Ashcroft, Cache Creek and Clinton are looking to hire a bylaw officer who would split time in all three communities.

Ashcroft mayor Barbara Roden says someone in bylaw would be best suited to respond to complaints like physical distancing.

“With COVID-19, we haven’t had too many cases of people flouting the rules, from at least what I’ve heard of. But we don’t have a bylaw officer here, and they don’t have one in Cache Creek or Clinton either. We’ve been told, if you don’t have a bylaw officer and you get complaints of huge crowds, contact the RCMP,” she says.

“Well, the RCMP have better things to do than break up 20 people not physical distancing in the Heritage Park. And we’re also hearing more complaints because people are home more. So the barking dogs that you don’t normally hear when you’re at work, you’re now hearing.”

The position would be funded by the B.C. government for as long as a provincial state of emergency remains in place.

And after that, village staff in Ashcroft are hoping the position could be kept long-term.

Roden says the three communities shared the service of a bylaw officer until about seven years ago.

“We just feel the time is right to try again.”