Dog complaints were high on the list of frustrations expressed by residents during a recent public consultation on a new community standards bylaw passed May 12 by town council.
Unfortunately, none of the bylaws being amalgamated to create the new one address animal control.
Nor does it address construction site waste or traffic and road safety — two other major issues raised by residents.
Jay Judin, the town’s community safety director, said many residents expressed concern about the number of unleashed dogs and the amount of dog feces left unattended by owners.
While Judin acknowledged the need to update the dog control bylaw, he did not provide a timeline when asked by Coun. Marni Fedeyko. He did, however, recommend gathering public input before any updates are made.
What was addressed in the new bylaw was noise control, especially from vehicles and construction.
Judin said the town prefers to provide education to motorists before issuing tickets, a practice that doesn’t sit well with Coun. Susan Flowers.
“That’s one of the biggest complaints I’ve heard in the years I’ve been on town council, especially living downtown,” said Flowers. “I see people zooming by — they go so fast you can’t possibly get their licence plate or take their picture. They’re out for attention. They’re not going to stop with some education because they love it, and they need tickets to hurt the pocketbook. They’re not going to change. I do agree with education, but I think we need more tickets.”
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While researching the new bylaw, Judin discovered the town has only issued four tickets for noisy vehicles.
“The public and residents of Cochrane want to see more tickets for those types of offences,” he said. “That is something I will be taking back to municipal enforcement and the RCMP.”
Judin says Municipal enforcement will be exploring opportunities to conduct joint force operations with RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs targeting loud vehicles and motorbikes during the summer season.
Using what he called his “mateus sense,” Coun. Morgan Nagel said noise tickets should only be issued when motorists are being deliberately disruptive.
“Driving through a residential neighbourhood and intentionally gunning it to make noise to annoy people is quite a different thing than pulling onto the highway and letting it go,” said Nagel.
“For some people, having a nice motorbike or a muscle car is a lifelong dream, and I don’t want a crusty town council to be, like, ‘no fun vehicles allowed.’ It needs to be a matter of making sure they’re not rudely abused, but I think they should be allowed to exist by car and motorbike enthusiasts.”
Residents also weighed in on construction noise outside permitted bylaw hours, and the lack of quiet periods in neighbourhoods heavily impacted by growth.
In response, the town has adjusted construction hours and is piloting an afternoon summer shift to ensure more municipal enforcement officers are available to monitor compliance.
Construction noise will now be permitted one hour less per day: from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays and statutory holidays. Previous, it was allowed to continue until 10 p.m.
The minimum fine for construction activity outside of these hours is $500, with a specified penalty of $750.
If construction occurs contrary to a written notice from the manager of municipal enforcement, the minimum fine increases to $1,000, rising to $1,500 as a specified penalty.
Enforcement of snow and ice removal from sidewalks was also a contentious issue, with residents expressing mixed views on whether first-time offenders should receive a warning or a ticket. Fines are set at $250 for a first offence, $500 for a second, and $750 for a third within a calendar year.
Composting piles will no longer be permitted, and new regulations set minimum distances for composting bins from dwellings to reduce nuisance complaints.
The bylaw also shifts enforcement of minor offences to municipal enforcement officers to make more efficient use of RCMP resources.