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Bylaw Enforcement


Through education and enforcement, the Bylaw Enforcement Officer works with residents, businesses and visitors to achieve bylaw compliance and foster a safe, healthy and respectful community.

The goal of bylaw enforcement is to achieve voluntary compliance through education and the provision of information in order to preserve the quality of life of citizens in Sparwood. The District’s Bylaw Enforcement Officer investigates and responds to complaints received from citizens about bylaw violations in Sparwood.

Respecting the rights of our neighbours and ensuring that our property values are maintained is an important aspect of community living. While there are certain areas of enforcement that are safety related and require proactive enforcement, the majority of the bylaws are enforced on a complaint only basis.

Common examples of activities or issues that are regulated by municipal bylaws include:

  • Property conditions, including graffiti
  • Excessive noise
  • Signs (unauthorized placement/construction)
  • Business licensing
  • Zoning (property use)
  • Building (construction, electrical and plumbing safety)
  • Snow/ice removal
  • Obstructions on streets or sidewalks
  • Illegal disposal of litter or garbage
  • Use of parks and other public spaces
  • Storm water management

Bylaws

The Community Charter authorizes us to make statutory laws or bylaws for our municipality regulating parking, noise, signs, lawn watering, land-use, and more. Council enacts bylaws that are created, interpreted and administered by a number of District departments. The Bylaw Enforcement Officer promotes, facilitates and enforces general compliance with bylaws that pertain to the health, safety and welfare of the community.

The link below contains the District’s most widely used bylaws. Please note that bylaws are subject to amendment and the following bylaws are provided online for information or research purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy the bylaws posted on this web site; however, these are not official versions of District of Sparwood bylaws and these documents are not admissible in a court of law.

Amendments to the bylaws will be updated as soon as possible following a Council Meeting. Official certified copies can be obtained from Corporate Services.

 

Disclaimer: The online versions of District of Sparwood bylaws are provided for information or research purposes only. Although every effort is made to assure the accuracy and completeness of online bylaw documents, you should confirm all information before making any decisions based on them. The District of Sparwood will, in no event, be liable or responsible for damages of any kind arising out of the use of online bylaws.


Municipal Tickets & Fines

Ultimately, when efforts at obtaining compliance with District bylaws have failed, Bylaw Enforcement Officers must decide whether the contravention of the bylaws requires enforcement of the bylaw by issuance of a fine. Municipal Ticket Information (MTIs) are issued for both parking violations and municipal bylaw violations.

Fines & Payments

For MTI information and fine amounts, please refer to the District of Sparwood Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw. The majority of fines are reduced by 50% if paid within 30 days.

How can I pay a ticket?

If you’ve received a MTI ticket from the District of Sparwood, the process to pay for a ticket by cash, cheque (payable to the District of Sparwood) or debit card is as follows:

  • in person at the District Office, 136 Spruce Avenue, Sparwood BC; or
  • by mail to: District of Sparwood, PO Box 520, Sparwood BC V0B 2G0

Find more information on making payments by clicking the button below.

Your payment must be accompanied by a copy of the ticket, or a note giving sufficient information to identify the ticket, including:

  • the TICKET NUMBER (from the top right corner on the face of this ticket);
  • your FULL NAME and MAILING ADDRESS;
  • the DATE OF OFFENCE and the BYLAW NAME and SECTION of the offence.

What happens if I do not pay my tickets?

If the fine is not paid or the allegation contained in the ticket is not disputed within 14 days from the date of service of the ticket, you will be deemed to have pleaded guilty to the offence charged and the fine amount will be immediately payable.

Tickets that remain unpaid thirty (30) days after being deemed guilty will be sent off to collections.

How much time do I have to dispute my ticket?

If you wish to dispute, you have up to fourteen (14) days from the date of service shown on the face of the ticket to deliver, have delivered or mail your notice of dispute. Your notice of dispute must be postmarked on or before the 14th day from the date of service of the ticket.

What happens after my dispute has been received?

You will receive notice in the mail from the Provincial Court Registry informing you of the time and location of your hearing. If you do not attend the Court on the indicated date, the ticket will be treated as not disputed, you will be deemed to have pleaded guilty to the offence charged and the fine amount will be immediately payable.

Who is responsible for a parking ticket?

The registered owner of the vehicle is responsible for their vehicle at all times. A parking ticket is the responsibility of the registered owner, regardless of who was driving the vehicle when the ticket was issued.

My vehicle has been towed, how do I retrieve it?

While public safety and protection of property are the most important reasons for towing, other reasons might be:

  • To facilitate snow removal;
  • Demand for the location, such as emergency vehicles;
  • Inconvenience to others (vehicle is obstructing a driveway, private road, garage or parking lot.

Vehicles towed by the District of Sparwood may be claimed at the Public Works Yard, located at 477 Pine Avenue.


Report a Problem or Request a Service

To report bylaw contraventions that have occurred in Sparwood, such as barking dogs, noise, an unsightly property or a parking violation, you can submit them electronically, by phone or in person

You must identify yourself when making the complaint as we do not accept anonymous complaints. The District keeps the identity of every complainant confidential unless:

  • the complainant has agreed to be identified; or
  • the matter has resulted in tickets being issued to the offender, and the complainant is required to provide a statement or evidence to a justice of the peace; or
  • the matter has resulted in prosecution, and the complainant is required to testify in court.

If the matter were to go to court or result in tickets, we would contact you and ask if you are prepared to testify in court, or have your evidence used at adjudication. Should you decide that you did not want your information disclosed, you will remain completely anonymous, but in so doing, you withdraw your complaint.


Register a Complaint

The Bylaw Enforcement Officer investigates bylaw violations on a complaint basis.

The District of Sparwood does not respond to anonymous complaints. You can register your complaint: Online, By Phone, By Email, In Person

We investigate a variety of bylaw contraventions and infractions

Once the information is received, the Bylaw Enforcement Officer will investigate the complaint. Whenever possible we try to resolve complaints through education and voluntary compliance. Some complaints are easily remedied, while others may take more time to rectify. Depending on the nature of the complaint submitted you may or may not be contacted.

What is a complaint?

A complaint is when a person is not happy with a District of Sparwood program, service, facility or staff member. A complaint is not a request for service. Examples include:

  • I wasn’t notified when my application was being considered by Council
  • I was treated poorly by a District employee
  • The Leisure Centre was closed and I didn’t know my child’s swimming lesson was cancelled

What is a request for service?

A request for service is when a person makes a request to the District for a specific service or repair. Examples include:

  • Request a street / sidewalk repair (crack or pothole)
  • Report a burnt out street light
  • Respond to neighbour’s barking dog
  • Request repair or maintenance to a cemetery plot
  • Report damage made by municipal equipment

Will the District notify me of the outcome of my complaint?

The Bylaw Enforcement Officers try to follow-up with complainants as quickly as possible. However, we kindly ask for your patience as we prioritize our enforcement activities. Should you wish to speak to an Officer or District employee, please call us 250.425.6271.

The District will generally not call complainants back if the complaint is related to routine matters such as parking or dogs running at large.

What information do I need to supply?

When reporting a violation we need the following information:

  1. Your first and last name
  2. Your address
  3. Your phone number
  4. The address of the violation or concern
  5. A brief summary of the problem, as well as any involvement you may have had in resolving the matter

If your complaint pertains to a strata property, you must direct your complaint to the property management company or strata council.

Who can I contact after hours?

After hours you can call 250.425.7760 if you have an urgent complaint regarding private property that is an immediate health or safety concern.

For noise complaints after business hours, call the Elk Valley Regional RCMP Detachment at 250.425.6233.