Anyone caught wielding a spray-can and defacing Thorold property will face stiffer penalties, thanks to a new bylaw passed this week at city council
In efforts to clean up an ever-widening swath of spray paint that’s been sweeping across Thorold, city council directed staff at its Jan. 15, 2019 meeting “to investigate a remedy” to the growing issue of graffiti.
The result is a new by-law, designed “to prevent unsightliness of property by prohibiting graffiti on property” and requiring property-owners to keep their buildings graffiti-free as well.
Referred to as the “Graffiti Management bylaw,” it was passed at Tuesday’s council meeting this week.
An officer who finds someone in violation “may make an order requiring the person who contravened this by-law, or who caused or permitted the contravention, or the owner or occupier of the land on which the contravention occurred, to do work to correct the contravention.”
The order may be served personally on the perpetrator or by registered mail to their last known address.
“If any person fails to comply with an order given, the city’s representatives may enter upon the lands at any reasonable time for the purposes of doing the things described in the order. Costs incurred by the city in doing the work required to be done by the order may be recovered by action or adding the costs to the tax roll and collecting them in the same manner as taxes.”
On first conviction, a person is liable to a fine ranging from $400 to $20,000, and on subsequent convictions to a minimum fine of $400, up to $50,000 maximum.
A corporation that is convicted of an offence is liable on first conviction to a fine ranging from $400 and $50,000, and on subsequent convictions to a fine ranging from $400 to $100,000. In addition to the aforementioned fines, a person convicted of a subsequent offence is liable to a maximum fine of $1,000 for each day or part of the day on which the contravention has continued after the day on which the person was first convicted.
“I see there’s another tag along one of our buildings last week,” noted Coun. Fred Neale, “so this is a good bylaw that’s coming forward. They haven’t gotten rid of the graffiti on Front Street for months now.”
Coun. Jim Handley agreed. “During the winter, things may not come forward as quickly as we’d like, but it’s a good bylaw.”
At a recent BIA meeting, members commented that painting over graffiti in freezing temperatures has been prohibitive, adding that they planned to address the issue as soon as spring comes.
