The Property Maintenance & Nuisance Abatement Bylaw covers aspects that pertain to graffiti, junk, junk vehicles, dilapidated and unoccupied buildings, overgrown grass and weeds, untidy and unsightly property and open excavations.  

Buildings that become dilapidated and unoccupied, overgrown with grass and weeds, junk vehicles and untidy/unsightly property can become a haven for rodents, mosquitoes, skunks, etc. The City also has the obligation to maintain the appearance and enjoyable atmosphere of our neighborhoods. 

Additionally, numbers containing the address shall be placed on a wall within 1 meter of the entrance and plainly visible from the street. Compliance of this bylaw is essential to ensure emergency services including police, fire and ambulance can locate you and your family, in the event of a crisis (for all residential buildings).  

Trees and shrubs shall be pruned as follows: 

1. Tree and shrub pruning at alleys:  
   1. No owner or occupant of any property shall allow their trees or shrubs to grow beyond the property line into City alleys.  
   2. Trees at the alley are to be pruned to the property line at a height of four and a half(4.5) meters (14.76 feet). 
2. Tree and shrub pruning at sidewalks:  
   1. No owner or occupant of any property shall allow their trees or shrubs to grow as to impede passage on a City sidewalk.  
   2. Trees at the sidewalk are to be pruned to the back of the sidewalk at a height of three (3) meters (9.84 feet).  

The Traffic Bylaw states that no person shall leave a trailer or semi-trailer parked on a public street which is unattached from the vehicle used for moving same, excepting City-owned equipment, or private trailers not exceeding 6.7 meters in length in residential areas only. 

On-street parking is not meant to be long term parking. Our streets are not meant to be storage areas for resident’s campers, spare vehicles. Etc. The Traffic Bylaw restricts campers/trailers being left unattached as it is a safety concern should it need to be moved during an emergency. 

The Traffic Bylaw states that no vehicles shall be parked for longer than 48 hours. 

On-street parking is not meant to be long term parking. The City regulates this to facilitate road maintenance, snow removal, etc. These regulations also allow Bylaw Enforcement to identify and remove abandoned, stolen, or unregistered vehicles from public streets.

“No Parking” or “No Stopping” areas are often established around crosswalks located adjacent to schools. These restrictions are enforced under the Traffic Bylaw. 

For the safety of the people using the cross walk. When vehicles park too close to crosswalks they obstruct visibility for pedestrians using the crosswalk and motorists approaching the crosswalk. Specific areas are established as “Loading Zones” to load and unload students. 

The Snowmobile Bylaw states the operation of a snowmobile is only allowed in designated areas and times. 

The purpose of the Snowmobile Bylaw is to promote the safety and protection of residents and their property in the City of Melfort. 

Zoning Bylaw regarding fences and hedges states any wall, fence, hedge or shrub on the SIDE/REAR lot line shall not exceed 2 meters (6.56 feet) in height. Any wall, fence, hedge or shrub on the FRONT lot line shall not exceed 1 meter (3.3 feet) in height. Any wall, fence, hedge, shrub on a CORNER lot shall not exceed 1 meter (3.3 feet). 

For your safety: Limiting the height reduces the visual obstructions for people backing out of driveways, walking down the street, turning corners, etc. 

The Cat Control Bylaw states the owner of a cat shall apply for an annual cat license and ensure that the cat wears a collar to which is attached a valid license tag from the City of Melfort whenever the cat is off the premises of the owner.  

The owner of a cat shall ensure that the cat is not being a nuisance or running at large. 

No person in the city shall harbor or keep more than four (4) cats in any one location. 

For your cat’s safety: A cat running at large can be hit by a vehicle, attacked by other animals, or exposed to unwanted diseases and extreme weather conditions. Unlicensed cats also can be a nuisance as they often use gardens and flower beds as litter boxes.  

The Dog Control Bylaw states the owner of a dog must have an annual license to own and harbor a dog in the City of Melfort. The owner must ensure the dog wears a collar which shall be attached the valid dog license issued by the City.  

Every person being the owner of a dog found running at large is guilty of breach of this bylaw.  

No person in the city shall harbor or keep more than three (3) dogs in one location. 

A dog license provides contact information and an address to get a lost dog back to its owner in a timely fashion. Dogs can run at large and be aggressive to other animals or people and where you as the owner could be held liable. 

The Noise Bylaw states no person who owns, keeps, houses, harbors or allows to stay in his premises a dog shall allow such dog to bark excessively or howl excessively. 

Dogs that continually bark or howl become a great nuisance to our friends and neighbors. 

The Fire Prevention Bylaw states no person shall light, ignite, or start or allow or cause to be lighted, ignited or started a fire of any kind whatsoever in the open air without having first having obtained a written permit to do so from the Fire Chief.  

The Bylaw also prohibits the burning of: rubbish, garden and lawn refuse, animal carcasses, etc. 

Fire Protective Services main concern is that no person is injured or any property damage is incurred while people are enjoying their fire pit. By limiting the size and what materials are burned we can lessen any impact on friends and neighbors. Harmful materials that create a lot of smoke can be a nuisance for property owners. 

The Zoning Bylaw states no sign shall be located in any manner that would visually obstruct or jeopardize the safety of others. 

It is a safety concern, advertisements on traffic signs, center medians, boulevards, etc. are distracting to drivers. 

The Snow Removal Bylaw states the owners/occupants of the designated areas (business core) shall be responsible to ensure the removal of snow/ice/dirt + other obstructions down to the hard compacted portion of the surface of the sidewalk in front of and about the premises. All residents are exempt from this bylaw.  

No person shall deposit any snow in any street or lane within City limits that has been removed from private property. 

Businesses see the most foot traffic and therefore are responsible to ensure the sidewalks are clear. Placing snow in the street increases the chance of an accident by drivers.  

The City of Melfort does not have a Bylaw regulating dandelion growth. The City tries to control dandelions on their property by using an annual cutting and spraying program for all of our greenspace areas. 

A bylaw like this would be very challenging to enforce due the relatively short life cycle of each dandelion plant. Therefore, residents are encouraged to treat their lawns as they see fit.