Item - 2020.SC13.18

Scarborough Community Council:

1. Requested the General Manager, Transportation Services to report to the Scarborough Community Council on June 9, 2020 regarding property damages as a result of mechanical sidewalk snow clearing in the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 winter seasons across Scarborough.  The report is to clearly include:

 
a. Definitions of the nature of the complaints in categories;
b. The number of complaints received under each category of complaint;
c. The number of repairs that are required in each category;
d. The cause of the issue and remedies to address them;
e. Outline the cost to the City, if any, for the repairs of the damages including a timeline for repair and if the sidewalk snow plow contractor is financially responsible for the repairs; and
f. If the contractor is not financially responsible, how the repair work will be contracted out.

To date our Council offices in both Ward 24 and Ward 25 have received over 200 complaints on mechanical sidewalk snow clearing from December 19, 2019 to January 20, 2020, with over 100 reporting property damages.  The remainder of the complaints account for the sidewalk snowplows placing large amount of snow at the driveway entrances not allowing for passage and poor quality of work. I am confident that the issue spans across the entire City.

Noting a high volume of reports of property damages with some advising that either the sidewalk snowplow's blade seems to be the wrong size or the tracker itself is too large or in some cases that the work has not been done properly it would be beneficial for a report to come forward to aid Transportation Services with preparing for snow removal across the City as the service has an effect on the City budget for removal and repair of the damage.

An assessment is required to bring a report forward to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee clearly outlining the number and nature of complaints received by the City due to sidewalk snowplowing to determine the causes in order for them to be rectified to decrease future costs to the City and damages to property.