Council makes decision on Short Term Rentals in City of Kawartha Lakes

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Aug 232018
 

Council makes a decision on Short Term Residential Rentals in the City of Kawartha Lakes

Kawartha Lakes – Council made a decision on short term residential rentals in the City of Kawartha Lakes at the August 14 Council Meeting. Council adopted the first option of the Short Term Rentals Follow Up Report to continue to monitor short term residential rentals and implement several amendments to City by-laws to enable Municipal Law Enforcement to better respond and track issues arising at these properties.

In addition, Council passed a motion that City staff continue to dialogue with residents and tax payers who experience ongoing issues with short term rentals and to monitor the effectiveness of implementing these changes with a report back to Council in the second quarter of 2019.

The changes as outlined in option one of the report include:

  • Continue to respond to by-law violation complaints as per current practices and by-laws;
  • Implement new processes to fully use existing legislation to address complaints;
  • That the Clean and Clear By-law 2014-026, Animals By-law 2017-039, Open Air Burning By-law 2016-110, Fireworks By-Law 2007-236 and the Noise By-law 2005-25 were amended to reflect that the onus is additionally placed onto the property owner to ensure that they are taking responsibility for the activities that are occurring on the properties that they own;
  • Conduct an education campaign and information sharing process to inform property owners, cottage/road associations and visitors of their responsibilities, by-laws and regulations as well as fees for repeat violations of the by-laws;
  • Increase proactive enforcement of by-law violations and conduct random and focused enforcement in partnership with Police Services; and
  • Municipal Law Enforcement staff continue to be available to the public, Council and other city staff as a general information resource.

Residents are encouraged to report issues at rental properties relating to by-law infractions to the City’s Municipal Law Enforcement Division. Municipal By-law officers are available Monday to Friday from 8am to 9pm and on weekends from 8am to 6:30pm. Residents can contact the City’s Municipal Law Enforcement Division at 705-324-9411 extension 1212 and leave a message to report their concerns. All calls will be answered within two business days. Residents should call emergency services to report life threatening situations such as large bonfires, people swimming or operating a motor craft while intoxicated or illegal activity taking place at the rental property.

Numerous pieces of legislation already exist to deal with many of the reported impacts resulting from short term residential rentals. The City’s enacted by-laws address matters pertaining to parking, noise, property standards, burning, animals and domestic waste disposal. Provincial law and statues exist to address alcohol/controlled substance consumption, unsafe operation of motor vehicles or watercrafts and septic issues.

Staff have also developed a tracking tool within the City’s complaint management database to track calls that are coming in specifically for rental properties.

The City’s Fee’s By-law outlines the fees that can be charged to the owner of a property for inspections by Municipal Law Enforcement staff that result in a by-law violation being found. Council approved wording changes and removed free additional inspections to the make the schedule clear that fees are only charged when a violation is found. The changes also protect owners of short term residential rental properties from vexatious complaints by including provisions that fees for service are only levied if by-law violations are found. The inspection fees schedule will allow the cost recovery of the associated inspection and fees will increase for repeat issues.

For more information, read the Short Term Residential Rentals Follow-up Report and the Short Term Residential Rentals Informational Report on the City’s website.

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City of Kawartha Lakes celebrates 1st year as a “Bee City”.

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Aug 022018
 

City of Kawartha Lakes celebrates its first year as an official “Bee City”.

Kawartha Lakes – The City of Kawartha Lakes is celebrating the one year anniversary this July of its designation as a Bee City. The City would like to recognize the hard work and effort that has been made by City residents, communities and organizations towards raising awareness about the importance of pollination. The Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee’s Pollinator Action Committee has been providing education and bringing attention to our native pollinators and what we can do to support them.

The Committee continues to participate in community events such as Settlers’ Day in Bobcaygeon, Omemee Days, Frost Campus’ 10th Eco Health Conference and the Kawartha Region Conservation Authority 150. “It was a wonderful and encouraging thing to see so many people visiting our display tables and expressing so much interest and concern for pollinators,” said Susan Blayney, Chair of the City of Kawartha Lakes Pollinator Action Committee.

One of the most important things that can be done for pollinators is to create habitats for them, which is the main goal of the Kawartha Lakes Pollinator Pathway mapping project. Residents can get involved by using the resources outlined on the dedicated website provided by the City and the Committee to build pollinator-friendly environments. Any resident who registers will also receive a free “Pollinator Pathway” garden sign to proudly display on their property.

The Committee also has several large projects underway, including working with Kawartha Regional Conservation Authority to plant pollinator patches at Windy Ridge, assisting the Frost Campus to enhance their butterfly garden as well as maintaining the newly established 1.5 acres of habitat created for the Fenelon Landfill Pollinator project.

“The Pollinator Action Committee, with the support from the City of Kawartha Lakes, is very pleased with what has been accomplished during the first year of being a Bee City,” said Blayney. The plight of the bees cannot be fixed over the course of one year, but the City of Kawartha Lakes community is off to a strong start. The City and Pollinator Action Committee are dedicated to providing the community with resources and information to raising pollinator awareness, education and working on creating habitats for years to come.

To learn more, please visit the City’s Bee City webpage.

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Shoreline Gardens Workshops – Aug & Sept 2018

 Information, The Land Between, Uncategorized  Comments Off on Shoreline Gardens Workshops – Aug & Sept 2018
Jul 252018
 

Beautiful and biodiverse – Shoreline gardens are functional, fantastic and fun. They can be tailored to match your style, maintain your views, and increase privacy- and they will help to attract birds, bees, and wildlife, while deterring nuisance geese and invasive warm water fishes.  Naturalized shorelines also filter water.

Keep your lake clean and healthy for future generations with a native shoreline garden.

Walk away with custom designs and plant lists for your shoreline.

The Land Between is offering three more Shoreline Garden Workshops this year. Check their website for more details.

Bobcaygeon Communities in Bloom

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Jul 062018
 

COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM JUDGES ARE IN TOWN ON JULY 11 AND 12.

WE’LL BE COMPETING AGAINST OTHER SMALL ONTARIO TOWNS IN THIS PRESTIGIOUS INITIATIVE. IT’S MORE THAN JUST FLOWERS! WE HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER IN ALL THE CATEGORIES JUDGED.

YOU CAN HELP BY MAKING SURE OUR LANDSCAPES AND STREET-SCAPES ARE ALL TIDY AND FREE OF DEBRIS. AND DON’T FORGET TO WAVE AS THE JUDGES AND TEAM TOUR OUR VIBRANT VILLAGE BY TROLLEY, FOOT, AND BOAT!

More information at the Bobcaygeon Communities in Bloom Website

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