Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) are coming to Innisfil in 2023.
Council gave staff the green light to go ahead with bringing AMPs to Innisfil during its meeting May 25. Penalties for parking offences will begin to be handed out sometime in the first quarter of 2023, replacing the provincial offences notices violators receive today.
AMPs are a civil mechanism designed to enforce compliance with municipal regulations that bypass the criminal court system. They won’t lead to a conviction, nor is there a risk of imprisonment, but offenders face the threat of plate renewals being withheld if they decline to pay in the prescribed time.
The proposed AMP framework provides an alternative adjudication arrangement to the court system, where a municipally designated employee can adjudicate the offence rather than a Justice of the Peace. The offender would receive a monetary penalty issued by the municipality directly rather than as Provincial Offences Act (POA) ticket.
The AMP program is designed to create efficiencies and flexibility for a municipality, as it provides for a much quicker resolution to the process if a ticket is disputed by an offender. Rather than dragging out through the court system – which can take municipal employees off the streets and into court rooms for hours at a time – the decision tabled at an AMP hear is final and subject to limited review.
It’s a less formal and intimidating process, explained Michael Harris, Innisfil’s Community Standards Leader, which staff believes to be “a significant step forward in terms of enhancing customer service around the parking ticket process, by providing an alternative dispute resolution process option versus the traditional enforcement approach.”
Keeping the fines in Innisfil was something councillors appreciated as well.
“I think it’s an excellent initiative,” said Coun. Alex Waters. “Anything to streamline the process and bring revenues back to this municipality is always a welcome addition.”
The new program is a joint initiative with the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Work between the two municipalities will continue through the summer and fall to hire and train the impacted staff, as well as begin to explain the change to their residents.
Coun. Donna Orsatti lauded staff for working with its southern neighbours to bring this service to the community.
“I think this is another great initiative of staff and shared services,” she said, calling it a "win-win."
"It’s another great partnership with Bradford…. Our two towns are working together to provide a streamlined service.”
Mayor Lynn Dollin agreed.
“I think we’re making some really good progress here,” she said. “When we can share costs with a neighbouring municipality, that makes a huge difference.”
There’s room for the AMP program to expand as well. While only parking infractions are part of the program for now, in the future AMPs could be used to penalize offenders for a variety of bylaws, including those caught by an automated speed enforcement camera, which are likely in the cards for the town somewhere down the road.
Several town policies will need to be amended to allow for the AMP program to be introduced, which will establish the rules for screening and hearing. Those items will appear on the council agenda for the June 8 meeting.
Staff anticipate it could take up to two years for any disputed POA tickets issued prior to the implementation of the AMP program to completely clear the court system.
