A file photo of a tractor working on agricultural land.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
December 02, 2015 - 2:30 PM
KELOWNA - Companies and property owners found misusing agricultural land in East Kelowna will be fined, but won’t be identified, by the city.
Naming the offenders is 'problematic' for the city and makes it more difficult to get voluntary compliance from offenders while scaring off others who might be thinking about it, protective services director Rob Mayne says.
The city began the agricultural compliance enforcement program last February, specificly targeting offenders in an area they call the Benvoulin Corridor.
City bylaw staff began looking closer at properties in the area, eventually identifying 13 cases for further investigation.
Some of the offenses include zoning and signage violations for what Mayne says were mainly construction and landscaping companies, but also included a case of illegal composting of animal parts.
Those 13 cases are at various stages of completion, and some of the offenders have received fines varying from $100 to $500.
While willing to share some of the details of the investigations, Mayne will not reveal the names of the people or companies that received the fines or the corresponding amounts.
“It has not been city policy to release information pertaining to bylaw non-compliance investigations,” Mayne says.
Todd Cashin, rural planning manager, will report the results of the agricultural compliance enforcement program in later this month.
If deemed successful, consideration will be given to expanding the program into other hot spots for non-farm use of agricultural land.
To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015