Bylaw enforcement agreement with Guelph extended again in Wellington North

KENILWORTH - Wellington North has extended an agreement with the City of Guelph for bylaw enforcement services through the rest of the year.

Following a year-long pilot project in 2022, the agreement was extended for a six-month term running January to June of this year.

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That extension was intended to give time for chief building official Darren Jones to assemble data that would form the basis of a long-term agreement.

But staffing shortages in Guelph and the township were blamed for delaying the process at the time.

Those same reasons are being cited again for the latest six-month extension.

“An additional six months will allow staff the time needed to prepare and present a comprehensive proposal,” Jones wrote in a June 19 report to council.

During the 12-month pilot, the township spent $17,378 of a $28,600 budget to have Guelph bylaw officers handle 194 complaints related to property standards, swimming pool enclosures, door-to-door sales and zoning bylaws.

“This year … we budgeted $25,000,” Jones told council last month. “To date, we’ve only been invoiced for January and February, and we’ve spent $995.”

Council heard the process has been more efficient than anticipated.

Of the 194 complaints in 2022, only four were unresolved, Jones said.

Jones said he intends to return to council with a recommendation for a longer-term agreement extending beyond 2024.

Wellington North residents can continue reporting bylaw complaints by calling 519-848-3620, or online by clicking or tapping here.