Thursday, December 9, 2021

City's "Snow Strategy" leaving some residents wanting


City workers hard at the job on Third West near the
Nisga'a Hall area this afternoon.

The City's Snow Removal strategies of the last 48 hours are making for
some lively discussion on the city's social media feed


The intrusion of snow into the daily lives of Rupertites is making for some conversation on the City of Prince Rupert Facebook page these last few days. 

With the City's Senior Staffers feeling some heat over the approach they have taken towards Snow removal and their expectations of residents to do the part whether at a business location or residence.

Among some of the concerns relayed so far city crews coming along an filling in the sidewalks where residents have done their part, while others call attention to downtown and major arterial sidewalks that the city itself have not addressed.

Other contributors cut the city a bit of slack, noting that it is winter and that other communities have much worse to deal with.

The views from a number of other city residents taking a pass on the city's social media portal are currently playing out through both Facebook entries and twitter feeds.

As we outlined yesterday, the City recently called attention to how it approaches the Snow removal plans and reminded residents of their obligations.

And while residents should have some patience towards the current situation as the city sorts out the changing weather pattern of the day; the city's Director of Operations, Senior Staff and City Council may want to use some of the feedback as a kind of focus group as to whether the snow plan may need to be modified going forward.

Another item for review perhaps, a recent ruling from the Supreme Court of Canada which noted that municipal snow removal actions are not immune from negligence and liability claims, something for their risk management team to give a look over perhaps.

While the snow event for now seems over, the next big area of attention will be the melt to come, with warmer temperatures and significant volume of rain on the way for Friday, catch basin clogs and street  flooding may be the next theme for comments in the next 24 hours or so.

You can review the latest of reviews, or add your own contribution to the discussion to the City of Prince Rupert Facebook page entries below: 

Wednesday themes

Thursday commentary  

More items of note from the City's Operations sphere can be found here.


5 comments:

  1. The city has its priorities for the roads and has a finite amount of equipment. I am not giving them a pass, but I hope they take recent resident feedback as constructive criticism.

    I for one question the plowing priority of the Oliver Lake and Butze parking lots over side streets.

    As for mayor and council, they want to create a sense of pride in this community. Good governance initiative right there, but where is the delivery?

    https://northcoastreview.blogspot.com/search?q=downtown+pride

    Here is a suggestion to council. One that may be a positive nudge towards that sense of pride they speak of.

    https://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/snow-angel.aspx


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  2. If the city would just enforce its bylaws on clearing sidewalks in the downtown and commercial rental properties all over the city it would help. BC government properties seem to just do their parking lots.

    Many of vacant city properties sidewalks are not cleared either

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  3. The typical Rupert way of doing things knows no bounds...

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  4. Naomi's Restaurant cleared her sidewalk space only to come to work the next day to find snow plowed up against her entryway and building.

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  5. If they would have the sidewalks and bus stops cleared that would be so helpful. It's difficult walking, let alone pushing a stroller through snow piled up on the sidewalk.

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