I am pleased that council has been considerate enough to give residents time to respond to the water-use bylaw before third reading.
I claim no legal training, however, at first glance it appears that the purpose of the bylaw as stated in Item 2; namely “to promote the efficient use of water in the community and reduce water waste” does not meet any of the criteria listed in section 7 of the Municipal Government Act used as a preamble for the proposed bylaw.
My initial judgment, is that this is another un-needed and almost un-enforceable bylaw, that will ultimately have absolutely no bearing on the amount of residential water usage without a public education component as put forth by Coun. Cam MacKay earlier this year. If the only point of having this proposed bylaw is so council can feel justified by going on record as having done something to address a perceived environmental issue, the entire effort is a waste of time and resources. Our existing bylaws are sufficient to address water use issues.
This is a similar situation to the anti-idling bylaw passed last year. In the end nothing but a “feel good” bylaw. Council agonized for months over the bylaw, and to the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever been charged. The whole issue was a waste of council's time and administration’s resources. You can't claim the idling bylaw is un-enforceable, all a peace officer needs to do is stand on the side of Ray Gibbon Drive with a stopwatch and ticket book during rush hour. A whole line-up of drivers anxiously awaiting a idling ticket. Three minutes? We wish things were so good.
I am also concerned about the penalties for a violation as listed in 11(b). (Up to a $10,000.00 fine and/or a maximum of up to one year in jail) If council is prepared to include such a penalty for a summary conviction under this bylaw, they must also be willing to take the public ridicule when someone’s grandmother gets sent to jail for telling a bylaw officer to get stuffed as he tries to tell her how and when she can water her garden. Believe me, it is bound to happen.
We don't need neighbours spying and tattling on each other, or the water police in our bathrooms. All we need is a little education.
Mike Bishop, St. Albert
