Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS)

Administrative Monetary Penalty System

The Township of Georgian Bay uses the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) to process and adjudicate contraventions of its regulatory by-laws and provincial regulations, including short-term rentals, noise, open-air burning, and more.

The AMP system is designed to streamline the enforcement of, and increase compliance with Township by-laws. Under AMPS, Penalty Notice disputes are handled by the municipality through the use of Screening and Hearing Officers who are able to modify, cancel, or affirm penalties. This approach is designed to reduce congestion in the courts and to provide a local, accessible and efficient dispute resolution system.

For more information, view the office consolidated Administrative Monetary Penalty System By-law, as amended, and click through the below questions to further understand the process.

Paying a Penalty Notice

Pay Online

All Penalty Notices can be paid online through the Townships Payment Processing Form.

Pay Online

*Credit card payments are subject to a 2.5% service fee.

Other Methods

Pay in Person

Pay in person with the Customer Service at the Township of Georgian Bay Administration Building, 99 Lone Pine Road, Port Severn, Ontario, L0K 1S0.

Pay By Mail

Using cheque or money order only to the following address:

Township of Georgian Bay

99 Lone Pine Road,

Port Severn, Ontario

L0K 1S0

*Ensure that all payments made by mail have ample time to be processed by the Township.

Dispute a Penalty Notice

Screening Review

Every person who is issued a Penalty Notice has the right to dispute the Penalty Notice by requesting a Screening Review within 15 days of the issuance of the Penalty Notice.

After review of a Screening Review request, a Screening Officer may:

affirm the administrative penalty, including any administrative fee(s)
cancel or reduce the Administrative Penalty, including any administrative fee(s),
or extend the time for payment of the administrative penalty, including any administrative fee(s)

If you wish to dispute your penalty notice, fill out and submit the following form by following the instructions enlisted:

REQUEST A SCREENING REVIEW

PLEASE NOTE:

* All Screening Reviews will be held virtually via zoom. If you require accommodation, you should inform the Township as soon as possible.

* Language interpreters are not provided by the Township, and you are responsible for providing your own.

* If you have a scheduled screening review and fail to attendant the scheduled date and time, your administrative penalty will be increased by $100.

Hearing Appeal

If a person wishes to dispute the screening decision, a person may request a Hearing Appeal by the following the link below no later than 15 days after the date of service of the Screening Decision:

REQUEST A HEARING APPEAL

After a Hearing Appeal request, a Hearing Officer may:

affirm the administrative penalty, including any administrative fee(s)
cancel or reduce the Administrative Penalty, including any administrative fee(s),
or extend the time for payment of the administrative penalty, including any administrative fee(s)

The Hearing Officer is not bound to the decision of the Screening Officer and the decision of the Hearing Officer is final. If the Hearing Officer upholds your Penalty Notice, an additional $25 administrative fee will be added to your total amount due.

PLEASE NOTE:

* All Hearing Appeals will be held virtually via zoom. If you require accommodation, you should inform the Township as soon as possible.

* Language interpreters are not provided by the Township, and you are responsible for providing your own.

* If you have a scheduled hearing appeal and fail to attendant the scheduled date and time, your administrative penalty will be increased by $200.

Request for Extension of Time

If you received a Penalty Notice and have a valid reason for missing the deadline for a Screening or if you received a Screening decision and have a valid reason for missing the deadline request a Hearing.

You can complete the form below to make a Request for Extension of Time.

REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF TIME

For more information, please review the Township's Extension of Time to Request a Screening Review or Hearing Appeal Policy.

Additional Information

AMPS Overview

The Township has created a simple flow chart of the AMPS Process.

For any further questions, please contact the by-law department by emailing by-law@gbtownship.ca or by calling 705-538-2337 ext. 251.

Step by step AMPS guide

Why you should act now

To avoid additional administrative fees, we strongly recommend making your payment promptly or file a screening review. Failure to do so within the first 15 days will result in the following actions:

After 15 days: A late payment notice will be issued, and additional administrative fees will be applied.
After 45 days: The Administrative Penalty and any applicable fees will be added to the property owner's tax roll and collected as municipal taxes. For non-residents, the Township may pursue other available collection methods.

Act early to prevent extra charges and ensure timely compliance.

Additional fees you could incur

Under certain circumstances, additional fees can be applied for specific reasons pertaining to your administrative penalty:

Late payment of administrative penalty - $25
Screening review non-appearance fee - $100
Hearing appeal non-appearance fee - $200
Hearing review adjudication fee - $25

Complaint process

If you have a complaint, you may register your complaint by completing the Complaint Submission Form and sending it by email to: amps@gbtownship.ca

The Township keeps the identity of every complainant confidential unless the complainant has agreed to be identified.

Remember you must provide the following information when filing a complaint:

Complainant name, telephone number and email
Complaint location (address)
A satisfactory explanation of the complaint and details that would assist

Complaints will be investigated as soon as possible. Please review the Public Complaint Policy

Policies

Policies & Procedures

Additional Forms

Questions?

Please review our frequently asked questions below.

For any further questions, please contact the Township by emailing amps@gbtownship.ca or by calling 705-538-2337 ext. 251.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Penalty Notice?

A Penalty Notice is the same as a ticket, except that it requires payment of a penalty instead of a fine. The Penalty Notice is issued by a Municipal Law Enforcement Officer to an individual or corporation when they have committed a by-law infraction. This is a sample of a Penalty Notice:

How is a penalty notice issued?

A Municipal Law Enforcement Officer can issue a penalty notice by:

Personally delivering to the Person to whom it is addressed
Leave/Post at the property
Fax
Email
Regular or Registered Mail (deemed delivered five (5) days after mailing)

For more information, please review Section 8 of the AMPS By-law.

I don't agree with the penalty notice I've received, can I dispute it?

Yes. To dispute a penalty notice, complete the online form found above to schedule a screening review. You will have the opportunity to provide evidence such as photographs to support your claims.

How much time do I have to dispute my penalty notice?

If you wish to dispute your penalty notice, you have fifteen (15) days from the date you received your penalty notice to request a screening review by filling out the online form above.

What if I am not satisfied with the Screening Officer's decision?

If the matter is still in dispute following the review by the Screening Officer, you can request a review by a Hearing Officer no later than fifteen (15) days after the date of service of the Screening Decision.

The Hearing Officer's decision is final.

What will happen if I ignore the penalty notice?

If you do not choose one of the options listed on the back of your penalty notice, the Township of Georgian Bay will assume you have decided not to dispute the penalty notice and you may be required to pay additional administrative fees.

Where an Administrative Penalty, and any applicable Administrative Fee(s), are not paid by the Person to whom the Penalty Notice was issued to within forty-five (45) days after the date on which they are due and payable, the Township may:

Notify the Ministry of the default which shall result in plate denial;
Add the Administrative Penalty, and any applicable Administrative Fee(s) to the tax roll and collect it in the same manner as municipal taxes;
Pursue any other collection mechanisms available to the Township.