By Lyonel Doherty

Oliver Chronicle

The Town of Oliver is seeing fewer problems and hearing fewer complaints in local parks this year.

That’s the general consensus from a report released by council on Monday.

Corporate Officer Diane Vaykovich said bylaw enforcement have specifically targeted local parks and trails to manage inappropriate use.

“Complaints from the public regarding Lion’s Park have been significantly reduced, which is in part to increased enforcement and positive work from the Lion’s Park Committee,” she noted.

Vaykovich added that Oliver Parks and Recreation has also observed fewer issues of concern.

The corporate officer reported that bylaw officials reacted to 56 complaints regarding nuisance, unsightly premises, noise, traffic and animal control from January to June 30.

Most of the enforcement hours went into parks and traffic complaints. Nearly 1,500 hours have been budgeted for enforcement this year, with 883 hours left.

A review was undertaken by staff in an attempt to better manage chronic offenders of the Good Neighbour Bylaw.

“In early 2018, staff communicated with all owners of vacant lots in Oliver reminding them of their responsibility to keep their lot free of weeds and debris,” Vaykovich said.

The outcome of that correspondence was very beneficial as the number of complaints has significantly dropped, she pointed out.

She noted that staff now call offenders and speak to them directly as opposed to sending registered letters, which takes time.

“We often see remediation  in the first week (without the need to initiate action).”

Vaykovich said this approach has reduced administrative costs, bylaw enforcement time and postage costs.

To assist with late evening and early morning enforcement during the busy summer months, additional hours have been allocated to enforcement – a total of $4,500 for 60 days, three hours a day. This is helping to keep people out of the parks after  hours.

A number of bylaw notice tickets that have been issued are in various stages of collection.

Vaykovich said Oliver Crime Watch has increased patrols in all parking lots to monitor suspicious activity for the RCMP.

She noted they are also checking to see if people are leaving their valuables in plain sight inside their vehicles. If they see valuables, they notify the owners, advising them to keep them out of sight.

Bylaw officers have responded to all manner of complaints since January, including the following: camping on the hike and bike trail; aggressive dogs; overgrown weeds; tree hanging over sidewalk; car wash noise; unlicensed vehicles; and graffiti.

Mayor Ron Hovanes said calling offenders directly instead of sending them emails or letters is a “brilliant” way to handle it, and less costly. He noted that emails can come across as “cranky.”

“Don’t underestimate the powerful effect of communication,” he pointed out.