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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1985, PAGE 3 Whitby residents teli town fathers they don't want to shovel By SUSAN LESJAK Free Press Staff Witby residents' days of sboveiling sidewalk snow may soon be over. If council heeds the wishes of its ratepayers (as ex- pressed at last week's public meeting), the town plouglis - not residents - wililibe heaving the white stuff ; At Wednesday's meeting, ail but tbree of the 50 people la atten- dance favored the town assuniing responsibiity for the job. The meeting was caiied by Witby Town Counci's operations committee to solicit public comment on proposed changes to the municipality's existing sidewaik policy. The current byiaw, first passed in 1932, requires property owners and tenants to remove snow fromn the sidewaiks ad- joining tbeir properties within 24 hours of a snowfall. Despite the bylaw, the town bas received numerous compiaints that sidewalks are not being cleared. Tbese compiaints have led councii to expore the feasibility of taking over the job. The culmination oftetown's study, a 13- page report prepared b the public works depar- tment, was made public Wednesday. The response was overwbelmingly posi- tive. "Sureiy it's the only way you can go," commented one gen- tleman, to loud ap- piause. Members of the audience were 50 unequivocal la their desire to have the town take over the clearing of ail municipal sidewalks tbat committee chair- man Joe Bugeili advised dissenters to leave the meeting eariy - "to avoid bodily harm. " Attacks on the present systeni were numnerous. Senior citizens who were weli-represented at the meeting, argued that snow shoveiling posed a serlous threat to theirbheaith. oldIfyou'resi70 e m .Ifyuaîs 70 er can do t, sre, uI'd lie taking a big risk - ask any doctor," said Abert Liebregts. The heaith bazard doesn't aDoiv only to seniors, Duddrid of 3 teer sudden, tivity w "lany se( whether Home( tenantsi to do t, selvesI hîre som them or cents a f to dlea Whiie cc policy the snow from the sidewalks anymore said Diana teenager to shovel the "For the average 10w the public response and clear obstructed bowever. ge. The mother snow." The homeowner income person in Whit- indicated that counicil sidewalks, and the "If the toi nagers said that said that even those by, not much bas been would lie guided by it possiblity of the miy sidewa ,strenuous ac- people without said," commented one when making their macbinery pushing gersPUail isnot good for sidewalks would benefit 28-year-oid homeowner. decision. He cautioned snow into private gasals centary person - from the new plan. "It Waving his hand at the ratepayers about poten- driveways. edon 70, 30 or 40. " doesn't matter if the others present, hie tiai problems with the Bugelli warned that smiiing bro 10wmers or sidewaik's in front of dismissed them as "rich new plan, however, and residents might also Wbethert who do not want your house, it's stili an peope" who could well advised them to read have to wait a littie to take hlm he work them- asset of the town." afford to pay for their over the fine print of the longer for their fer wiil be must presentiy "Last year my taxbill own snow removai. report. sidewaiks to lie cieared when coun, ieone to do it for increased about $804$90 "This is a time of Among the potentiai since the snow removai the mai ,be charged 80- and I got nothing for it. restraint,!" be argued. problems isted in the teains couid not lie operations foot for the towfl If we can get the snow "We should be cutting report are possible everywbere at once. will subix rn the snow. cieared for $10, I say do Jack, not adding ser- property damage The word of caution reconimen( unncil adopted a it," piped up yet another vices." caused by snow plouglis did nothing to queli the its next iast . year of advocate of the new Bugelli, who chaired or sait treatment, the enthusiasm of the public scheduiled pia. n--" n. n.J. o' inabilitv of luglhs to for the * e change, night. clearing snow for seniors and handicap- ped persons at reduced rates, many appear to lie unaware of the ser- vice. One senior com- piained that it had cost him $30 one year to contract the work out. Ratepayers are aiso angered by the "ldiscriminatory" na- ture of the byiaw. While most residents must shovel their own sidewalks, the town clears certain waikways downtown and older sections of town. Aiso, those without sidewaiks. adjoining their property are not required to do any shoveliing aitbougb the sidewaiks are al public space. "The burden sbouid lie spread equitably across the community," argued one ratepayer, whose opinion was echoed by the majority of those present. The public works report estimates that the additional cost (for ilhe town cearing aul of the sidewalks) wouid lie in the neighborbood of $7o,000-$85,000 a year. This works out to an in- creased cost per average househoid of $5 a year. (This figure is based on a home with an assessed value of $5,000). "lAl of the industriai and commercial proper- ty taxes wili aiso go into the pot," said Mayor Bob Attersley, in ex- planation of the nomnai cost. If homeowners alone were assessed, he expiained, the same ratepayers couid expect to pay over $250 a year extra for the service. "At $5 or $10 a year, the return on that in- vestmnent is pretty good," said Colin Dud- dridge. lit wouid cost 10 to 20 times that much if you bad to pay a WHITBY FENCE eo 1U HOKIN STRET.UNI O 1,WIB 130HOKNSSR. NI N. 4,WNT FALL FENCE PRICES - INSTALLED $1 0.5OIFT. 5' HIGH P.T. WOOD $11.501 FT. 6' HIGH P.T. WOOD WOODEN DECKS INSTALLED $7.951sQ. FT. PT. WOOD $6.501s0. FT. SPRUCE WOOD-STAINED 666u1 400. kLIMITED QUANTITIES - NEW 2NDS $1 .00 1x6x5' P.T.W. $1.25 1x6x6' P.T.W. - Several of those who spoke Wednesday, used tbe opportunity to air compiaints about byiaw enforcement in generai. "If the bylaws in place were enforced, we wouidn't be experien- cing tbis probiemn with snow removal," com- mented one womnan. The mayor, however, was quick to corne to byiaw enforcement of- ficers's defense. Atter-, sley said the bylaws were protection devices to be enforced judiciousiy. 'II can assure you that if we en- forced ail of the bylaws on the books, we'd have nobody living here after a month,"he said. Those who favored the status quo argued tbat tbey were not willing to subsidize others' iaziness. One 76-year- oid man said that he cieared the waik, and if he could do it, so couid everyone else. Another dissenter, argued that people who bought properties knew what they were buying and shouid accept the obligations that went with the purchase. As an individual without a sidewaik, he claimed be shouid not lie expected to pay for someone eise's real estate in- vestment. )wn will clear 1lk for $5 a -t the town's iummer," of- eratepayer Dadiy. ,the town gets nup on bis of- seen Sept. 23 ncii votes on afer. The ;committee nit its own idations after ct meeting for Monday THTW SALP E NTINE! WIHURHAS F IRTAD ASOLDIYIBAUIUPf CMLTDCUTWALLPAPER KNFWTH*YUPRA $ 5 EAC AND TEM CWODIEQNIESLAT I ANO DONT I F ORE T ORFE OAIN NF FIRS OUAITY PROENCE IMANDS 0F ALLmAGS. THIS 19F2 HASENAADIIN FO3 5ADOUBLE ROLFOR $9,95 F R E5-VALBE. HA WOOD AE.9 N. OSHAWAL 140 SKIME T S.133 66-719- IW N 579-165 - IE E. O1498AB -0-- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - a McA&LLISThR.IStr 70 ROSSLAN D RD. W. OSHAWA 576-6465 Mon., Tuas., Wed. 10-6, Fr1. 10-9, Sat. 10-5 illaullit'y ul FAMUS.- .- the meetine. tooK nULU Ul