The Village of Alix heard an update on bylaw enforcement and noted that some neighbours may be having trouble getting along. The report was made at the Nov. 6 regular meeting of council.
Manager of Community Peace Officer (CPO) Services Mark Sproule provided councillors with an update on bylaw enforcement services within the village for the second and third quarters of 2024.
It was noted CPO services are contracted by Alix from Lacombe County.
As Sproule began his presentation he stated that such updates have the goal of ensuring CPO services are meeting Alix’ targets for the service.
He stated that in the second quarter CPOs spent 172 hours working on Alix occurrences while by the third quarter that total was up to 263; Alix’ contract calls for 340 hours from the CPOs by the end of 2024.
Sproule stated CPOs write violation tickets, warnings and conduct investigations in the village; in the second quarter they wrote 12 tickets and saw 15 occurrences plus gave five warnings. He noted warnings were up to 11 in the third quarter.
Some of the work CPOs do in Alix include bylaw complaints and traffic enforcement, with Hwy. 12 passing right through the village. Sproule observed traffic complaints can include speeding but also commercial truck inspection and violations such as overweight vehicles on Lake Street.
Bylaw complaints often include things like snowy sidewalks or unsightly yards, depending on the time of year. Sproule noted one recent bylaw complaint included an offensive yard sign. Coun. Barb Gilliat asked for more detail about that incident.
Sproule explained that during the COVID pandemic such yard signs with profane messages were popping up but this one happened to be a neighbour “calling out” another neighbour.
Sproule stated that neighbour disputes are common; he described a situation where, for example, a neighbour leaves a vehicle parked in front of someone else’s house for longer than 72 hours, making it in the eyes of the provincial government an “abandoned vehicle.” A neighbour then calls police and reports the vehicle.
Sproule provided more detail on commercial truck inspections, noting checks were conducted in cooperation with other agencies in February, June and August. During the June inspection, it was noted, 11 vehicles were inspected with four being placed out of service on the spot of inspection.
Sproule noted that occurs when a commercial vehicle has deficient brakes, a fatigued driver or a number of other possible issues. “It would have to be very serious for it to be placed out of service,” stated Sproule.
Dangerous goods are also examined. Sproule stated that during regular traffic patrol, CPOs pick a safe spot to stop a vehicle to ensure sight lines in both directions are adequate.
It was noted during discussion that of the 11 commercial vehicles checked, only two actually passed the inspection.
Coun. Barb Gilliat stated she found that “concerning.”
Coun. Ed Cole, a retired police officer, responded that when inspecting a vehicle it’s not difficult to find something wrong with virtually any vehicle.
It was noted Sproule’s department has also deployed a “stealth” patrol vehicle; he described it as having decals but a “clean roof,” and is part of Lacombe County’s traffic safety plan to address high risk behaviours that contribute to motor vehicle collisions.
Sproule stated the CPOs want to be visible in the community, plus they provide school resource officer services as well, advising students on things like internet safety and bullying awareness.
Councillors accepted Sproule’s report as information.
Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative reporter
ECA Review
