OLDS — A focus on dealing with unsightly properties is paying off, the Town of Olds's protective services director says.
Justin Andrew presented the department’s second quarter report to town council last month.
Unsightly premises are covered under the town’s Community Standards Bylaw (CSB).
The report indicated that from April through June, officers investigated 134 incidents, 50 of which fell under the CSB.
“(We’re) seeing some follow-through on unsightly premises with the demolition of derelict properties,” Andrew said.
“We've had success with a few of those around town. We've seen some great movement there that we're not hanging on to these properties.
“We do have a few more in the works. So there's improvements that are coming that you'll see in specific areas around town.
“The whole premise is to get rid of the old that's not going to be fixed and makes way for new development and building, which is ultimately the goal."
Andrew predicted that an ongoing focus on proactive rather than reactive bylaw enforcement will make a difference and show up when the next quarter’s statistics are presented.
“The amount of time allocated to follow up on complaints is offset when you're actually going out proactively,” he said.
