Yorkton Council passed a bylaw at its regular meeting Monday which is designed to get people paying their fines in a timely fashion.
The purpose of the bylaw is to allow provide for penalties for contravention of bylaws, said Terrence Schneider, Bylaw & Safety Supervisor with the City.
Schneider said the City has a bylaw providing for the Imposing of Penalties for a Breach of any Bylaw of the City established penalties and enforcement procedures for contravention of bylaws in the City of Yorkton.
However, it does not contain provisions for the City to issue/serve a Certificate of Offence and Summons to Court if voluntary payment of fines imposed are not paid in advance of Court dates.
The new bylaw, which passed all three readings Mondays “contains provisions to issue Certificates of Offence and Summonses to Court if voluntary payment of fines imposed are not paid in advance of Court dates. This proposed bylaw meets the terms of The Summary Offences Procedure Act, 1990, and will enable the City to advance a process to collect unpaid parking and non-parking violations,” said Schneider.
When asked how significant non-payment of fines are, Schneider said it is about 30 per cent.
“There’s around $17,000 on the table,” he added.
Councillor Aaron Kienle said while the City will work with people to help pay fines, he added, “at some point … there needs be some kind of discipline,” and the new bylaw provides the tools to have that.
