Town-wide sidewalk snow clearing will not be coming to The Blue Mountains anytime soon.
At a committee of the whole budget meeting on Jan. 10, council voted unanimously to defer to the 2025 budget process a multi-year plan to expand sidewalk snow clearing services across the municipality and bring the service in-house as a town operation.
Currently, the town has sidewalk snow clearing in Thornbury and Clarksburg delivered by a private contractor. That contract expires at the end of this winter season and the town is faced with the choice of bringing the service in-house and expanding to other areas of the municipality or ending it all together.
Late in 2023, staff presented council with a plan to phase-in the expansion of the program over the next four years. The phase-in proposal would see council continue the current level of service by bringing it in-house and then expand to Lora Bay and Craigleith over the next three years. At the time the report was received, council chose to push a decision on the matter to the budget process.
The staff report showed the cost of the service would escalate as it was expanded throughout the municipality. The 2024 operational budget hit would be $58,300, this increased to $163,490 in 2025, $271,340 in 2026 and $684,920 in 2027.
In addition to the increased operational costs, the town would also have to spend $1,150,000 to purchase machinery for sidewalk snow clearing. A staff report recommended the use of long-term debt ($460,000) and development charges ($690,000) to finance the capital costs.
As part of the deferral resolution, council asked staff to approach the town’s contractor about a possible one-year extension to continue providing the current level of service in the winter of 24/25.
CAO Shawn Everitt told council a decision on the future of sidewalk snow clearing is looming and will have to be made in the near future.
“The Thornbury/Clarksburg level of service either stays the same or is reduced. Are we going to get away from sidewalks?” said Everitt.
The CAO said it will be a “philosophical” conversation for council.
“There’s nothing in the Municipal Act that requires sidewalk maintenance in the winter,” he said.
Everitt said as the town has grown, its demographics have changed. New communities have sprung up in places like Lora Bay. And other areas have changed. Where residents in Craigleith were once mostly seasonal, there are now families living there.
“We’re like teenagers now and we have to become adults,” Everitt said. “Once you start doing something. It’s hard to stop doing it. It is a big ticket item.”
The significant cost of the expanded program was the prime driver of council’s move to defer a decision on the issue for another year.
Members of council were wary of the future costs of the program.
“It’s a big amount. It’s a heavy amount,” said coun. Gail Ardiel.
Coun. June Porter noted that it was a program cost that would continue to expand as the town continues to grow.
“It’s going to be a growing expense. I don’t know exponentially how much it will grow,” said Porter. “I’m just very cautious. This would be a permanent addition to the budget and it’s one that will get bigger.”
Coun. Paula Hope expressed concerns that if the town doesn’t take action to bring the service in-house now, it will face a bigger bill in the future. Hope also said the town markets itself as a four-season destination and discontinuing sidewalk snow clearing wouldn’t line up with that status.
“Imagine the catch-up if we suddenly have to decide to do sidewalk clearing. We’re not the wild west anymore,” said Hope. “I think we’re in a very good position. We can afford to provide what is a basic service.”
Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon said the town could not continue providing the service just in Thornbury and Clarksburg.
“If we continue with this, we have to go everywhere. Either you’re in or you’re not in,” he said.
