Whatever form bylaw enforcement in Thompson takes this summer, Mayor Tim Johnston's dream of bylaw enforcers with the authority to enforce the Liquor Control Act will have to wait at least another year.
According to a report to council from the city's public safety committee, which was presented at the Match 7 meeting of council, the province has said that they will not grant special constable status - which is needed to enforce the Liquor Control Act - to any agencies or municipalities in 2011.
"The committee was tasked with looking at what our options are, whether it's our own forces, whether it's a contract situation, or whether it's enhanced RCMP," explained Coun. Dennis Fenske, who chairs the public safety committee. "During those discussions, we were advised by the province that no municipality or agency would be granted special constable status, which limits us in the enforcement of certain parts of the Liquor Control Act and things like that."
From 2007 until last August, the city employed Prairie Bylaw Enforcement (PBLE) on a contract basis. PBLE enforced the city's bylaws, with a particular emphasis on behaviour issues and the downtown.
Without that special constable status, however, PBLE was limited to enforcing only the city's bylaws - dealing with issues such as open liquor, public nudity, littering, parking violations and others. While they could inform the RCMP of provincial offences such as public intoxication, they were powerless to enforce those laws themselves.
"We can, through the bylaw enforcement, enforce our own bylaws, to that extent - but as far as the critical ones that are dealing with downtown issues, at this point it's the RCMP that can enforce those," noted Fenske.
"Spring is fast approaching, and council needs to look at some options in terms of how we're going to deal with enforcement," said Mayor Tim Johnston, whose reelection campaign "action plan" released last fall included a city bylaw enforcement division of four officers with special constable status by 2014, though doubtlessly he'd prefer it sooner.
"I think we're going to have to be somewhat creative by looking at a combined strategy using perhaps some additional bylaw enforcement, perhaps our own resources, RCMP, and whatever other mechanisms might be available to address the issues this year," Johnston continued.
When PBLE's contract was not renewed past August 2010 - a decision made last spring - budgetary reasons were cited as the main concern. The city had cut PBLE's annual funding from $456,250 to $306,250, and the company opted to discontinue operations in Thompson rather than offer a reduced level of service.
By the time August rolled around and PBLE prepared to leave town, though, most members of council seemed at best resigned to the fact PBLE was on their way out. Johnston said at the time that the city was "letting the community down" by not pressing the province harder for special constable status, and as a result losing PBLE entirely.
The city and province have long been at loggerheads over this issue. The most recent flare-up occurred last year - in March 2010, Johnston sent Justice Minister Andrew Swan a letter urging "immediate attention in addressing the issues of public safety, domestic violence, as well as drugs and gangs in our community." Three months later, Swan responded, pledging no specific or immediate actions but noting that he would rather see "solutions-oriented smaller working groups" discuss the issues further.
Johnston again raised the possibility of double standards on March 7: "I was somewhat surprised to see today in the City of Winnipeg budget that they've approved an additional 20 cadets to be on the streets this year - cadets are really similar to bylaw enforcement," he said. "This is a push that we really have to put on as the City of Thompson. It appears that the program is alive and well and growing in the City of Winnipeg, but there's a reluctance outside of the City of Winnipeg. I think we need to push to talk with the committee about the need to bring real options to council for this summer."
The public safety committee has been asked to look at other options for bylaw enforcement and make a recommendation to council.
In other news stemming from the public safety committee report, work is ongoing to find a way of dealing with the issue of all-terrain vehicle and snowmobile operation within city limits, a feasibility study is being undertaken to look at renovating or upgrading the Thompson Fire and Emergency Services facility, and there was "not a large positive response" from community groups when asked about the possibility of opening up their facilities during extreme cold weather.
