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Snow clearing inadequate and dangerous

As to the clearing of snow in and around town, I am of the opinion that the City are failing in their duty to provide safety for their citizens.

As to the clearing of snow in and around town, I am of the opinion that the City are failing in their duty to provide safety for their citizens.

As a case in point I saw this young mother trying to push her baby buggy along a snow covered sidewalk downtown. Also, when parking on downtown streets, one had to negotiate about a foot or more of slushy, dirty snow between the road and the sidewalk.

Despite Coun. Ivan Idzan’s comments that staff carefully monitor road conditions and “ address the circumstances as appropriate,” it would appear council did not allot sufficient funds in this year’s snow clearing budget to be able to effectively and efficiently clear the city’s 250 kilometers of streets.

Talking of budgets, as we had a very mild winter last year with an obvious consequential surplus in that budget.What happened to that surplus and why wasn’t it carried forward to this year’s snow clearing budget?

Again, the fact there were no fatalities due to traffic accidents in Salmon Arm misses the point of preventing accidents — to pat ourselves on the back by saying no one died due to traffic accidents beggars the point. Maybe we have been lucky so far- and let’s hope things stay that way. Accidents cost more than just statistics about lives lost, what about the millions of dollars spent on repairs to both vehicles and people? So come on city councilors, don’t regard these comments from your fellow residents as just hyperbole.

Remember vox populi is the opinion of the public at large — whose opinions are not necessarily targeted specifically at any of you, but to the body politic — our city council.

Peter Clarke