Bylaws & Policies

The Town of Stavely does not have the resources to formally review properties on a regular basis in order to determine whether or not it regulatory bylaws are being complied with at all times. Therefore, except for called inspections arising from permit applications, it is the general practice of the Town of Stavely to rely on resident or visitor complaints as a means of alerting bylaw enforcement to violations of its bylaws. The Town of Stavely has established policies and procedures in order to encourage a balance of accountability and confidentiality among the various parties to this process. This does not preclude staff of the Town of Stavely initiating investigations on their own initiative.

Bylaw enforcement investigation will be commenced on submission of written complaints. If the preliminary investigation determines there is a basis for enforcement action the normal bylaw enforcement procedure will be followed. If the investigation finds there is no basis for enforcement, the complainant will be informed. Please keep in mind that certain bylaw enforcement investigations can take several months before reaching conclusion. It is not the practice of the Town of Stavely to necessarily seek a final legal remedy for all alleged infractions.

If a residence or individual is allegedly in violation of a Town of Stavely bylaw(s) and several neighbors deem the violation a nuisance which should be reported, each person is required to fill out individual and separate complaint forms. This assists in substantiating the alleged offences.

As a matter of practice, the identity of the complainant and the written complainant itself shall not be disclosed to the alleged violator or any member of the public except as outlined in Section 5 below. In addition, the response of the alleged violator shall not be made public or disclosed to the complainant except as outlined in Section 5 below.

The anonymity and confidentiality given to complainants and alleged violators cannot be assured if the investigation results in court proceedings.

If persons request the Town of Stavely disclosure of personal information about them in complaints (and responses to the complaints) under the Freedom of Information and Protection   of Privacy Act, it shall be the policy of the Town of Stavely to refuse disclosure under Section 22 of the Act (Law Enforcement: Public Bodies may withhold information that would harm a law enforcement matter) unless consent is obtained from the person who supplied the information and who would otherwise be assured of confidentiality under this policy. The Town of Stavely however, is subject to orders issued by the Information and Privacy Commissioner under the Act and will not necessarily appeal an order for disclosure.