Winnipeg Free Press
January 6, 2006
By Bartley Kives
| WINNIPEG wants to crack down on noisy businesses, grimy restaurants and landlords who illegally transform single-family dwellings into rooming houses or who don't install fire alarms. City council is considering doubling the fines for noise and food-service bylaw violations and instituting a minimum fine of $500 for landlords who violate certain fire bylaws. The increases are designed to act as deterrents because the city has trouble enforcing bylaws, said Coun. Gord Steeves, chair of council's protection and community services committee. "Our model is impaired-driving legislation, where people police themselves. The penalties for impaired driving are so severe, people just don't do it any more," Steeves said. A proposed change to the noise bylaw would keep penalties the same for individuals but double the fines for corporate offenders. Currently, they're both subject to a $50 fine for the first violation, $100 for the second and $150 for a third or subsequent infraction. If the change is approved, corporate noisemakers will be dinged $100, $200 and $300. Food-service violations would double from $50, $100 and $200 to $100, $200 and $400. The city contends the existing fines are so low, it may be cheaper for restaurants to ignore the fine than to comply with health and safety regulations. A spokesman for the food-service industry was taken aback by news of the proposed changes. "Any time you see these kinds of increases, it smacks of a tax grab. But the impact may be small, because the restaurant industry does such a good job of policing itself," said Larry McLennan, executive director of the Manitoba Restaurant Association. "If they're saying this is a significant problem, they should come and speak to us about it -- and they haven't done that." The city also wants to set a minimum fine of $500 for landlords who don't install or maintain working fire alarms and fire-alarm systems, fail to keep exits clear, unsafely store flammable materials or convert single-family dwellings or duplexes rooming houses into rooming houses without the proper permits. The latter move is aimed at "slumlords who put people of modest means at risk," Steeves said. "You're not on the side of angels if you're fighting against these things." Avrom Charach, a spokesman for the Professional Property Managers Association, said no reputable landlord would have a problem with the proposed changes. |
Proposed increases in penalties NOISE CONTROL: Fines for noise violations Current fines: $50 for a first offence, $100 for a second offence and $150 Proposed fines: No change for individuals, but $100, $200 and $300 for corporations.
Current fines: $50 for a first offence, $100 for a second offence and $200
Current fines: No minimum fine for a first offence. |