Council Approves Amendments to City’s Dangerous, Hazardous and Unsightly Premises Bylaw
Charlottetown City Council has approved a series of amendments to the City’s Dangerous, Hazardous and Unsightly Premises Bylaw.
The bylaw governs the appropriate upkeep of all properties within the City of Charlottetown, ensuring all premises are safe, clean, and well maintained. The bylaw first went into effect in 1997 and has undergone several amendments since then.
The most recent amendments adopted by Council will address unsightly and dangerous properties by reducing delays, improving response times, increasing staff authority in enforcing and seeking resolutions, improving clarity on property standards and increasing the frequency of fees for unresolves property violations.
“I’m pleased to see these positive and necessary changes to this bylaw,” said Councillor Julie McCabe, Chair of the Protective and Emergency Services Committee. “We have heard residents’ concerns about delays related to enforcement of this bylaw and these changes will allow our inspectors and enforcement officers to do their jobs more efficiently.”
Under the new changes, inspectors and bylaw enforcement officers have more authority in responding to unsightly or dangerous properties and enforcing the City’s property standards without prior Council approval. Council will maintain authority over determining the appropriate response to unresolved property violations, dangerous situations and when demolition may be required. The amended bylaw also removes ambiguous language that previously made some provisions of the bylaw difficult to enforce. Together, these changes will strengthen the City’s enforcement capability and expedite response times.
“These changes are important to ensure the effectiveness of the bylaw and to eliminate uncertainty for staff and the public,” said Mayor Philip Brown. “As with all our bylaws, it remains subject to future change to ensure it is meeting the needs and standards of the community.”
The Dangerous, Hazardous, and Unsightly Premises Bylaw is one of several bylaws that will be updated over the coming months, aligning with the City’s strategic direction of good governance and better civic engagement. All bylaw amendments will go before their respective committees and to Council for final approval.
Residents can learn more about municipal bylaws on the City’s
website.