City of Waterloo council summary June 12, 2023

** The council summary provides a snapshot of the major items presented at council. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting. The recorded meeting can also be viewed on the City of Waterloo youtube channel**

City of Waterloo transitions to a more efficient and less daunting process for by-law infractions

Council has approved the transition of all by-law tickets to the successful Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS), which the City already uses for parking infractions. Since using AMPS for parking infractions, the time it took to dispute parking tickets was reduced by 70 per cent and 92 per cent of screening reviews were resolved with a favourable outcome to the ticket holder. 

The program offers enhanced customer service by providing a less intimidating process for navigating by-law violations. Anyone receiving a penalty notice for a by-law infraction will be able to dispute it by submitting a screening review request form online or in-person at the Municipal Enforcement Services office. The screening review, conducted by a screening officer, will be available through email, phone or virtually, allowing for disputes to be resolved quickly and efficiently.

If the person is not satisfied with the outcome of a screening review, they may request a hearing. A Hearings Officer, independent of City staff and Council, will adjudicate matters at the hearing, providing the same open, transparent and impartial process as through the court system, in less time. The AMPS process eliminates the need to attend court, which can be a daunting barrier to those who wish to dispute a ticket.  

City launches strategy for digital service transformation

The City of Waterloo introduced its first digital service strategy, which aims to deliver better online services, meet resident expectations and increase staff efficiencies. It sets out a plan for the City to become a more service-centred, digital organization and targets delivering services in more accessible and convenient ways. This includes providing options for those who don't wish to, or cannot use, digital channels. The strategy also includes using service and process re-design and the adoption of new technology to speed up the delivery of services and reduce overall costs.

Learn more about the Digital Services Strategy.

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Media contact:
Cari Van Niekerk
Acting Director, Corporate Communications
cari.vanniekerk@waterloo.ca