Taking the above into consideration, a number of options exist in relation to increasing the capacity of the By-law Enforcement Division. These options are outlined below.

Option 1 – Increase Overtime Allowances

While the opportunity to offer overtime work to existing staff members exists, there are some considerations to be made. When overtime is offered, staff are under no obligation to agree to work during that time and it is often difficult to secure officers to work. If they do choose to work, a supervisor must work as well, adding to total overtime costs. Also, employees have historically ‘banked’ their overtime hours instead of opting for a payout. Any time off of work when using banked overtime is given at a rate of 1.5 hours for every one hour worked as per the collective agreement. With that being the case, overtime often results in less overall productive time which does not offer and effective solution in this case.

Option 2 – Pilot Project Using Existing Staff

In order to prepare a report to analyze whether or not proactive by-law enforcement would over time decrease the amount of complaints received would require a year-long pilot project, essentially taking two Officers from their regular duties and assigning them one day a month to do proactive work. It is important to note that the pilot project analysis and stats may be skewed by weather conditions as they play a significant role in the amount of requests for service the By-law Enforcement Unit receives each year. These weather-specific calls range from the number of reports related to snow and ice as well as calls related to overgrown yards. Both of which are dependant on the temperature and amount of precipitation in a given year. Technological change has also had an impact on call volumes, as it is easier than ever to create a service request online, through a phone app or by the traditional call-to-report method. With that being said, it should also be noted that an Officer actively looking for violations has no guarantee of finding any while a high number of complaints are logged each day for investigation. These logged complaints may be forced to wait additional time for resolution while an Officer is searching for proactive enforcement opportunities.

Option 3 – Hiring a Part-Time Officer

The proposed addition of a part time By-Law Enforcement Officer working one day a month would incur expenses that are beyond the current operational budget for 2020. These expenses consist of both upfront training and fit-up expenses as well as recurring monthly expenses. The estimated financial impact to have a part time By-Law Enforcement Officer working one day a month for one year would be as follows;