Fines levied against a Vernon family for living on a farm in a fifth wheel contradicting city bylaws have been rescinded by council.

Coun. Akbal Mund put forward a notice of motion at the regular meeting Monday, Nov. 27, calling for the city to rescind the nearly $2,800 fines accumulated by Lee and Sondra Watkins after council approved to allow secondary residents to live on property in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) at the same meeting.

The motion was discussed Monday, Dec. 12, but it wasn含羞草研究社檛 without opposition.

Mayor Victor Cumming said rescinding the fines 含羞草研究社渄idn含羞草研究社檛 make any sense at all.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淲e have bylaws in place. They (Watkins) knowingly did things that were not allowed and we asked bylaws to look into it,含羞草研究社� said Cumming. 含羞草研究社淚t doesn含羞草研究社檛 make sense to change the bylaw and make it retroactive. This sets up a whole cycle of chaos.含羞草研究社�

Mund said the Watkins were a 含羞草研究社渟pecial case,含羞草研究社� especially after the city tried to change its bylaw a year ago.

含羞草研究社淲e tried to change it in December 2022. Had it been changed, it would have come into effect in March 2023 and there would have been no fines levied,含羞草研究社� said Mund, who agreed with Cumming含羞草研究社檚 argument.

The motion passed by a margin of 4-2.

Coun. Brian Guy also voted in opposition. Coun. Kari Gares excused herself from the discussions.

The Watkins went public with their battle with the city to keep staying in their RV on a four-acre family property in the Blue Jay subdivision back in October.

The couple had been talking with the city to extend their stay in the RV as long as possible, but started receiving fines from bylaw over the last several months.

A petition to allow the Watkins to stay on the farm in the fifth wheel had garnered 5,463 signatures as of Dec. 10.