Municipal officials in Chatham-Kent are issuing another call for help to clear and salt slippery sidewalks.
The latest request for assistance follows a previous ask from the CK Public Works Department, citing changes made to the provincial government's Minimum Maintenance Standards Act that now require municipalities to clear sidewalks of snow and ice within 48 hours after a winter storm.
A release from public works officials says right now, the only sidewalks the municipality spreads salt on are in the downtown business areas, so the cost to clear all of the sidewalks in Chatham-Kent could have a "substantial" effect on the budget.
The release also states that the two options the municipality faces in order to comply with the new requirement are (i) increasing taxes to pay for the new service or (ii) passing a bylaw requiring landowners to salt sidewalks that run adjacent to their properties.
A public information session is scheduled for "early in 2019" to outline those options further and to receive feedback from the public.
A number of municipal councillors in Chatham-Kent have also posted messages on their social media pages asking for input on the proposals.
The feedback that is received from local residents will help to provide Chatham-Kent council members with options to consider during budget talks in January.
In the meantime, public works officials said the municipality will continue to clear residential sidewalks with a snow plow when needed and crews will continue to salt all of the downtown business areas. However, they are asking property owners and tenants to voluntarily treat ice on sidewalks around their properties until a more permanent solution is in place.
