Bylaw officers will be able to proactively tackle derelict homes. (Moodville/Dreamstime)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Bylaw grants authority to proactively tackle derelict homes in Medicine Hat

May 6, 2024 | 7:26 PM

Medicine Hat has beefed up its unsightly property bylaw by giving police the power to proactively address derelict properties.

Nine changes to the bylaw were passed by council during its Monday public meeting, with most of the amendments focused on bringing language up to date.

Council last October requested a review of the rules by administration staff. That review compared Medicine Hat’s 1998 unsightly bylaw to others in the area, including Lethbridge, Red Deer and a few of the province’s larger cities.

“What I was hoping for when I brought this forward was that we could get some meat on the bones of this for dilapidated properties,” Sharps said.

Experts on hand from the police service — which handles bylaw enforcement — confirmed the biggest difference with the bylaw update is about setting and defining standards and tackling issues before they get bigger.

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“Officers could deal with issues before the property becomes unsightly or dilapidated,” a member of staff,” bylaw supervisor Brad Potts told council.

“It’s just more tools in the toolbox for them to work with the community.”