The city is looking to local construction professionals for feedback on a possible noise-bylaw amendment to accommodate earlier working hours in the summer.
At its June 22 meeting, council received a letter from a Salmon Arm contractor in landscape construction asking it consider changing construction hours (section 5) in the city's noise bylaw so work could begin at 6 instead of 7 a.m. The writer suggested this change occur between June 20 and September 20.
"I have asked many contractors in our area and everyone said that this would be very helpful," reads the letter. "I also know that on my team… this would make a very happy crew. It is very tough to work past 2-3 p.m. on our hot summer days and starting at 6 a.m. without neighbours of our projects being upset because the noise bylaw is 7 a.m. would be very helpful."
Supportive of the idea, council asked staff to see what other communities are doing.
Reporting back to council at its Aug. 26 meeting, planning and community services director Gary Buxton said the time limits for construction in Salmon Arm's noise restrictions were largely in line with those of neighbouring communities.
"We did look at the time limits in other bylaws and, without exception they're all 0700 in the morning through to 8,9 or 10 in the evening.So our restrictions of 7-10 are pretty consistent with those in the region," said Buxton, offering council the options of accepting his report as information, having staff pursue public engagement to see if there's support for a noise bylaw amendment, or having staff get started on the amendment.
Council opted for engagement, but with the local organization SCIP (Shuswap Construction Industry Professionals).
"I think 6 a.m. is going to be the new 7 a.m. with the increasing temperatures," commented Coun. Louise Wallace Richmond, who suggested Salmon Arm take the lead on the matter. "Living in a house full of people working in construction, they are out the door by 5:30 and they are often home after 2:30. It is a reality. It's hot out there and the conditions are not safe so I don't want to set it aside.
"I understand we might not want to be sort of bleeding edge on this but I'd like to be leading edge on this, and if it meant even just reaching out, for example, to SCIP, and asking to run it by their members and see if this is something the owners of those businesses have considered, I think it would be a wise move…"
Council concurred an earlier start time would help address a concern for workers' safety.
"I think it makes sense for safety, I think it makes sense for well-being of the workers and honestly, when the sun comes up bright and early, people are getting up earlier in the summer," said Coun. Kevin Flynn.
Mayor Alan Harrison suggested a pilot could begin next summer.
