MINTO COUNCIL APPROVES PROPOSED BYLAW PROHIBITING EXCESSIVE FORTIFICATION

The county's fortification bylaw is one step closer after Minto
council approved adopting the bylaw on the recommendation of Terry
Kuipers, the town's chief building official.

Kuipers stated in his report to council that the Wellington County
Police Services Board had asked the county's municipalities to enact
a common bylaw to regulate protection of land and buildings, and to
prohibit "excessive fortification" of land, because of the potential
threat to emergency services personnel including police, firefighters
and others.

The process has taken several years to accomplish. Kuipers said the
county's chief building officials identified a number of concerns.
"Who's doing the enforcement has been a big concern with us," he told
council. The draft bylaw went back and forth between police and
county a number of times, resulting in several amendments to the
original draft bylaw. "We helped in the development of enforcement
protocols," Kuipers said. However, in Kuipers' view, the strength of
the bylaw has not been "watered down."

Kuipers told council that with the amendments, he now supports the
bylaw on the basis of the following: that the proposed bylaw will be
used to deal with situations of excessive fortification, as
identified by the OPP or others; that the OPP will assist chief
building officials in the administration and interpretation of the
bylaw, and will take an active role in enforcing it; and that
information regarding fortification of certain buildings will be
shared on a limited basis.

Kuipers said the fire chief would be informed of violations to the
bylaw, because it is a safety issue for any emergency responders. But
because of Freedom of Information concerns, not everyone would be
informed, for example, all public works employees (supervisory staff
would be another matter).

In recent years, marijuana grow houses and other properties used to
manufacture illegal drugs have posed a danger because, in Kuipers'
words, they have been boobytrapped to keep out law officials and
others. Because the only way to determine a property has been
excessively fortified is for the building official to enter the
premises, there is a potential danger of violence. That situation has
now been addressed to the satisfaction of Kuipers and his
counterparts in the county.

The bylaw prohibits the installation of such things as steel plates
and bulletproof shutters on doors and windows, and the construction
of barriers around doors, etc. that would hinder emergency services
personnel from entering. There are certain exceptions, for example,
detention centres, police buildings and certain commercial buildings.

Should there be a violation of the bylaw, the OPP would inform the
chief building official and would ensure the property is safe for the
official to enter. The OPP would also obtain and serve any search
warrants and accompany the building official during inspections of
the property.

"We issue the orders," said Kuipers. "If we need to go on the
property, the police will help us out."

Mayor David Anderson said, "This is a safeguard against a certain
type of people moving into our area."

Kuipers added, "The bylaw is there for us to use if we have to."