Community Safety Standing Policy Committee meeting hears submissions on Taxi and Animal bylaws

Some submissions were addressed during a Community Safety Standing Policy Committee meeting on Thursday afternoon. That includes potential amendments to Bylaw 6422. Cab companies want to see fares increased in our city. During the Community SPC meeting earlier this year, it was recommended that the bylaw be changed to accommodate two different matters such as the deregulation of taxi fares and have there be no requirements for a taxi top light. Duane Ens, Manager of Regulatory Services for the City of Lethbridge explains what he’s been hearing from the cab industry.   

“The industry as a whole is ready and prepared for this, this change. I know some are more excited than others. I think some are looking to see what comes of this, and it’s a change in their operations. But for the most part, I think the cab industry is ready for this.”

The Animal Bylaw was also discussed during Thursday’s meeting. Skylar Plourde, Director of Services and Enforcement at Community Animal Services, says the current animal bylaw is around 20 years old and would like to see some provisions be made as animal populations increase.   

“Now we see less cats and way more dogs. And I think you could look at data going back 20, 30,40 years, and you would see those ups and downs again. Right now, it’s dogs five or six years, it could be cats again. It could be both. It’s hard to predict that. I think we would probably want to look at drafting a bylaw that would put tools in places for us to adapt to the changing environment of what kind of pets people have.”

Plourde says in the past they have seen exotic animals come into the shelter, but it is rare.