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City of P.A. asked to review number of derelict properties

Dec 14, 2018 | 7:00 AM

Administration at Prince Albert City Hall has been asked to update its database for the number of vacant, abandoned and boarded up buildings in the city.

The request comes following some discussion during Monday night’s city council meeting. Council had received a letter from a concerned resident in the Midtown area, who stated amendments should be made to expand the inspection rights of the city’s bylaw officers. Ward three councilor Evert Botha, who addresed the issue as recently as August, told paNOW the issue needs to immediate attention.

“If we are going to be raiding a property or doing enforcement or an eviction of a property, the chances are there are already other issues related to that property,” he said.

According to the resident’s letter, he witnessed SWAT go into a home which had serious mold issues, and when the police left, the home was left open to the elements. The resident said he was concerned these homes could be a health hazard. Botha said once the police have been in the building, bylaw officers and health inspectors need to have the right to access the property without going through the current process of requesting permission from the property owner. He added often times there are delay tactics used by the property owners.

“Ultimately we can go through the courts to get access to a property but you know when we talk about policing, and making municipal enforcement smarter, we want to reduce the number of calls to properties and if we send bylaw out to a property time and time again those are police costs,” he said.

No date has been set yet for the report’s return. The letter by the resident was received and filed. Botha said the longer we want on this issue, the worse it will get. He said if a property is derelict, the city will just keep getting repeated calls to the property.

“We are seeing properties boarded up but ultimately we need to see that the insides are up to code and fit for human habitation,” he said.

 

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell