Kingston’s proposed nuisance party bylaw is one step closer to becoming law, but it won’t be in effect in time for the next anticipated student street party.

On Tuesday evening, city council voted 12-0 to approve the new bylaw, which was crafted to give police and bylaw officers more power to break up large social gatherings, parties and students congregating on rooftops in the University District during large street parties.

But Greg McLean, the city’s policy and program co-ordinator, told council prior to the vote that the bylaw wouldn’t be approved by the province for at least two months.

That means Kingston Police won’t have the bylaw in place for the next anticipated street party on St. Patrick’s Day.

“It’s unlikely it will be put in place by March 17,” McLean said, replying to a question from Mayor Bryan Paterson.

Kingston Police, city and university officials have been looking for ways to cut back on student parties over the past few years occurring on St. Patrick’s Day, during Frosh Week and Homecoming weekend.

The bylaw will cover a variety of activities that are related to a “nuisance party,” such as public intoxication, unlawful sale of alcohol or controlled substances, damage to public property, excessive noise and public fights among others.

But Paterson said this bylaw will be enforced citywide.

“The key point here is it is not a bylaw targeting students,” he said. “It’s for all citizens as a code of conduct.”

As part of the bylaw, Kingston Police will make an assessment and look for criteria that would constitute what defines a nuisance party.

If it is determined to be one, police will ask guests to disperse and advise the host of the party to end it. If the order is not followed or if the party starts up again later in the evening, fines could be leveed from a minimun $500 to $10,000.

Kingston Police Staff Sgt. Jody Armstrong told council that similar bylaws exist in London and Guelph and have spoken with their police services about the bylaw.

“We’ll take their experiences and not try to reinvent the wheel and hopefully come out as good as possible.”

Sydenham District Coun. Peter Stroud said the bylaw will affect all of his constituents, who will be on both sides of the issue.

“I have to see it from all sides,” he said. “This isn’t going to apply in all situations, just when parties get out of hand.”

Stroud also said that Queen’s University principal Daniel Woolf and the Queen’s Alma Mater Society are in favour of the bylaw.

Lakeside District Coun. Laura Turner was concerned about the $10,000 maximum fine for one offence going up to $25,000 for subsequent offences.

Minimum fines will go up to $500, with the total cost being $600 when the victim fine surcharge is added.

McLean said he doesn’t anticipate ever having a fine of $10,000 or more leveed against someone, but a maximum fine ceiling has to be included in the bylaw.

Perhaps a habitual nuisance party host who has received multiple tickets could be in line for the maximum fine, but that’s unlikely, McLean said.

“I can feel safe in saying we would never ask for the maximum,” he said.

Armstrong said the bylaw is “a good tool for our tool belt” to help quell large parties.

He added that police will warn partiers to leave the premises before issuing the new, heftier fines.

After the meeting, Armstrong added that the new bylaw won’t just be used on Queen’s students. It can be applied to large parties in any part of Kingston, including rural bush parties.

Williamsville District Coun. Jim Neill asked if multiple students congregating on a roof and refusing to get down, or who got down but then went back up again, would be classified as a nuisance party.

McLean said that situation would indeed meet the criteria.

“I’m pleased to see this coming,” Portsmouth District Coun. Liz Schell said.

McLean said the bylaw gives police and bylaw officers more authority than any existing bylaw to manage and control nuisance parties and large social gatherings.

“What comes with that authority is significantly higher fines than we had before,” he said. “Tickets will be issued if persons don’t comply with orders issued by police to disperse the party and cease the party and to leave the area.”

McLean said offenders will be given the opportunity to comply before tickets are written.

“We want to educate the general public in advance of enforcing the bylaw,” he said. “So while we’re waiting for the set fines to be approved by the province, we’ll be engaging the community, letting them know what the bylaw involves, what the consequences are for failing to comply with the bylaw, and our hope is there will be a certain amount of general deterrence that will come with that, [and that] people will think twice about attending a nuisance party or large social gathering or the host will think twice about opening up parties to just anyone to come to their premises.

“If nuisance parties occur, we’ve got that tool. We’ll administer the fines if necessary.”

imacalpine@postmedia.com

Twitter: @IanMacAlpine