It's about to get very expensive for property owners in Welland who violate the city's clean yards bylaw.

Fines for all infractions will be set at $400 and fines for repeat offenders will be $800, after city councillors passed a new rules Tuesday night.

Other changes include that residents keep garbage containers off front porches and ensure they're made of rigid, watertight construction with a tight-fitting cover and maintained in good condition.

The containers will have to be moved to side or rear yards, be placed against a building or fence and arranged in an orderly manner, according to a city bylaw staff report.

Standing water, which fell under its own bylaw, was moved to the clean yards bylaw for efficiency said the report.

Another key change is the move from Provincial Offences Court and a trial — which can take months to be booked — to an administrative penalty system whereby fines can be paid at city hall.

The city will have screening and hearing officers for people who wish to dispute a fine. The process will free bylaw officers from being tied up in court and therefore able to respond to more complaints.

"I'm pleased with the report. I think it addresses many of the issues … I think these are good changes," said Ward 4 Coun. Bryan Green.

Green acknowledged not permitting garbage bags, cans and recycling bins on front porches will be met with mixed reactions.

"People need to be respectful to the community and their neighbours."

New fines that address repeat offenders will encourage people to keep their yards clean, he said.

"This gets my strong approval."

Ward 5 Coun. Graham Speck asked about unplated vehicles at homes, wanting to know if bylaws always limited that to one per property.

"Is this so someone doesn't have a collection of so many cars that it looks like a junkyard?" he asked.

Senior bylaw enforcement officer James Cronshaw told Speck he was correct, and that section of the bylaw has been in place since 1996.

Speck also asked if the bylaw is complaint-driven or if bylaw officers actively seek out infractions.

"We're reactive. Once a complaint comes in, we'll investigate it and enforce it as needed," said Cronshaw.

He said with the changes in the bylaw, enforcement officers will be out in the field more and can actively pursue obvious violations.

"We may not recognize minor violations and we can't go roaming in residents' backyard without a complaint," Cronshaw added.

Ward 2 Coun. David McLeod raised the issue of discretion when it comes to fining a homeowner found in violation of the bylaw.

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Travers Fitzpatrick, general manager of infrastructure and development, said there may be situations whereby a person is physically unable to cut their grass or clean up yard debris.

"It's not a reasonable thing to do," Fitzpatrick said of fining someone in a case like that.

He said bylaw officers would use their discretion without favouritism.