CLYDE – A 50th Street resident has raised concerns with the village administration about the snow removal practices of the public works department, saying that snow is being pushed back onto her sidewalk after she has already cleared it.
The resident told administration she doesn’t want to be accused of not shovelling her sidewalk and be issued a ticket for not shovelling. She wanted public works, after they clear roads, to follow up and shovel sidewalks.
The resident expressed frustration over having to shovel her sidewalk twice, fearing that failure to do so might result in a ticket.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Jaye Parrent told council that expanding the snow removal policy to include residential and commercial sidewalks not adjacent to village-owned property would require significant additional time and resources. This would include extra labor, equipment use, and maintenance costs.
Coun. Danielle Dillman said it would have been helpful to receive photos from the resident to better understand the extent of the problem.
Deputy Mayor Alma Cruz Irwin agreed, and said that if the amount of snow is significant, it wouldn’t be fair for the resident to have to clear it again. However, she reiterated the need for proof before any further action could be taken by council.
Coun. Alex Strembesky pointed out that any ticket issued for failure to shovel would be at the discretion of the bylaw officer, who would be able to determine whether the snow had been left unshovelled by the resident or if it had been pushed back by the snow removal crew.
Council agreed to accept the complaint as information and directed administration to assure the resident that she will not be ticketed for snow left by public works and that, in the future, photos would be helpful for a better understanding of the situation.
