An unsightly property in Saint John. (Photo: City of Saint John/Submitted)
A Saint John Councillor wants a the city to create a new “livability” bylaw aimed setting standards for property maintenance.
Ray Strowbridge says a resident in his ward reached out to the city after his neighbour refused to cut a tree that was crossing the property line and damaging his vehicle.
Strowbridge says the city couldn’t help due to a gap in the current bylaws, and a lack of ability to enforce them.
“If you and I live side by side and you take care of your property, and my alder bushes are crossing over your property line and damaging your line, you know what’s on the books? Zero,” he said.
“This is about voluntary compliance. That’s the system that we currently have. It’s not a Saint John issue, it’s a Fredericton one, who won’t give us more authority.”
Strowbridge also says the resident was told by the city to pursue legal action against his neighbour instead of offering help, something he believes is a major problem.
During Tuesday’s growth committee meeting, Mayor Don Darling says he would like more education on what bylaws currently exist around property upkeep.
“I would like a teach-in, because I don’t want to leave the public with the impression that we have no tools because that’s not true. We have many tools. There may be gaps in those tools,” he said.
Strowbridge doesn’t agree that education will help.
“I don’t want a teach-in. I don’t need to know what we don’t have because that’s the stuff that we don’t have because there is nothing on the books,” he said.
Elsewhere around the horseshoe, Deputy Mayor Shirley MacAlary says the city has no right telling people how to maintain their lawns, and doesn’t think a bylaw will work.
“We don’t really have all the authority on somebody’s personal property. If I decide I only want to mow have my lawn this week and I don’t want to do the rest, I don’t think the municipalty can tell me that I have to mow my lawn,” she said.
Darling also says he doesn’t think the issue can be solved with just a bylaw, and other changes need to happen, especially on the provincial level.
He would also like to explore what other municipalities are doing in terms of property maintenance and fines.
Councillor John Mackenzie agrees, and hopes city staff can find examples to model.
“At the end of the day I want to see the gap filled,” he said. “I want to know, for example, what does Fredericton do? Do they have a bylaw? If so, how do they enforce it?”
Meanwhile, Councillor David Hickey says he’s worried a bylaw, especially with fines, could go too far.
“I could see this impacting more directly those low income folks and living in poverty,” he said.
The city says it’s not in a place to create new bylaws right now, but will explore the possibility. The city says they will also explore bolstering current property bylaws, such as the unsightly property bylaw and the dangerous and dilapidated building program.
