Despite the spring-like weather, the Town of Comox is preparing for snow - clearing that is.
At the March 15 council meeting, Comox council voted unanimously in favour to proceed with a three-year pilot project called the Snow Angels Program, which co-ordinates a group of volunteers to assist with sidewalk snow clearing within the town.
The program is used across Canada and within the province, with the idea to create a list of organized volunteers that assist with snow removal for those that are not physically able due to age, disability or injury.
The program will begin through the town’s public works department and will be managed by the municipality.
It will increase the operations budget by $17,000 in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
The town would manage the program by creating a questionnaire for those in need to ensure those who request assistance are qualified and all information will be confidential.
Coun. Jonathan Kerr noted he is excited about the program and sees it as an opportunity to build community for a relatively modest budget.
Support was positive around the council table, although Coun. Chris Haslett inquired about the liability the town might incur with the program.
Chief administrative officer Jordan Wall noted while the law is ever-evolving, any time the municipality gets involved with a program it is taking on liability it hasn’t previously had, particularly with a street and traffic bylaw that defines sidewalk clearing as the responsibility of the owner or occupier of a given property within the town.
“Arguably, having a bylaw saying that the sidewalk has to be cleared opens us up to liability if we’re not enforcing it.”
He added that participants in the Snow Angels Program will sign waivers that include the rules for how they approach shovelling and if they get hurt, the town would not be liable.
The town will have some level of insurance, said Wall, but he explained he can’t reassure council that there would be zero liability.
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