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Sidewalk Snow Plowing

Dear Scarborough-Guildwood Residents

To date, our office and Ward 25’s Council office has received over 200 complaints regarding sidewalk snowplowing from December 19, 2019 to January 20, 2020. Majority of these complaints entail damages to private property, uncleared windrows (driveway entrances), and poor quality of work. I am confident that this issue spans across the entire City.

A high volume of the damaged property reports advise that either the blades of the sidewalk plows are the wrong size or the tracker itself is too large or in some cases the work has been done poorly. Given these claims, it would be beneficial for a report to come forward to aid Transportation Services’ snow operations as these services have an effect on the City budget for removal and repair of any damages.

An assessment is required to bring a report forward to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee clearly outlining the number and nature of complaints received by the City due to sidewalk snowplowing to determine the causes in order for them to be rectified to decrease future costs to the City and damage to residential and commercial private property.

It is recommended that the Scarborough Community Council:

Request the General Manager, Transportation Services report to the Scarborough Community

Council on April 7, 2020 on sidewalk snow clearing damages to private property in 2019/2020 across the City. The report is to clearly include:

  1. Definitions of the nature of the complaints in categories;
  2. The number and complaints received under each category of complaint;
  3. The number of repairs that are required;
  4. The cause of the issue and remedies to address them;
  5. Outline the cost to the City, if any, for the repairs of the damages including a timeline for
  6. repair and if the sidewalk snow plow contractor is financially responsible for the repairs;
  7. If the contractor is not financially responsible, how the repair work will be contracted out.

This item will be presented at the February 5th Meeting of the Scarborough Community Council – find the agenda here and tune in to the meeting here.  

All my Best,

Paul W. Ainslie

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