Parking ticket appeals in Portage la Prairie will soon be heard by a newly established municipal screening officer at city hall.

At its meeting Monday night, council gave first reading to a by-law that would establish a screening officer. Coun. Brent Budz says no new position will be created with the by-law, but duties will be added to existing staff at the city.

“It establishes the role of a screening officer to deal with incidents related to parking tickets only,” Budz explains. “If a citizen or visitor in our community has an issue with a parking ticket that appeal goes directly to the screening officer here at the city, instead of through the provincial court system which is previously the way it was done.”

In its report to council, administration says the province enacted the Municipal By-law Enforcement Act in 2013. It provided an alternative approach for processing and resolving minor by-law infractions. Effective Feb. 6, 2017, objections to parking tickets that previously required a not guilty plea in provincial court must be made to a municipally-appointed screening officer, administration's report explains. Requests can still be made for a hearing with an adjudicator appointed by the province if the appellant does not agree with the screening officer's ruling.

“This council has been pretty adamant that the downloading of provincial responsibilities to municipalities is an issue,” Budz says. “It is viewed that this is something that was previously handled through the court system and now it's something that will not be able to be dealt with that way.”

“Municipalities are kind of forced to go this route.”

The by-law still needs to pass second and third readings at council's next meeting.