Newmarket’s bylaw unit continues its gradual return to regular pre-pandemic duties, such as the enforcement of parking and property standards, according to the July 13 to 19 bylaw report.
But formal complaints about improper physical distancing peaked the past week at 13, outnumbering grievances about businesses breaking COVID-19 rules, and behaviour in local parks, trails, and green spaces.
Resident observations about the lack of keeping at least six feet apart has steadily climbed the past three weeks. For example, the week of June 22 to 28 saw three complaints, followed by six the week after, and seven complaints the week after that.
Meanwhile, skateboarders remain an ongoing concern at Riverwalk Commons, where the activity is not permitted under the town’s parks bylaw.
Signage reminding skateboarders of the rules will soon go up in the downtown public space.
Another constant on the bylaw beat has been patrolling Main Street to ensure drivers are adhering to the temporary 30-minute maximum parking limit put in place to help local merchants offer curbside pickup and delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the past week, five tickets were issued to drivers who overstayed the limit. That’s down slightly from the week before when bylaw officers wrote seven tickets for Main Street parking infractions.
Proactive pandemic-related patrols are also decreasing, which has been a priority since spring to help residents understand and follow the public health measures of physical distancing and limiting social gatherings to the maximum allowable, under the Ontario government’s emergency orders.
Last week, bylaw officers conducted 99 proactive patrols of parks, noted 512 interactions with residents, and issued 12 warnings through public education and voluntary compliance.
The town has so far only issued two tickets for breaking the pandemic rules under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, which begin at $750. Earlier in the pandemic, one ticket was issued for a house party that exceeded the social gathering limit at that time, and another for use of a park that was closed.
Here is a by-the-numbers look at the number of formal complaints by residents from July 13 to 19:
- 11: complaints received about behaviour in parks (9 previous week, 14 before that)
- 1: complaint about businesses not complying with COVID-19 rules (4 previous week, 6 before that)
- 13: complaints made about improper physical distancing (7 previous week, 6 before that)
- 10: number of general inquiry calls not related to the pandemic (10 previous week, 15 before that)
Editor's note: This story was updated on July 22 to correct the number of tickets the Town of Newmarket has issued under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
