An amendment to Yorkton鈥檚 Property Standards Bylaw better defines the appeal process in cases of failure to prune trees received its final passage Monday.
鈥淎n amendment to the City of Yorkton Property Standards Bylaw No. 1/2011 is being proposed in this report, to add the requirement of property owners to prune their trees and shrubs at City alleys and sidewalks,鈥� explained Jeff Fawcett, Class III Building Official with the city.
A section of the Urban Forestry Bylaw 鈥減rovides the City with the authority to require private property owners to prune their trees upon receipt of a written notice. The Cities Act requires that an owner receiving a written 鈥淣otice to Comply鈥� and be given an opportunity to appeal the notice within fifteen days of the date of the notice.鈥�
Failure of the City to allow an appeal would negate the ability to add costs to property taxes for work performed to remedy the contravention should the property owner not comply with the order.
鈥淭he provision of the Urban Forestry Bylaw that requires property owners to prune their trees and shrubs is being moved to the Property Standards Bylaw. This is being done so that the currently established Property Standards Appeal Board will be able to conduct the hearings in cases where a property owner chooses to file an appeal,鈥� said Fawcett.
The proposed bylaw amendment was introduced and received first reading at the July 13th regular meeting of council.
