Local

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Councillors may levy automatic fines for trashy yards

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 03/11/2013 11:17 AM | Comments: 0

Discarded garbage, furniture and mattresses in a empty lot on Flora Ave. near McGregor Street. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store

Winnipeg may consider handing out automatic fines to residents who leave garbage lying around or let their grass grow too high.

This morning, council's protection and community services committee voted in favour of a plan to examine how Winnipeg could ticket landlords who do not provide adequate heat to tenants.

The idea was championed by Coun. Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre), who said more than 300 landlords in 2012 violated the basic heat requirement for tenants.

Peter de Graaf, manager of the city's bylaw enforcement, called it a "great idea" to ticket landlords who do not provide adequate heat, and said the city also wants to examine whether it could issue automatic tickets to residents who violate other parts of Winnipeg's neighbourhood livability bylaw, such as leaving garbage in their yard or having illegal signs.

Right now, de Graaf said the city issues common offence notices to people who violate the bylaw, and the fine is set by a judge in bylaw court.

However, de Graaf said it takes between six and eight weeks for a first court appearance, and the process could take six months or longer to resolve if someone pleads not guilty.

He said issuing automatic set fines could deter residents and landlords from violating the bylaw in the first place.

City administration will report back to the committee in October about how a new process could work.

"It's a great idea," de Graaf said.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.