District of Squamish has appointed two new Community Patrol Officers.
Laura Lazaridis and Sarah Kennedy were appointed as the Community Patrol Officers in a council meeting on October 6.
“One appointment was a new full-time hire to replace a vacancy, and another was a new hire in a ‘casual position’ covering a leave,” said Christina Moore, the district’s communication manager.
The two Community Patrol Officers were also working as part-time employees as Animal Control Assistants with the district.
The title of the new hires remains Community Patrol Officers as they don’t take on the full spectrum of work required of the bylaw enforcement officer, although they will be able to issue ticker for bylaw infractions.
Moore said the positions allow the district to professionally develop community-minded individuals that support the role of Bylaw Services in all areas.
“By developing skills internally, we will have a greater likelihood of hiring local staff when Bylaw Officer Positions become available,” she said.
“It also adds to the resiliency of the department to handle leaves and manage succession.”
The district had recently blended the role of Animal Control into Bylaw Services to ensure a more effective approach to a wide variety of bylaw-related files, Moore added.
The District of Squamish also has plans to hire a bylaw officer to enforce policy on short-term rentals being offered on Airbnb, Vrbo and other such platforms.
