Editorial: Increased bylaw enforcement step in the right direction

Article content

It’s positive to see a new bylaw enforcement service working in the Miramichi region’s newly formed municipalities and the rural district in areas that couldn’t previously enforce any bylaws on the books.

The Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission’s 2024 budget included funding for bylaw compliance services in Doaktown, the Greater Miramichi rural district, and the Miramichi River Valley, Alnwick, and Upper Miramichi rural districts. Miramichi was exempt because it already has a contract with Maritime Enforcement Services for bylaw enforcement.

Municipalities are obligated to enforce their bylaws, but these communities previously couldn’t due to a lack of manpower and resources. Some didn’t even have bylaws around unsightly premises and other ongoing issues because they had no way of enforcing them. That’s why the RSC’s cost-sharing model between the province and participating member communities makes sense.

Maritime Enforcement has been hired on a one-year trial basis as part of the RSC model. This company employs several well-trained law enforcement officers who have been known in Miramichi to focus on education and raising awareness of the city’s bylaws rather than immediately cracking down on non-compliance for first-time offenders.

In the city, bylaw compliance and administration previously fell on the city clerk’s office for issues such as the dangerous and unsightly premises bylaw, while the Miramichi Fire Department’s prevention officers have cracked down on fire code violations. Contracting out this work allows departments with limited staff and budgets to focus on other duties.

Councillors and staff and RSC officials should pay close attention to what follows this period of increased enforcement to determine whether to bring these services in-house or keep outsourcing them.