Eyesores, noisy neighbours and vehicles overstaying their welcome were the most commonly reported bylaw infractions to the city last year.
Public nuisance complaints topped the list at 204.
Of those 204 calls, 94 were for unsightly premises and 31 were for noise. Graffiti generated 24 complaints to city hall while 15 people called to complain about poor visibility at intersections and driveways, whether it be from overgrown bushes or parked vehicles.
Traffic and highway infractions were the second most reported offence, with 94 complaints recorded.
Forty-seven of those complaints were for vehicles parked longer than 48 hours while 26 were for illegal parking. Of those illegal park jobs, seven were related to lane use, five for an oversized vehicle, five for parking on the sidewalk, four for blocking a driveway, three for parking too close to a fire hydrant and two related to vehicles for sale.
City Clerk Peter Wipper said the city’s bylaw enforcement department is getting busier each year.
“A 2007-2014 comparison indicates that bylaw complaints have been steadily increasing for the past three years,” Wipper said.
He added that there are number of methods that city staff use to gain compliance.
The majority of situations, 172, were rectified after the city provided written notice or a warning while 24 were resolved through advice or education. A further 23 were self-rectified and 22 people complied with a verbal request.
Wipper said tickets are a last resort and of the 414 bylaw complaints filed with the city last year, in only one case was a ticket issued.
As part of the city’s efforts to enforce its bylaws, the city hired Robbins Parking Service for $1,579 per month in response to concerns from the Downtown Business Association and Pier Street Association about vehicles parking illegally and overstaying the parking limit.
“Patrols started in June, 2014 (and) in the first three weeks of operation, Robbins issued 99 warnings in an effort to gain compliance before issuing any ticket violations,” Wipper said.
Robbins did eventually write up 683 tickets, with July (123), October (112), and November (100) being the busiest months for tickets.
Other bylaw complaints in 2014 included: eight for vacant buildings, five for littering, two for hazard trees, one for public disorder, two for snow removal, and one for debris on the road.
A total of 77 dogs were impounded last year, with 69 of those dogs claimed, five adopted and one euthanized.