Clean up that yard. If you don’t, it could soon cost you.
The City of Airdrie is weeks away from introducing its revamped Community Standards Bylaw, which has been in development for more than one year.
“It was a lot of departments coming together with the same idea,” said Darryl Poburan, manager of municipal enforcement, RCMP, and building inspections. “Right now we have the bylaw with our solicitor. They’re going through the work to make sure it’s copasetic from a legal perspective.”
Among the changes included in the new bylaw are rules for parking RV trailers and annexation amendments.
The new bylaw will establish and enforce minimum standards in the maintenance, appearance and upkeep of property in the city and will also replace a noise bylaw from 1980.
According to Poburan, the bylaw isn’t meant to castigate the everyday Airdronian, rather to cooperatively work through problems.
“The more feedback we do receive, the better the bylaw can be developed for the people,” he said.
However, not all Airdronians are waiting patiently.
Victor Trcka attended the May information session and said the City has done little to nothing since that time.
“It’s a typical bureaucratic thing where they’re trying to give a warm fuzzy feeling, but when push comes to shove you wonder what’s going to happen,” said Trcka. “I don’t know what’s going on and why it’s taken so long to get going.”
Trcka said he’s had issues with neighbours and their unsightly properties and the City’s bylaw enforcement has failed to take issue with public eyesores.
“It takes 60, 90 days, maybe even forever, before anything’s been done about it,” he said. “It’s almost as if they’re not willing to deal with these unsightly properties.”
Mayor Peter Brown said the City has been working hard, despite the bylaw’s absence.
“Regardless of what you’ve seen in the last three months, lots has been done,” he said. “Rest assured this bylaw is very complex. We’re replacing a bylaw that’s been in place for decades.”
City staff members have been working countless hours on top of their regular workloads, according to Brown.
“I would ask residents to be patient, not everything happens overnight,” said Brown. “It requires a large commitment and time.”
Poburan insists the bylaw will help and properly deal with situations like Trcka’s, upon implementation.
“The new Community Standards Bylaw will consolidate, improve upon key regulations from many existing City bylaws and address pressing needs and emerging issues that affect our City,” says Poburan.
“Bylaws such as the Community Standards Bylaw are becoming a norm in Alberta, with many mid- to large-size municipalities adopting similar legislation.”
The legislation will extend to the following:
• Untidy and unsightly conditions on private property
• Outdoor storage on non-residential and residential property
• Exterior maintenance of buildings and fences
• Recreational vehicle parking on public roadways and private property
• Clearing of public sidewalks after snowfall
• Paving of front yard parking pads
• Non-residential and residential waste disposal, including sites under construction
• Open excavations and ponding water
• Noise control
An open house was held on May 10 for residents to understand the proposed bylaw.
Visit www.airdrie.ca to see the bylaw.
