ESTERHAZY — The Town of Esterhazy has been working on implementing a bylaw to control feeding wildlife within municipal limits.
Initially introduced by Councillor Martin Pfeifer and modelled after a bylaw currently in place at the village of Val Marie, the question of enforcement came to the forefront during last week’s council meeting on March 27.
Penalties in the Val Marie bylaw note individuals could face fines of up to $5,000 and corporations up to $10,000, and gives authority to a designated officer of the municipality, bylaw enforcement, the RCMP, or a conservation officer the ability to issue a violation notice.
Another document town staff looked at was the wildlife feeding bylaw in Churchbridge, which features a $500 fine for offences.
Speaking to the proposed Esterhazy bylaw, Councillor Pfeifer noted the importance of having a substantial fine as motivation for people to refrain from feeding wild animals in town.
“As far as the enforcement part, I don’t know this for 100 per cent, but I heard the RCMP can do something about it only if there is a bylaw in effect,” he said.
Mayor Randy Bot felt asking the RCMP to enforce the bylaw might not be the best use of their resources.
“It’s a lot to ask from our RCMP when we’re short four people to go after people for feeding deer in their backyard,” he replied. “In my mind, it would be Commissionaires that would take care of that.”
Esterhazy’s CAO Tammy MacDonald noted how discussion around this particular bylaw has been a good experience for new council members.
“Given that we have a new council, I think this is a really good bylaw for them to understand the ramifications of a bylaw,” she told the World-Spectator. “And then what position does it put them in as a councillor, on who we’re charging and the amounts we’re charging? What impacts does that have to the community? So it’s a really good social issue bylaw as well.”
Even defining what constitutes actively feeding wildlife was touched on — does deer munching on cedar trees count? What about wildlife raiding gardens as plants develop?
Ultimately, the bylaw was tabled for more research to take place to answer those questions.
Bylaw amendment
Council gave first reading to a bylaw amendment that seeks to change the amount of space that can be covered by structures in the Town Centre Commercial district. Currently, the maximum site coverage on a space listed as C1 is 75 per cent, and the proposed amendment would increase that to 90 per cent. The amendment first came to the council table during the Feb. 27 meeting when a Main Street business approached the town for the change.
“I think the biggest thing is that if we allow somebody to use 90 per cent of their lot, then it can’t just be applied to that one business,” Mayor Bot explained after the February meeting. “It will be changed throughout Main Street that everybody will be able to do that, because you can’t do it for one person and not for everybody.”
A public hearing on the amendment will take place before the April 24 meeting of council.
Councillor Pfeifer moved first reading on Bylaw 795-25, which was carried by council.
Tax enforcement
Council made a motion to authorize town administration staff to proceed with tax enforcement on five properties. The combined dollar value of the properties amounts to $132,949.62.
