council’s regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, where it was well received by his colleagues.
“It’s good and it’s thorough, and it’s what we need,” said Coun. Charla Edwards, while Mayor Rick Rogers said, “That’s a really good job.”
Ashdown said he doesn’t think there’s any flaw with the current nuisance bylaw, adding, “The question is really, how do you enforce it?”
A survey of Craik’s ratepayers conducted late last year revealed a growing level of concern with the state of many properties in town, including untended trees and yards and dilapidated buildings.
“As the survey has indicated, we really do need to take some action,” said Ashdown, adding that he believed it would be unfair to place the task of enforcement on the shoulders of town staff.
The proposed bylaw would allow for the formation of what Ashdown called the Nuisance Bylaw Task Force, a committee comprised of town councillors and other residents.
Once established, the task force would complete a survey of the town, recording any properties deemed to be in violation of the nuisance bylaw.
Ashdown said the task force would seek to address cases in order of urgency, so more serious violations would be confronted first.
After receiving approval from council, the committee would send out letters to the property owners involved, inviting them to meet with task force members within 60 days to address the concerns.
If no response was received within that timeframe, property owners would be sent a notice of compliance with a 30-day deadline.
After that point, the town would then take action to remedy the situation. The property owner would be responsible for any costs incurred; the town might also have grounds to pursue legal action.
Ashdown’s proposal called for the appointment of the task force in February, followed by a report back to council in March. Meetings with property owners would take place between March 15 and May 15.
He cautioned that while the task force would work to resolve concerns quickly, the solutions would not be immediate in all cases, as the timeline would vary in each case.
“It might be a year from now,” he said. “At least, (they’ll be) showing a willingness to work and co-operate, which is the main thing.”
Both Ashdown and Coun. Cheryl Klein agreed to serve as members on the task force. Under the current proposal, they would be joined by three appointees from the general public.
Edwards moved to approve Ashdown’s draft proposal, which was carried by council. A formal proposal will be presented in February.
For additional details from last week’s Craik town council meeting, please see the Jan. 18 edition of The Davidson Leader.
