Osoyoos town council met Monday prior to closing almost all town facilities. Dale Boyd/Osoyoos Times
Dale Boyd
Osoyoos Times
Despite some reported phone calls claiming to be town authorities ordering Osoyoos businesses to shut down, bylaw enforcement and the Town of Osoyoos does not have the authority to order your business to close, Mayor Sue McKortoff said.
“It has come to our attention that some businesses may be receiving phone calls claiming to be the Town of Osoyoos and ordering the business to close,” the town’s Emergency Operations Centre stated in a COVID-19 update on March 30.
“Please be advised that the Town is not contacting any businesses by phone and all contact is being done in person.”
Bylaw officers in Osoyoos have no more enforcement powers than they did prior the provincial health authority tasking local officers with enforcing social distancing measures mandated by the province.
“What they are doing is really providing information to people, talking to people and giving out warnings too, if somebody was doing something the wrong way and not following the advice of the provincial health officer — it’s not even advice now, it’s mandated orders,” McKortoff said.
Bylaw officers will talk to people who are non-compliant with social distancing orders and not give tickets, but a warning, McKortoff said. If further enforcement becomes necessary local bylaw would report to either the RCMP or the provincial health authority.
“And then the public health officer would be the one who would make the final decision on whether something needed to be shut down or if there was further action needed,” McKortoff said.
