Belleville’s property enforcement officers are overwhelmed with an ever-increasing workload and city council is taking action to relieve the pressure on the three-person department.
Monday, council voted to hire two new contract enforcement officers for the rest of this year and for eight months next year.
The cost this year would be $60,800 and $121,500 next year.
The city’s Director of Human Resources Marie Doherty told council the contract positions are just the start.
“The by-law positions are contract to assist us in filling an immediate need to address the backlog and the number of cases that we currently have so it is an interim measure. Stephen Ashton (Director Engineering and Development Services) will be bringing forth a proposal for permanent by-law officers at a later date.”
Belleville’s property standards by-law officers had an average caseload of 386 last year, the highest of eight similar-sized communities. Most of the communities compared had an average caseload per officer of around 220.
The graph below shows the steady increase in Belleville bylaw enforcement officer’s caseloads over the years.
(Photo: screen grab Belleville council agenda August 28/23)
Caseload comparisons. (Photo: screen grab Belleville council agenda August 28/23)
