A snow removal policy proposed by District of Sicamous staff has been shoveled back to the drawing board as it failed to address to council’s satisfaction private driveways plowed in by the municipality.

Council members received the policy for their approval at their Nov. 12 meeting. The policy was designed to address the increasing costs related to snow removal on district streets, parking lots and facilities. District administrator notes in an attached memo to council that district staff recommends against the clearing of private driveways by the district except in emergency situations identified within the policy. Staff also looked at a marker program, in which individual residents could apply to the district for markers indicating driveways to be plowed out by the district. Staff recommended against this too, noting there would be issues relating to eligibility, timing and prioritization, fairness and cost.

These two recommendations sent up red flags with Coun. Diana Stooshnov, however, who argued that because it is the district that is plowing in public driveways as it’s clearing the roads, the district should also be responsible for clearing those driveways.

“If we put snow in people’s driveway, then we have the ability to clean it up,” said Stooshnov. “I don’t care how you look at it, I know it’s going to cost more money, but it’s a slap in the face to have our citizens… We need to step up to the plate, get it done and get it out of their driveways.”

Mayor Lorraine March said the district needs to do more than look at a driveway marker program, it needs to do it. She noted people can use private plowing services, but the problem is that a municipal plow can come by afterwards and plow the driveway in again.

On a different note, Coun. Lynn Miller noted one particular cul de sac where the municipal plow was pushing snow right on someone’s property as opposed to a nearby vacant lot. This, she said, needs to be addressed in the policy as well.

“Staff have given you quite a bit of the information you’re asking for,” said Coun. Malcolm MacLeod, clearly apprehensive about the prospect of plowing private driveways. “Just in the event some people’s driveways are plowed out, and they’re saying, it’s $1,500 per event and at least six times per year. That’s just some of the people, that’s not all the driveways.”

Discussion concluded with a decision by council to defer the policy to a committee of the whole meeting, and have staff come back with more information.