City of Cranbrook council passed three readings Monday night to Public Notice Bylaw 4099, 2023, which allows a council to determine alternative methods of public notice.

Currently, the city is not in compliance with certain notification requirements under the Local Government Act as there are only two newspaper publications which only publish once a week, reported Santana Patten of Engineering and Development Services.

“Adopting a Public Notice Bylaw will bring the city in compliance with the statutory requirements for public notice, will prepare for a time when there might not be a newspaper at all, and allow the city to use the other available channels. Expanding the locations of the public notification will likely reach a further audience and those who do not utilize conventional news streams,” Patten stated.

Section 94.2 of the Community Charter was updated in February 2022 to allow for a council to determine, by bylaw, alternative notice requirements. Section 94.2 provides local governments the authority to adopt a public notice bylaw if they choose not to use the default notice provisions.

Local governments that adopt a public notice bylaw must then publish notice by all the methods specified in the bylaw, and are still required to post a notice at the public notice posting places, the city staff report said.

The notice requirements suggested are minimum requirements and are not intended to limit council’s discretion to direct staff to provide additional notices, utilizing different or additional methods or repeating notice, as may be deemed appropriate by council, Patten outlined in the report.

Council unanimously passed the first three readings of Public Notice Bylaw 4099, 2023. Coun. Wes Graham was absent from the meeting.

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