Brian Skakun's home phone could have used a switchboard, Tuesday morning, after he made it known through The Citizen that snow removal complaints were welcome at his number.
"I got 25 phone calls, at least 20 emails, and there has been a wide range of emotions and messages given to me," said the city councillor who wanted to intervene in the onslaught of often rude comments being hurled at City Hall staff by some in the public.
In Skakun's view, city crews were simply following orders given by council, so council should be the ones hearing the public blast that came with the prolonged dump of snow on the city during the past four or five days.
"We can cut ribbons and do photo ops when things are good, but it is part of our job to get into the public's view when things aren't going well. That is what we are here for," he said.
The chief concern was the lack of plowing in residential areas. According to council-mandated policy, the downtown and main arterial roads get plowed first, and if the snow dumps down again in high enough amounts, crews are to go back and start there again. That means it could be five, six, seven days before the residential neighbourhoods see a grader. That is too long, Skakun said, when extreme weather events like this one happen. It isn't usually an issue, but when it is, it is serious.
"We have to consider people getting to work, kids getting to school, emergency vehicles getting in and out," he said. "Those crews are doing a great job, but we have to direct them better so they have some flexibility. There has to be some common sense. It has been too long for some people."
Skakun said it was important to note he heard a lot of positive feedback about the snow removal, and praise for the crews, and he knows from talking to personnel at City Hall that supportive feedback has been coming in there as well, but anyone with complaints should relay those to a councillor, Skakun said, and being rude is never a solution to a problem.
