Lethbidge snow policy creates barriers to residents accessing their properties

Editor:

I wish to express my dissatisfaction with the snow policy adopted for 2024. Although I have completed the 311 snow survey, I believe the policy needs to be addressed more thoroughly at council.

I do not believe that council will get the full story from the service providers of the negative effect on people like myself who live on the designated snow route whose driveway is blocked with a windrow of snow that has been plowed off the road.

The City has, by piling snow in my driveway approach, created a nuisance and a hardship/hindrance to my normal entry and exit to my property.

This City collects taxes earmarked for infrastructure and other services and in addition, specifically for Streets & Roads and also receives rebates from the province directly labelled as road tax through the taxes paid at the gas pumps.

This money is to fund their operations which should reasonably afford machinery to open the driveways after they plug them. Now the City has, by plugging up their driveways, caused some citizens to require to pay additional monies to private contractors, especially in the case of residents who are disabled or for health reasons cannot shovel snow. Why should the City expect to move snow off of the roadway and push it onto my driveway approach? But they request us not to shovel the snow from our driveway onto the roadway. The City should not be creating a nuisance or building barriers to private properties.

Maybe a rebate from affected homeowners’ tax assessment would pay for the above stated additional costs created by the snow policy. Wayne Pavey

Lethbridge