One Guelph councillor wants the city to take a look at its current sidewalk snow-clearing policy.
Currently, the city spends about $100,000 per year on plowing every sidewalk in the city.
In Kitchener and other cities, municipal crews only plow municipal property – everything else is the responsibility of the landowner.
“It’s something that a lot of different communities do,” says Coun. Mark MacKinnon.
MacKinnon says it’s not just financial reasons that have him wanting to examine the issue – it’s also walkability and accessibility ones.
“We want to make sure we have a walkable city – but if the sidewalks are icy or full of snow, then it’s not very walkable,” he says..
Specifically, he notes that plows are set to a certain distance from the ground so they don’t get caught on uneven sidewalks.
That means that lower-level sidewalks aren’t plowed right to the pavement, and instead accumulate snow and ice all winter long.
“Would we actually have better service and better walking … if we removed the city’s component of clearing those sidewalks?” MacKinnon says.
Asked for their thoughts, three Guelph residents said they expect a chilly reception to any attempt to change the current regulations.
“We pay enough taxes. They should be clearing it,” said Annamaria Bartolomucci.
The issue will be evaluated as part of Guelph’s municipal budget process.
Over the past six years, councillors have looked at the issue three times. Each time ended with the decision to retain municipal sidewalk clearing.
