Bylaw Services
Bylaws
Bylaws are the laws passed by Council to regulate certain activities and to authorize certain powers and authorities granted to Council by the Province of British Columbia. These bylaws cover a wide range of activities from requiring dog licenses to regulating the uses allowed on private property and establishing the fees for specific permits and services.
The bylaws most commonly used by the public are available here. These and all other bylaws of the District are available for viewing at Municipal Hall, located at 13211 Henry Ave, Summerland, BC.
Bylaw Compliance & Enforcement
The District seeks voluntary compliance on most issues through respectful dialogue and increased public education and awareness of bylaws and their rationale. The Bylaw Enforcement Officer works with residents, businesses and visitors to achieve compliance and to foster a safe, healthy and respectful community. The District's Bylaw Enforcement Procedures Policy governs the handling of complaints to ensure that complaints are being managed in a fair and consistent manner.
Reasonable attempts will be made to secure voluntary compliance prior to initiating any manner of enforcement action. When voluntary compliance cannot be reached, or where there exists a clearly identified complainant who is directly affected by the alleged violation, enforcement action will be taken through the Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw.
How to Report a Bylaw Violation
The District investigates bylaw violations on a complaint basis but has no duty to take enforcement action with respect to every contravention of a bylaw. Investigation and enforcement priority may be given to alleged contraventions that adversely affect the health, safety and security of the public, adversely affect the environment, or possibly result in increased liability exposure for the District.
If you want to report a bylaw violation, follow these steps:
- Complete the Bylaw Enforcement Complaint Form - Fillable pdf and return it to:
- Municipal Hall, 13211 Henry Avenue, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0 or
- bylaw@summerland.ca or
- Fax: 250-494-1415
- Email the Bylaw Enforcement Officer
- Provide your full name and phone number so we can contact you if we have questions.
- Provide details about the violation including the date and time you observed the violation and any other information you think would be helpful to our investigation.
Confidentiality
Complaints are kept confidential, however your name and contact number must be provided when making a complaint. We will not disclose your personal information to individuals or businesses under investigation. We collect your name and phone number to help us contact you if we have questions or need clarification. Anonymous calls are not generally acted upon.
If the matter goes to court, we may be required by the courts to provide witness statements or other forms of evidence which could include your contact information.
How to dispute a Bylaw Offence Notice
The District of Summerland participates in the Southern Interior Bylaw Notice Adjudication Program to address most minor bylaw violations. Those wishing to dispute Bylaw Offence Notices must do so by completing the dispute/request for adjudication section on the back of the Notice and submitting it to the District of Summerland in person, by mail, fax or email within 14 days of issuance. Bylaw Offence Notices can also be disputed in writing, by email, by phone or in person.
Disputes will be handled as follows:
- The person disputing their Bylaw Offence Notice (disputant) will speak with a Screening Officer. This Officer will review the Bylaw Offence Notice and revoke it if appropriate.
- If the Screening Officer upholds the Bylaw Offence Notice, the disputant can choose to pay it, or have it forwarded to an adjudicator. If the disputant chooses the adjudication process, they will be notified of what to do to present their case, and informed that they can do so in writing, by phone, or in person.
- A date, time and location for an adjudication will be provided to the disputant and the hearing will be conducted at Kelowna City Hall. Independent adjudicators will determine whether a bylaw infraction did or did not occur. If the adjudicator upholds the infraction, the full penalty will be applied as well as an adjudication fee of $25. If the adjudicator determines that no bylaw violation has occurred, no fine or adjudication fee will be applied.
How to pay a Bylaw Offence Notice
There are several ways you can pay a Bylaw Offence Notice. Payments must be received within the noted time limits to receive the discounted amount. No exceptions will be made.
Pay by Mail: Cheque or Money Order
District of Summerland
13211 Henry Avenue, PO Box 159
Summerland, BC V0H 1Z0
Make a payment Online by Credit Card:
The District of Summerland is now accepting online payments with select credit cards (Visa and Mastercard through the secure OptionPay System (with third party fees). Note that all processing fees are charges by OptionPay and are not received by the municipality. Please allow 3 - 5 business days for processing.
Click here to PAY BY CREDIT CARD .
View the OptionPay Tiered Rate Table
Payments Currently Accepted through the OptionPay for the following:
- Utilities
- Property Taxes
- Accounts Receivables (Invoices)
- Tickets/Fines
- Licences (Business/Pet Licences)
- Permits (Building/Electrical)
Paying in person at the Municipal Hall
The District accepts cash, cheque or debit payments.
Credit cards are now accepted on a user pay basis through
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday (Except Holidays)
Municipal Hall cashier at 13211 Henry Avenue, Summerland, BC
After hours payment For after-hours payments at the Municipal Hall, a drop box is located at the main entrance. Do not leave cash in the drop box.
Payment Terms:
If the Bylaw Offence Notice is paid within 14 days, a discount will apply, depending on the amount of the issued notice. If after 14 days the Bylaw Offence Notice is not paid and the ticket has not been disputed or an Adjudication Hearing has not been requested, the opportunity to dispute the Bylaw Offence Notice is lost and the penalty will immediately become due and payable. If after 28 days, the Bylaw Offence Notice is not paid, a surcharge will be added, depending on the amount of the issued Notice.
Questions?
Contact Bylaw Services at 250-494-6451 or bylaw@summerland.ca