The Township of Brock in Ontario’s Durham Region is changing its pool fence bylaw, to increase safety and ensure compliance.
The new bylaw includes a revised fee structure as well as penalties for existing infractions.
According to a report from DurhamRegion.com a $250 permit fee is now required for above-ground, inground, and hot tub pools. Unauthorized work is punishable by a $500 fine.
The report also indicates that the reasons for the changes were discovered during a review the Fences around Pools and Hot Tubs Bylaw (Bylaw No. 1936-2005-PP), requiring proper enclosures by pool and hot-tub owners. The $75 fee was not enough to cover the costs associated with processing applications, carrying out assessments and inspections. There were no penalties for unauthorised installations.
The report states that these adjustments were made based on estimated time and resource requirements for the permit process, which includes administrative tasks, plan assessment, and compliance inspections on site. The goal of the township is to correct deficiencies in the existing system and harmonize regulations with neighboring municipalities. Scugog, for example, charges between $300-600 per pool permit, while fees in Whitby range from $450.
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