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The District of Clearwater appoints new Bylaw Officer

The District of Clearwater has appointed Rod Tulett as the new Bylaw Officer starting immediately.

The District of Clearwater (DOC) has announced a newly appointed Bylaw Officer. Rod Tulett has begun his part time role as the community bylaw enforcement officer and is looking forward to eventually offering some practical educational programming within the community once he has covered some priority goals in the new portfolio.

 

“I was responsible for Bylaw Enforcement for the electoral area of the Metro Vancouver Regional District for 16 years,” says Tulett.

 

The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD) is located in the Greater Vancouver Regional District which covers Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, Delta, Maple Ridge and New Westminster. “Quite a different region to cover than the Thompson Nicola Regional District which involved more homeless encampments, and other types of enforcement than we see in the District of Clearwater.”

 

Tulett retired from the MVRD in 2021 moving to Blackpool to “grow hay for his horses” regarding the Clearwater area as “having everything important for semi-retirement, including wonderful residents, stores and services.”

 

He adds, “In the district here I’m anticipating possible property encroachment issues, barking dogs, maybe unsightly premises as I know we have a few of those that would come under the good neighbour bylaw. Other things like building of fences for example when building without a building permit. Fairly low level. I’m looking forward to not being required to have a bullet proof vest and intermediate weapons which were pepper spray and a baton. No guns. Guns don’t solve problems. They actually create more problems. Then if I needed someone with a gun, I would phone an actual police officer. That would be the same here.”

 

Tulett is a captain with the Blackpool Volunteer Fire Rescue (BVFR) team and sees this new position with the DOC as “complimentary” in the valley while working with the TNRD supported fire department at Blackpool.  He feels the role in DOC bylaw enforcement will be a “collaborative” initiative and “may include some fire code enforcements” as well.  The fire code enforcements within the district include things like fire ban restrictions due to illegal campfires as an example.

 

Although he will be working under the direction of DOC fire chief Mike Smith his role with the CVFD will be “helping out the fire department in Clearwater but no active role in firefighting within Clearwater.”

 

His long 41-year history as a chief petty officer in the Canadian Navy Reserve where he acted as a regional liaison officer for the Joint Task Force Pacific contributes to his wide range of experience in enforcement, and emergency response in the event of disasters and emergencies.

 

“I retired from the Navy Reserve on June 21 when I hit 60-years-old. It hasn’t really sunk in yet after 41 years. Most of that being part time in addition to my full-time employment with the MVRD. It was complimentary because the role I had in the last 15 years with the military was acting as a liaison between the military and civil government for disasters and emergencies. The only places I’ve deployed in the last 15 years have been to the Kamloops Provincial Regional Operation Centre or the centres in Surrey or Victoria to help out with fires and floods.”

 

Tulett is “honoured” to serve in this new role in the valley saying, “I think this will allow the District of Clearwater to be a bit more proactive with bylaw enforcement and try to head off any issues before they become serious, whereas by having it as a part time position also on the desk of the fire chief previously he didn’t have the time available to do the pre-emptive things.”

 

The new Bylaw Officer intends to deal with the “ongoing files currently in progress” prior to starting this new position and then look at “informational and preventative goals” moving forward.