The new snow clearing machine is working well, but there’s still obstacles to getting sidewalks completely cleared, according to District staff.
“Our new trails machine is here now, and it’s working amazing. We’re very happy with it,” said operations director Bob Smith.
The first real test of the new machine’s power was in December, when the holiday season brought more than 30 centimetres of snow.
“From our perspective it was a pretty good snow response. Of course it happened during a holiday time, when people are away and we have skeleton crews, but we did a good job,” said Smith.
He said the District did deal with “some complaints,” including a woman who was injured after a slip and fall. Smith said in following up on the incident, the couple had sold a second vehicle so she could bike to work.
While that kind of move is being promoted by the District, it also means more pressure for snow clearing during the winter months, especially on bike paths.
“It puts the onus on us to keep up our level of care and those expectations dealt with. That being said we’re adjusting and still rolling with the punches here,” he said.
Smith said the District is considering a new snowblower device for the 2019 budget.
Bylaw manager Rick Farina said the District was enforcing parking during the snowstorm and ticketing cars that took up space in the bike lane.
Bylaw also enforced snow clearing among homeowners and other landowners, who are responsible for sidewalk snow clearing outside their businesses and residences.
“Challenges continue with vacant properties, with contacting the owners of those properties. It made it particularly difficult because it was over the holiday season,” said Farina.
Freedman said it can be difficult to contact property owners who do not live in Squamish, especially when some may be headquartered as far as the southern U.S.
“Snow complaints were low this year,” he said.
Bylaw only received six official complaints about snow clearing. Five written bylaw warnings were issued and 16 verbal warnings were issued.
Coun. Doug Race said judging by the complaints he heard, there is still a “communications issue” in Squamish, with many residents not understanding that the District is not responsible for general sidewalk clearing.
The District’s Traffic Bylaw requires owners and occupiers of homes to clear snow and ice from sidewalks, and land and business owners to clear their sidewalks. District crews are only responsible for sidewalks adjacent to municipal lands and vacant Crown properties.
Coun. Ted Prior said while he didn’t want to single any out specific businesses, he noticed certain sidewalks adjacent to some downtown businesses were not quickly cleared, which made navigation difficult for residents.
“Cleveland was pretty much clear, except for some vacant landowners, and I thought that was a great improvement. But we have a long way to go,” he said, giving Mamquam Road as an example of a troubled area.
“People have to walk on the road, with baby carts, with no lights at night time. I really think we have a long way to go,” he said.
