The Regional District of Nanaimo is updating its bylaw enforcement tool to make it more effective and cost-efficient.
It is switching to a Bylaw Dispute Adjudication System (BDAS) from the Municipal Ticket (MTI) System in dealing with bylaw contraventions in the regional district.
The BDAS was created to provide local governments the means to make enforcement of bylaw matters more efficient and less expensive for both the public and the local government, which the current MTI system does not support.
It will help address simple bylaw contraventions as it will provide a more accessible venue. It will reduce demands on the court system.
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The court costs of prosecuting a disputed MTI in provincial court could reach several thousand dollars and RDN manager of building and bylaw services Tom Armet, in his report to the RDN board, indicated that cases are heard in court when it serves the public interest to do so. It limits the RDN’s option to resolve an issue.
In the last three years, Armet said the RDN has spent around $6,500 in legal fees for MTI disputed trials that resulted in total fines of less than $1,000. The legal cost expenditure cannot be recovered in provincial court.
The RDN board approved the Bylaw Notice Bylaw No. 1786, 2019 that would allow implementation of the BDAS.