By Jill Sperling

City councillor offers perspective on Kamloops’ snow clearing budget

Jan 6, 2018 | 8:45 AM

KAMLOOPS — A city councillor has taken to social media with a response to Kamloops residents who complain about the snowy roads.

Councillor Dieter Dudy says people are quick to claim the city isn’t doing enough to ensure the streets are safe. 

Dudy, who grew up in the snowy community of Kitimat B.C., says in the 25-plus years that he’s been in Kamloops there have been a number of winters that produced minimal snowfall.

“You may have a handful of years where you saw a fair amount of it that would warrant extra equipment,” Dudy said. “So, you have to ask yourself, do we go out and buy a ton of equipment for something that may not happen for a number of years again?”

City crews exhausted last year’s snow clearing budget of $1.6 million. 

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Dudy says expanding the budget would cost city residents. 

“If we were to double the amount that we placed on our snow budget, which would bring us up to $3.2 million, that would be an increase of  $1.6 million or 1.5 per cent on the (overall) budget,” Dudy said. “I don’t think a lot of people want 1.5 per cent added to their property taxes just for snow removal.”

He adds hauling away windrows, improving snow clearing at bus stops, and ensuring driveways aren’t blocked would all come at a cost, and intersections will always be more hazardous in winter regardless of the amount of sanding. 

“Really, what’s needed apart from removing snow and trying to deal with the ice is just slow down.”