Iqaluit (Sep 11/06) - Iqaluit's chief municipal enforcement officer is asking for more staff and changes to the city.

Robert Kavanaugh thinks that since Iqaluit has grown, so should his force.

Robert Kavanaugh sits in one of Iqaluit's three municipal enforcement vehicles. He would like to see his department get bigger, due to the population increase in Nunavut's capital. He also joked that he would get a hard time for this photo, as the truck needs a wash. - Kent Driscoll/NNSL photo

Municipal bylaws, animal control and motor vehicle regulation (including taxis) take up most of the time for the four-person staff. Throw in the officers prosecuting tickets in court, and the schedule fills up quickly.

Bylaw staff levels, consisting of a chief and three officers, have been consistent since 2000.

"The population has doubled and the workload has doubled. We get 300 vehicles a sealift, not including ATVs and snowmobiles. The community is growing. We're being called on more, and our manpower hasn't increased," said Kavanaugh.

The city's budget and a municipal election are slated for October. Acting Iqaluit chief administrative officer (CAO) John Hussey handed control of the administration to new CAO Clinton Mauthe late last month. Before leaving the office, Hussey explained how Kavanaugh's request will be handled.

"Budget process starts in October. If the consensus is that he needs another body, if management agrees, then it will go before council. It could cost anywhere from $85,000 to $100,000 a year," he explained.

"Then council will question him, and he will have to defend his request. One thing I will say about Robert is that he measures his statistics very well. He knows what is going on inside his department," said Hussey.

bylaw officers aren't the RCMP, and Kavanaugh thinks that his department doesn't get all the respect they deserve from the public.

"There are people in town that think that all of our job is picking up animals," said Kavanaugh.

Animals are part of it, but animals behind the wheel are a bigger problem for the city. Kavanaugh has chased speeders travelling 125 km/h.

"In the run of a day, we could spend 60 or 70 per cent of our time dealing with traffic matters," said Kavanaugh.

Keeping pedestrians separated from traffic zones is new to Iqaluit, and is taking some time. Although people who walk on the road are a problem for enforcement, Kavanaugh doesn't think there is a chance of a jaywalking ticket being issued.

"No (we wouldn't issue a jaywalking ticket), I like living in this community. There's effective enforcement, then there is ineffective enforcement," he said. "I could give someone a $500 fine for littering, but I'd rather ask them to pick it up."