The Bylaw Department is mandated to increase public safety within the municipal scope, uphold minimum community standards known as bylaws, reduce social nuisances and liability risk for taxpayers, and ensure District agreements, permits, and process requirements are fulfilled.
To meet this mandate, the District's Bylaw Officer fields complaints from citizens, other District departments, and outside agencies. The Officer interprets bylaws, monitors and investigates matters, mediates, and enforces using education, warnings, and legal recourse as appropriate to the particular case. Voluntary compliance is always the goal and also the typical outcome.
Bylaw Enforcement and Education
Bylaw Enforcement & Education
The goal of bylaw enforcement is to achieve voluntary compliance through education and the provision of information in order to preserve the quality of life of citizens in Lillooet. The District’s Bylaw Officer investigates and responds to complaints received from citizens about bylaw violations in Lillooet.
Respecting the rights of our neighbours and ensuring that our property values are maintained is an important aspect of community living. While there are certain areas of enforcement that are safety related and require proactive enforcement, the majority of the bylaws are enforced on a complaint only basis.
The Bylaw Officer patrols the community on a varying schedule. Patrols enable the officer to observe violations in progress and most importantly, provide a preventative enforcement presence. However, enforcement of bylaws is primarily achieved through the public complaints process, detailed below.
Bylaws
The Community Charter authorizes us to make statutory laws or bylaws for our municipality regulating parking, noise, signs, lawn watering, land-use, and much more. Council enacts bylaws that are created, interpreted, and administered by a number of District departments. The Bylaw Officer promotes, facilitates, and enforces general compliance with bylaws that pertain to the health, safety, and welfare of the community.
Amendments to the bylaws will be updated as soon as possible following a Council Meeting. Official certified copies can be obtained from Corporate Services.
The link below contains the District’s most commonly requested bylaws. Please note that bylaws are subject to amendment and the following bylaws are provided online for information or research purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy the bylaws posted on this web site; however, these are not official versions of District of Lillooet bylaws and these documents are not admissible in a court of law.
Compliance, Enforcement Notices, and Fines
Ultimately, when efforts at obtaining voluntary compliance with District Bylaws have failed, Bylaw Officers must decide whether the issuance of a fine is necessary.
The District of Lillooet introduced the Bylaw Notice Enforcement System in 2021, which allows the District to deal with bylaw disputes such as dog control or water restriction violation tickets at the local level, rather than through the Provincial Court System.
The system is set out in the Provincial Government’s new Local Government Bylaw Notice Enforcement Act. It is intended to resolve disputes in a simple, cost-effective manner. The Bylaw Enforcement System improves efficiency in the areas of paying and collecting fines as well as deliver a streamlined process to the public.
Submit a Bylaw Complaint
If you see that a bylaw is not being followed, please let the District know. All complaints are handled with the utmost confidentiality in accordance with privacy laws.
Click below to download the Bylaw Complaint Form, print it, sign it by hand and then scan/photograph it and email it to bylawofficer@lillooet.ca, mail it, or submit it in person to Municipal Hall.
For legal reasons [to stand up to a court challenge], most unsigned forms will not be acted on. Likewise, most other forms of complaint such as over the phone, in person, and email also cannot be acted on.
If you have questions or other concerns regarding Animal Control, Bylaws, Bylaw Enforcement, or Business Licensing, please contact the District Bylaw Officer.