Waterloo city councillors to discuss taking province out of by-law infraction process
Posted Jun 12, 2023 10:09:02 AM.
Last Updated Jun 12, 2023 10:17:12 AM.
Waterloo city councillors today will discuss a big ticket item — literally: tickets.
Staff are proposing a new system to handle by-law infractions that would move all the action out of the provincial courts, and keep it all in-house at city hall.
It’s called AMPS: the Administrative Monetary Penalty System.
It would cover snow and ice removal, fireworks, burning permits, animal and dangerous dog bylaws, and more.
Under such a system, all bylaw infractions will be digital tickets, with online tracking and payment.
People can still dispute the tickets they get.
They can meet with city staff who can alter or reduce the fine.
Or if they’re still not happy, go to a hearing and/or resolution officer who is independent of city hall.
No one would go to court anymore.
Waterloo is already doing this with parking tickets, and council documents show 92 per cent of disputed tickets were resolved at the staff level to the offender’s benefit.
The plan comes up at today’s council meeting, at 4:00.
