COLD LAKE – City of Cold Lake council has decided to maintain the existing snow removal bylaw, despite receiving numerous complaints throughout the winter about residential sidewalk snow clearing.
“Municipal Enforcement was very proactive this winter,” said Mayor Craig Copeland. “They got out into the neighbourhoods to look around and make sure people knew they were supposed to be clearing the snow instead of waiting for complaints to come in.”
Feedback on the policy varied widely, with some residents feeling that Municipal Enforcement was not assertive enough in ensuring property owners cleared their sidewalks, while others believed they were too quick to issue tickets for bylaw infractions. Additionally, there were suggestions that the City should take over the responsibility for snow removal.
Residents provided feedback on sidewalk snow removal, raising numerous questions about responsibility, fines, and contractor costs under the current bylaw.
Council considered maintaining the existing policy or taking over sidewalk snow clearing citywide, which would involve hiring contractors to clear approximately 111,500 meters of sidewalks at an estimated cost of $1.6 million per winter, depending on snowfall, according to the City of Cold Lake.
Another option was to change parts of the bylaw, such as timeframe expectations, lessening the fines, or developing a removal program just for seniors or those with disabilities. Based on the number of registered addresses for the current Snow Angels program, it was estimated that clearing these properties would cost about $400,000 for the season.
A contractor would have to pack and unpack equipment at every specific address instead of doing a continuous run of snow clearing, resulting in a higher price tag.
“While the City receives complaints and frustrations from residents that sidewalks aren’t being cleaned in front of properties, it’s appreciated that there’s a wide array of opinions on how enforcement should be handled or who should be responsible,” said Copeland. “We’re a community and this is what we do. We support each other and our neighbours - and clearing sidewalks is a part of that.”
At the May 21 corporate priorities meeting, Coun. Vicki Lefebvre acknowledged the challenges faced by residents and expressed her gratitude toward fellow councillors and staff for handling the concerns.
"First off, thank you for taking the calls and my fellow councillors for taking the calls... It's always a hard one every year," she said.
Lefebvre stressed the importance of the FCSS Angels program, which helps those unable to clear their sidewalks due to disabilities or recent surgeries.
"I think our FCSS does an awesome job with the Angels program... I really would like to see that just continued," she stated. She also noted the community spirit involved in the program, where neighbors help each other, ensuring that it doesn't solely depend on volunteers from other parts of the city.
Lefebvre also addressed the occasional delays in mail delivery during snow events, while noting clearing sidewalks is a something people must do regardless of where they live.
"It’s unfortunate sometimes that you may not get your mail on time...[but] I think it's common in any place that you're required to clean the sidewalks. It's not just here," she remarked.
Lefebvre expressed her desire to maintain the current system, saying, "So I would like to just see things like that as it is."
Coun. Chris Vining thanked City administration for their efforts in compiling information and tackling the recurring issue of snow removal.
"I want to say thank you for all the information and all the work put together. I'm not sure who was responsible for it, but that's a lot of legwork for this issue. And it keeps coming around," Vining said.
He spoke of the necessity of maintaining sidewalk bylaws and the broader implications of ignoring them.
"I guess my point to anybody who doesn't like the issue around having to clear their sidewalks, then it becomes, well, why would we have any bylaws at all for sidewalks? We might as well let people park on the sidewalks, because who cares?" he said, emphasizing the communal responsibility of sidewalk maintenance.
He praised municipal enforcement for their proactive approach this past winter.
Reflecting on the complaints received, Vining pointed out that the issue was not about awareness but rather about compliance.
He believes that the current bylaw enforcement is effective and necessary to maintain community standards.
"I think we're right to have a bylaw that kind of pushes them to stay in line. And if you don't like it, well, that's cool, because you don't have to. But there's consequences if you don't," he asserted.
At the end of the meeting, council made a motion to leave the policy as it is, with Municipal Enforcement having the discretion to determine when to issue tickets.
