|
TV - Prime Asia TV Facebook - Brampton, 17/07/2020 - FEATURE, Punjabi Summary Translation: Nitin Chopra and Mohit Dang - Prime Asia TV interviewed City of Brampton Bylaw Officer Mohit Dang. Brampton has about 75 bylaw officers, with three units for licensing, parking on city property, and property standards. Host Nitin Chopra asked whether this is enough for a city of approximately 800,000 residents (600,000 registered and about 200,000 unregistered). Dang said they are very busy. Chopra said they are doing a very commendable job. People complain that many tickets are given for driveway violations. Dang said they do not ticket; they issue orders to comply within seven days if they receive a complaint. City Council decided not to enforce this currently, so it is suspended. Chopra said Peel Regional Police have recently issued a lot of tickets for trespassing, loitering, idling and public nuisance at a handful of plazas, including Sheridan College plaza. He asked who is responsible for the problems at these locations - business owners, bylaw, or Peel Regional Police. Dang explained what the different violations are. He said Peel Regional Police do have the authority to enforce bylaws. Trespassing is enforced by the business owners through private security guards. Idling for over three minutes is an issue because people run air conditioning and because young people run their cars to listen to music in parking lots. Bylaw officers need evidence to charge anybody, so they have to monitor somebody idling for three minutes. Eve-teasing or harassment has been a big issue arising from South Asian culture. If residents complain about this to bylaw enforcement, they are referred to police because it is a police matter. For noise complaints, loud moving vehicles fall under the Highway Traffic Act, while noise from stationary vehicles is a bylaw issue. Noise complaints also often come from barking dogs, loud music or yelling in houses. People should keep a log of noise and contact bylaw enforcement. They will first try to educate the noise-maker and can lay charges on a second complaint. Dang thanked Peel Regional Police for their assistance in many such cases, especially where alcohol and officer safety are involved. Lodging houses are restricted to 10 individuals under zoning bylaws. Only three individuals are allowed in a housing unit under the fire code, although families include all parents, children and grandparents. Anyone who knows of houses with 15 to 20 people can confidentially contact the City at 311. Basement units and other secondary units need to be registered to be legal. The registration process is fast and can be submitted online. Masks are mandatory now in Brampton, starting with transit. Brampton has mailed three masks to each household and is giving out free masks at transit terminals. Now masks are required at all indoor places except for small children and people with breathing problems. Fines have not been laid, as education has been prioritized. If individuals do not wear masks in a store, both the individual and the business owner can be charged. Chopra suggested they should use video evidence from store cameras. Dang said they have not been doing this and would have to consult the legal department. He added that they do proactive inspections of some stores and otherwise respond to complaints. Chopra said Peel Regional Police have been getting a lot of mental health calls. Dang said they deal with mental health issues, but they do not usually constitute bylaw infringements. They work with the police on these cases. Dang said much of their work is educational, such as talking to a young man living on his own for the first time who did not realize that exercising at night creates a noise disturbance. He also said there is a lot of information on the City of Brampton website.
0 Comments
|
