Two councillors push for bigger role for OPP for short-term rental complaints

As Kawartha Lakes council debates the merits of a new short-term rental (STR) by-law that could be in place as early as this May, councillors Charlie McDonald and Emmett Yeo believe the Ontario Provincial Police need to play a far larger role than they currently are in keeping the peace and enforcing nuisance laws that are part of the Ontario criminal code.

Ward Seven Councillor Charlie McDonald questioned whether a bylaw for STRs was needed at all. He went down a list of cottager complaints regarding STRs that included excessive noise, public drunkenness, fireworks, dangerous boating, theft of neighbor’s property, vandalism, stray dogs and public bonfires suggesting that all but the last two should be enforced by the province. McDonald did suggest that Kawartha Lakes bylaw could take care of dogs at large and the Kawartha Lakes Fire Service should be on call for the burn complaints, but all other calls should be the purview of the provincial police.

“Most of these issues we are talking about today should be dealt with by the OPP, not us,” McDonald said.

McDonald asked Aaron Sloan, manager of by-law and licensing, to share with council how his staff is currently deployed during the week, but more importantly on weekends when the bulk of the STR complaints are registered.

Sloan told the councillor that he had eight officers on staff working a variety of shifts. Monday through Friday the bulk of the officers are available from 8 am to 9 pm. On weekends there are two officers only and they work 8 am to 6:30 pm.

“Most complaints come on the weekend,” McDonald said. “We need to have people working nights and that is going to be a problem with the collective agreement as it stands right now. 53 of 138 complaints came from a small number of cottages last summer. Why are we not focusing on those owners? Why do we need to license at all? We simply need to enforce the laws we have.”

Ward One councillor Yeo continued McDonald’s line of thought saying “putting a bylaw person on in the evening is not the solution.”

“Nobody in their right mind is going to go to a place where 30 plus people are drinking alcohol,” Yeo said. “We will need someone to accompany them, and that will likely be the OPP.”

Yeo said that before any final decisions are made about the STR bylaw that a representative of the OPP needs to attend a council meeting.

“We must have night time enforcement,” Yeo said. “It won’t be solved by one or two (unarmed) by-law enforcement officers.”

Sloan said he could not speak for the OPP, but that he could talk to the detachment commander telling him council would like him to attend a meeting.

“The problem is with the frontline officers,” Sloan said, “who may or may not want to enforce what they see as bylaws.”

“Those officers need direction (as to what their jobs are),” Yeo said.

Mayor Doug Elmslie told council that the general rule of thumb is that if the OPP “is not otherwise occupied they will attend (STR) complaints.”