Teen brings bullying bylaw suggestions to council

Times Reporter    

 

On April 16 town council approved the Community Standards Bylaw. The bylaw contains provisions for sidewalk snow removal, signs, control of nuisances, which can includes weeds and unsightly premises, graffiti and bullying. 

At the May 21 meeting Strathmore teen Jonathan Moore spoke to council about the anti-bullying part of the bylaw.  

“In my opinion the amendment to the bullying bylaw will be ineffectual due to the fact that this bylaw is mainly aimed at youth, and that no teenager would pay attention to a law they are unaware of it,” said Moore. 

“If we want kids to understand the importance of bullying and how much a fine against bullying will cost them, I propose that council sends two of its members to each school that this law pertains to and informs them of the consequences, the extension and the fines that bullying entails.” 

Councillor Brad Walls asked Moore if he thought it would be better to send a peace officer to inform the kids. Moore said that while it would be nice if the peace officer were there to support the councillors, it would not be as effective to just send them. 

“Since teenagers often hear from peace officers about various issues I believe it would be more beneficial for kids and teens to hear from the council themselves, that way it can stress s the importance of the issue,” said Moore.

Councillor Denise Peterson said she had presented his ideas to her students, and though they aren’t in Strathmore, they echoed some of what he was saying and had suggestions of their own for other parts of the bylaw.

“So the students where Mrs. Peterson works brought up a fun activity and an idea that I thought I would like to share. They thought that if people saw signs in the park that showed times when the parks are open and fines for littering that it would be helpful and that people would be more responsive to the bylaw,” said Moore. 

Peterson’s students also had a fun suggestion about how to get youth involvement in cleaning up town parks. 

“So if teens under 18-years-old took selfies of themselves picking up or throwing out garbage and sent it to the town, the town could put it in a draw and the months of June, July and August pick one or two winners from a bucket and give them a pass, maybe to the swimming pool, for the entire winter-long season. That might just maybe generate a bit more involvement from the youth,” said Moore. 

Mayor Michael Ell thanked Moore and told him he had some really great ideas to follow up on.

“I particularly liked your idea of putting the signs in regards to when the park may be used, the fines posting those is a good idea and doing the selfies in regards to cleaning up,” said Ell.

Moore was quick to remind Ell that those ideas were not necessarily his, but Ell and Peterson agreed that it was his initiative that generated them, and that by bringing them to council it helps them when it comes to making changes and doing a better job.