There’s a new sheriff in town, at least when it comes to handing out tickets to people parking on the wrong side of the law.
During its regular meeting earlier this month, Yarmouth town council awarded the tender for a bylaw enforcement officer to MacKenzie Security Ltd.
The local security company submitted the lowest of the five bids received, coming in at $16.64 per hour including HST. The Commissionaires, presently responsible for the task, were the second lowest bid at $17.51 including HST. The town also received bids from three private individuals interested in doing the work.
The contract is for one year and subject to receiving the necessary appointment from the provincial department of justice within 60 days.
Although the primary duty of the bylaw enforcement officer is enforcing the parking bylaw in the downtown area, he or she is also tasked with enforcing any other infractions witnessed during patrols.
The job of enforcing the town’s parking bylaw has for years fallen to the Commissionaires by default. However, in recent years, that hasn’t sat well with some people around the council table or area businesses.
Deputy Mayor Byron Boudreau who, for some time, has asked that the work be put to tender, has also suggested at multiple council meetings that the person tasked with the job could also keep an eye out for other bylaw infractions in the downtown area while on patrol.
