Parksville council is thinking about setting aside some money in the budget for clearing sidewalks after a snowfall.
Staff presented council members with an estimated annual operating cost of $10,000 and suggested funding sidewalk snow clearing starting in 2025.
Mayor Doug O'Brien said the item has been on his "wish list" for some time.
“Accessibility and active transportation get ignored in a snowstorm because we don’t clean the sidewalks and it’s up to the businesses to do it," O'Brien said. "And they don’t clean the sidewalks — some of them do, I’ll back up.”
The mayor estimated approximately 15 per cent of businesses clear their sidewalks after a snowfall.
“I’ve just seen too many near misses and too many accidents,” O'Brien said.
After trying it for a few years, the city will gain a better understanding of the costs, according to chief administrative officer Keeva Kehler. Staff can then bring objectives back to council to solidify a policy.
The priority for sidewalk clearing will be similar to how roads are plowed, with arterial streets and network streets being done first, Kehler added.
Coun. Sean Wood asked how the proposed change will affect businesses who may pay for their sidewalk to be cleared.
“Why would they continue doing so?” Wood said.
Kehler said the city will enforce the bylaw and work on public education. The city's bylaw requires residents and businesses to remove snow from adjacent sidewalks once snow has stopped falling for 24 hours.
“I do think most folks are pretty good about it, but there are some situations where we kind of can’t wait for someone to be able to do it,” she said. “We’re not going to be clearing areas all over town. It’s going to be a pretty narrow, focused area on some of those key transportation routes.”
Kehler added Parksville has seen more snow in the past few years, including several snow events that lasted for days.
“We’ve been hearing from the community that there is a need for support on the sidewalks," she said. "And we do hear quite often of folks walking on the road, which is not recommended.”
Council will have an opportunity to vote on the proposal later in the financial plan process.
