Strathcona County passed their new Community Standards Bylaw last week, but what does this mean for residents?
At last Tuesday's (Mar. 14) council meeting the bylaw was passed, which aims to better represent the county's overall approach to establishing clear standards of presentation and accountability.
This includes repealing three previous bylaws and incorporating them into this new bylaw, which serves as a comprehensive guide for neighbourhood disputes.
"It's been in the works for a number of months," said Bill Tonita, deputy mayor for the county. "Really, we're trying to encourage community members to work together to resolve disputes before elevating any complaints to involve an investigation."
The new bylaw features a list of fines, with the most expensive being a $2,000 fine for burning wood during an air quality advisory and $1,000 for littering or dumping in rural ditches.
Other sections include loud noises, with a $200 fine handed out to those who are found to be causing any noise deemed to be unreasonably annoying. Loud noises that don't fall in this category include construction, farm equipment, and air conditioning units.
Tonita added that although there is a list of fines included in the bylaw, it isn't the county's goal to have every dispute solved with a charge.
"We want neighbours to work together," said Tonita. "We all love our community, and we want to ensure we have a beautiful community where neighbours get along."
"It's taking our own property and understanding that we also live in neighbourhoods, and we need to be respectful of our neighbours as well."
You can read the new bylaw in its entirety by clicking here.
