Noise and Nuisances
Council for the City of Rossland enacts regulatory bylaws in order to define and preserve the quality of life to which each citizen is entitled. The primary goal in dealing with bylaw contraventions is to achieve voluntary compliance through communication and education, however the bylaws do provide provisions for further enforcement, if required.
Bylaw Enforcement
In situations where voluntary compliance is not achieved, particularly where the non-compliant behavior is willful, harmful to public health or safety, harmful to City infrastructure or harmful to the environment, the City’s Bylaw Officer will employ one or more enforcement tools to gain compliance with the City’s regulatory requirements. These tools can include written warnings, municipal tickets, orders, prosecutions and injunctions.
What regulations do Bylaw Officers enforce?
- Traffic and Parking Regulations
- Noise
- Unsightly Premises
- Animal Control
- Wildlife Attractant Regulations
- Smoke and Vape Free Outdoor Places
- Outdoor Water Use Regulation Bylaw
- Business Licenses
Some complaints are easily remedied while others, like unsightly or untidy properties, often take more time as we work with the property owner to rectify any issues. When submitting an unsightly premises complaint, you may be asked for a statement to articulate the unsightliness of the property as well as your relationship to the offending property. You may be asked to complete a “noise log” when submitting a noise complaint. That log is your documentation of the disturbance and may be required as evidence for court or adjudication purposes should the Bylaw Officer or RCMP member be unable to substantiate that a violation occurred without it. This is a legal document that Officers submit on your behalf should a ticket or fine be disputed in court or at a hearing.
How to make a Complaint
Often complaints can be resolved amicably between neighbours. Therefore, the City recommends that residents attempt to resolve their own issues before enlisting the services of bylaw enforcement.
With the exception of called for inspections from permit applications, it is the general practice of the City to rely on citizen complaints as a means of alerting Bylaw Enforcement to violation of City bylaws. This does not preclude City staff from initiating investigations on their own initiative.
All bylaw enforcement complaints, with the exception of those that identify urgent contraventions that pose a potential risk to public health and/or safety, must be in writing (standard mail, email, fax or hand delivered). All complaints must include the name, address and phone number of the complainant and shall include the nature and specific location of the alleged infraction(s). Anonymous complaints will not be investigated. As a matter of practice, the identity of the complainant and the written complaint itself shall not be disclosed to the alleged violator or any member of the public, unless required by law.
