Winter is looming and with it comes the transition from greenspace maintenance to pathway snow removal. ULS will be out in full force soon after each snowfall to remove any build-up. We make our community paths and sidewalks as safe as possible during the winter months, but rapid changes do occur. Please be vigilant while out and about in the neighborhood. Use caution when using the pathways and don’t hesitate to contact us if you see an area needing attention.
REMINDER: SNOW REMOVAL CHANGES took effect in February 2019. In the decade leading up to January 2019, the NDHA cleared snow from most city-controlled sidewalks in the community. The city snow removal service was underfunded and virtually non-existent, despite the fact that both the “Roads” and “Parks” departments were deemed responsible for clearing most of our main sidewalks. For the safety and enjoyment of our residents, the NDHA stepped in to clear these and other sidewalks as well as the paved pathways, covering the costs from your fees. City Council has since re-visited its funding allocation, allowing enough money in the budget for consistent sidewalk snow removal service for designated areas.
By coincidence, the City contracted the same vendor that the NDHA uses (ULS) to clear snow in our community. It is important to note that the contracts are very different, and you willoften experience inconsistencies because of this fact:• City policy is that sidewalks under its control will be cleared within 24 hours of the endof a snow event. **As long as it is snowing anywhere in the City, the snow event is not considered “ended”.• The NDHA’s policy is to have walkways and sidewalks under its control cleared within 24 hours of a snowfall, and every 24 hours thereafter until the snow stops.
The NDHA board easily foresaw the snow clearing irregularities that unfolded at the end of last season. Given the considerable number of 311 complaints from February onward, the NDHA asked Parks representatives to try to convince City Management to change how it deals with sidewalk snow removal in Discovery Ridge for winter 2019/20. Since ULS is already on-site removing snow under our contract, we suggested the obvious and easy solution of minorcompensation in exchange for snow removal in those areas. We have recently been advised that the City is just one year into a three-year contract with their vendors and the City Management team is not willing to break or make changes to these contracts. The City will not compensate the NDHA to clear the sidewalks designated as City responsibility, and the NDHA board has taken the position that homeowners in Discovery Ridge should not pay twice for the same service (once with your property taxes and again with your NDHA fees). As such, the NDHA will not clear these areas; they will remain the responsibility of the City.
To be clear, the two community maps next to this article show the sidewalks (highlighted in pink) designated by the City as their responsibility. These essentially include all public sidewalks on Discovery Ridge Boulevard and Discovery Ridge Hill that are not adjacent to private homes.Please call 311 if you have concerns about snow clearing in these areas.
All other community sidewalks and pathways that have been cleared in the past will continue to be cleared by the NDHA’s contractor (ULS), under the NDHA snow removal timelines.
HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND FOLIAGE: Lights were installed in October and will be turned on later this month. The holiday foliage display in the entrance planters will be installed for your enjoyment before the next newsletter.
FEES: Compliance on payment has been very poor this year. This is a mandatory fee of $307.00 for 2019. Please see the news article posted on our website October 7th, 2019 for more information. If you are unsure of your payment status, email the Treasurer at ndhaaccts@gmail.com noting your residential address. Non-payment will result in additional legal and late fees, and could lead to possible foreclosure proceedings on your property. Payments can be made online at our website, or by cheque to our mailing address.
We are always happy to hear from our NDHA members; please access our website at www.ndha.ca to send an email – you can also call us at 403-237-9595, or mail us at Box 2478, 246 Stewart Green SW, Calgary, AB T3H 3C8