Image Credit: Shutterstock
December 14, 2018 - 3:15 PM
VERNON - Just in time for the holidays, the first real wave of snow hit the North Okanagan last week coating Vernon in snow. Furnaces were cranked, blankets were pulled out of storage, and toques were dusted off.
One of the biggest questions asked when snow tumbles down is who's responsible for its removal. Snowplows typically tackle highways and streets, but sidewalks are a thornier issue. At wintertime, there can be confusion about who's responsible for what part of a sidewalk or driveway.
The City of Vernon's Snow and Ice Control Policy handily lays out its responsibilities. During and after snowfall, the City tackles roads in order of importance, from school routes to cul-de-sacs. They'll also clear sidewalk and walkways, but only to an extent.
Amendments to the Good Neighbour bylaw in 2011 and 2014 clearly laid out snow removal duties for homeowners and businesses. According to the amendment, owners or occupiers of a property must remove the snow, ice, and related winter rubbish from every sidewalk and path that borders the property. Occupants have 24 hours to remove the wintry residue.
Failure to handle snow properly can carry a steep penalty. According to the bylaw, if an owner does not remove snow from their surrounding sidewalk, the Bylaw Enforcement Officer may issue a compliance order. If these orders are ignored, the City may hire workers to clean the sidewalk at the owner's cost.
A full outline of the snow removal bylaw can be found here.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Sean Mott or call (250) 864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2018