A group of city workers are braving the weather to make sure sidewalks are clear.
Kitchener by-law officers are proactively checking sidewalks looking for snow and ice neglect.
While not everyone is pleased when told to shovel again, officers say that the program is more about advocacy for those with mobility issues than it is about enforcement.
Those who fail to clear their sidewalks are given a notice to clear their pavement of ice and snow in 24 hours or face a penalty.
“Any amount of ice we can’t pass because it’s a safety concern,” says by-law officer Brendan McCartney.
This proactive system is in addition to the reactive system that’s been in place for years.
In the last week, the city has received 450 complaints about unkept sidewalks.
“We take the complaint and inspect, at minimum, eight on either side of those properties to see if there’s compliance,” says Steve Vrentzos, supervisor of enforcement.
So far this winter, 1,500 sidewalks have been checked. Of those, just 12 received the penalties.
The penalty is actually a bill for the costs associated if a crew has to clear the sidewalk for you.
For those that don’t pay, the cost will be added to their property tax.
