City Council decides on option for reducing snow removal costs on stat holidays

Residential streets will have to wait a bit if snow falls on a statutory holiday this winter.

During budget meetings in January, City Council cut $1 million from this year’s snow control budget.

In April, City Council requested reports on the options to potentially reduce snow removal costs by reducing service on statutory holidays.

At tonight’s (Monday) meeting, Prince George City Council was presented with a trio of options for reducing snow removal service levels on statutory holidays as a one-season pilot project.

These options included:

1. No snow removal on statutory holidays,
2. Increased allowable snow levels on statutory holidays (7.5 cm to 12 cm on priority one and two routes, 12 cm to 20 cm on priority three)
3. Prioritize priority 1 and 2 routes and decreasing service levels for priority 3 routes on statutory holidays. (20 cm threshold for priority three)

Councillor Cori Ramsay put the second option on the floor.

“I don’t want us to have to look at reduction of services, this is not ideal, I think we’ve heard loud and clear from residents that they expect this Cadillac service that we provide,” Ramsay said.

“The issue, the problem statement is that we have reduced, Council has reduced the snow budget by a million dollars with instructions not to change service levels. We have a problem where the budget might become very problematic if we exhaust our reserves.”

When the item came to Council previously, it was estimated that reducing snow clearing services on stat holidays (if a snow event were to occur on a stat holiday) could save the City up to $846,004.

“Here’s an option we can try, for one year, and if we don’t like it we can reverse it, to potentially have some cost savings to give us a little extra cushion,” Ramsay continued.

“Nobody wants any of these options, we love our snow removal in Prince George, but for four days of the year, can we live with a little bit of discomfort, if it’s safe, I don’t want it to be unsafe, if it’s safe, can we live with discomfort, and if we don’t incur a deficit, maybe we have a little bit of extra tax savings next year.”

“I cannot go any further in reducing service, but it’s not necessary to keep providing the type of service that is putting us financially at risk, we’ve got to meet in the middle somewhere, and I thought coming in that option two was doing that,” said Councillor Susan Scott.

“I think it’s a little too much for me, in terms of the threshold, and then increasing the timelines as well, I don’t see this as an option I can support,” said Councillor Ron Polillo.

The second option was defeated with a 4-4 vote, with Councillors Polillo, Tim Bennett, Garth Frizzell, and Kyle Sampson opposed.

The third option was then put on the floor, and was passed with a 6-2 vote. Councillors Scott and Sampson were opposed.

Councillor Brian Skakun was absent from the meeting.