The City of Lacombe has approved a new policy to examine how and when residents are required to clean up their property.
The city said no prior review policy existed.
The policy review is to an Order to Remedy, which is an order from the City to a resident/business to clean up their property, which may violate city bylaws.
The request to review an Order to Remedy issued to a property owner was received recently and was unprecedented in the City's history.
While requests have been received to reconsider invoicing for remedial actions in the past 15 years, no formal review of an order has happened, meaning no process had been established previously.
"There was a process to issue the order, but the City did not have a formal process regarding a review of an order," Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator Todd Vaughan said.
In order to address this, the Administration proposed a draft policy for the council to review, aiming for a consistent application.
The process includes specific steps, including submitting a written request to the CAO, scheduling a review within specified timelines, conducting the review in a public session, and issuing a final decision within 14 days of the review.
Policy 26/1158.01 2025 PO review of an Order to Remedy Contraventions was approved during the council meeting on April 14.
During the meeting, an Order to Remedy for 4724 49th Ave. was also confirmed.
