First proposed a year ago, the Town of Stettler could soon have a community standards bylaw to set fines to charge people who create graffiti, fight, bully, swear, urinate, panhandle and loiter in public places.
At its regular meeting last week, town council discussed the initial bylaw that was suggested by Stettler RCMP in spring 2012 and now presented by the bylaw officer Kevin Duval.
This spring, RCMP Sgt. Duncan Babchuk explained that these bylaws are “highly effective” in other communities to curb such issues as fighting and loitering, graffiti, spitting and urinating.
“We’ll get Sgt. Babchuk to come to a council meeting to further discuss this draft bylaw,” said the town’s chief administrative officer, Rob Stoutenberg.
“This will be a substantial addition to bylaw enforcement in the town,” Duval said.
The bylaw includes penalties for a variety of infractions:
— Apply graffiti on a structure or property and face fines of $2,500 for the first offence, $5,000 for second offence and $7,000 for third and subsequent charges.
— Spit at any person and urinate or defecate in public area or public and private property and incur fines of $400, $800 and $1,200.
— Participate in a fight in public area and receive fines of $400, $800 and $1,200.
— Bully someone in a public place, encourage or cheer persons engaged in act of bullying, or bullying by way of written, electronic or Internet mode, causes fines of $250, $500 and $750.
Charges for loitering and throwing garbage were also set at $100, $200 and $400.
During the winter, the town would also enforce snow removal and issue fines $50, $100 and $200 for property owners who fail to remove snow or ice or debris from an adjoining sidewalk within 48 hours.
Babchuk believes a community standards bylaw is effective on multiple counts.
Set by council, the fines would directly go into town coffers.
“Our Crown counsel suggests that these issues would be better dealt with through a bylaw than with a criminal charge,” Babchuk said last year.
“Some incidents don’t deserve a criminal charge.”
That would also speed up a process that’s often sluggish and long through the court system, he said.
Last year, Babchuk also suggested that drinking establishments also be fined for unacceptable noise and activity, with the owner facing a fine of $2,000 for the first offence, $5,000 for the second offence within one year, and $10,000 for the third and subsequent fine in the same year.