City takes on bylaw busters

Downtown, it's absentee landlords. In the Mountain Brow lands, it's illegal dumping. Near Mohawk College, it's tall weeds and garbage.

Each area of Hamilton has different hot-button issues to be addressed in a new pilot project that put more bylaw enforcement officers on city streets.

The city has hired six municipal bylaw enforcement officers to beef up enforcement for bylaw busters in Wards 1 to 8.

It's a move several city councillors said they hope will improve their wards' "chronic" problems.

According to a report to be presented to the economic development and planning committee today, the officers were trained last month and will be sworn in at a committee of the whole meeting tomorrow.

"We have a lot of enforcement problems ... related to the lack of manpower," said Councillor Bob Bratina. "We're not doing the best job we can. If more enforcement officers are going to help, then good."