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Ottawa has one of the highest standards in the province for winter maintenance — and it’s time to rethink that, says the auditor general’s annual report.
The city adopted it standards in 2003 after amalgamation. Since then, no one has added up how much this is costing the city.
In fact, snow removal and disposal only counted for 10 per cent of labour hours, according to the report. Applying chemicals such as salt brine occupied 13 per cent of the hours; spreading sand and gravel on sidewalks took up nine per cent and applying dry salt took nine per cent of labour time. On-call accounted for another nine per cent, while everything else represented half of all labour hours.
When city staff aren’t assigned to plow, clear snow or apply salt or sand, they are assigned to “miscellaneous duties,” said the report. “These duties can be of a lower priority and available more cost-effectively from commercial sources.”
Truck applies salt during winter storm.
The audit noted that Ottawa has the second-best standard for meeting provincial standards after a winter storm and the highest ratio of owned versus contracted equipment. It owns 236 plows and salters and contracts out another 88. To compare, Toronto owns 109 plows and salters and contracts out another 666. The report recommends thinking about the most cost-effective balance between city-owned equipment and those that can be contracted out.
Ottawa residents are accustomed to a high standard of winter maintenance. For example, priority roads are cleared within two hours compared with the provincial standard of three to four hours, said Kevin Wylie, the city’s general manage of public works.
Only a few other municipalities provide the same level of service as Ottawa, he said.
Public works will bring forward a report with its recommendations this spring, likely suggesting something between the provincial standards and Ottawa’s current level. The city would never compromise public safety, but it has to be fiscally responsible, and will coming up with other ways to do things, said Wylie.
Is taking clearing sidewalks out of the equation part of that plan? “I wouldn’t recommend that as general manager of public works, ” he said.
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The city adopted it standards in 2003 after amalgamation. Since then, no one has added up how much this is costing the city.
In fact, snow removal and disposal only counted for 10 per cent of labour hours, according to the report. Applying chemicals such as salt brine occupied 13 per cent of the hours; spreading sand and gravel on sidewalks took up nine per cent and applying dry salt took nine per cent of labour time. On-call accounted for another nine per cent, while everything else represented half of all labour hours.
When city staff aren’t assigned to plow, clear snow or apply salt or sand, they are assigned to “miscellaneous duties,” said the report. “These duties can be of a lower priority and available more cost-effectively from commercial sources.”

Truck applies salt during winter storm.
The audit noted that Ottawa has the second-best standard for meeting provincial standards after a winter storm and the highest ratio of owned versus contracted equipment. It owns 236 plows and salters and contracts out another 88. To compare, Toronto owns 109 plows and salters and contracts out another 666. The report recommends thinking about the most cost-effective balance between city-owned equipment and those that can be contracted out.
Ottawa residents are accustomed to a high standard of winter maintenance. For example, priority roads are cleared within two hours compared with the provincial standard of three to four hours, said Kevin Wylie, the city’s general manage of public works.
Only a few other municipalities provide the same level of service as Ottawa, he said.
Public works will bring forward a report with its recommendations this spring, likely suggesting something between the provincial standards and Ottawa’s current level. The city would never compromise public safety, but it has to be fiscally responsible, and will coming up with other ways to do things, said Wylie.
Is taking clearing sidewalks out of the equation part of that plan? “I wouldn’t recommend that as general manager of public works, ” he said.

查看原文...