The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN) board of directors has deferred a vote to decide whether to adopt a new bylaw adjudication system.

The new system would allow for an adjudication process to occur when someone disputes a bylaw. Under the current system, bylaw tickets are disputed in court鈥攁 process that can cost both parties more money than the original value of the ticket. The board decided at a meeting April 24 to defer the vote to a future meeting to allow more time to educate the public about the changes. 

A Facebook post circulated April 23, the day before the vote was to take place, voiced concerns about the RDBN's agenda for April 24鈥攕pecifically the bylaw adjudication section. The agenda included a table of existing all bylaws that could be disputed through the proposed adjudication system, but the Facebook post appeared to misunderstand, as the poster had interpreted the table as a slate of newly-proposed bylaws.

"They will vote on implementing a slew of bylaws that will affect thousands of residents. None of us would even know that this is occurring, because it doesn鈥檛 have to done by referendum," the post reads. "Every single resident in these areas will be in contravention of at least one of the bylaws, if not several."

The post drew several comments critical of the RDBN. 

The board and staff did not directly reference the Facebook post at the April 24 meeting, but Jason Llewellyn, director of planning for the RDBN, noted that there was public confusion about the proposed change. The board agreed to defer their final vote on the adjudication bylaw to May 22.

The Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake would be party to the change as well, having already entered into an agreement with the RDBN to ensure the adjudication process would be in place for the Village. Other municipalities within the regional district may also sign on.