Be a good neighbour: Changes made to city’s bylaw

The City of Vernon wants residents to be made aware of recent amendments to the city’s good neighbour bylaw.

The changes provide expectations for property owners to maintain adjacent boulevards or lanes.

According to the bylaw: “Every owner or occupier of real property adjacent to a boulevard or lane shall ensure that the portion of the boulevard or lane adjacent to the real property, is kept clean and free of debris, common and noxious weeds.”

It also stipulates: “Every owner or occupier of real property adjacent to a boulevard or lane shall maintain all ground covers and plant materials including but not limited to trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses and perennials and plant materials planted by the city, developer or property owner, on the adjacent boulevard or lane.”

A section of this bylaw also applies to the orderly outdoor storage of goods.

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The city adopted the amendments on Oct. 28, 2019 following recurring complaints made to the city’s bylaw, transportation, and operations departments surrounding the private property and city owned property maintenance of boulevards and lanes.

Snow and ice removal

Snow and ice removal have been removed from the Good Neighbour Bylaw and is now included as part of Traffic Bylaw #5600.

Under the bylaw: “An owner or occupier of real property must remove snow and ice from the sidewalk bordering their property, whether directly adjacent to or separated by a boulevard, landscaping or other portion of either between their property and the roadway, within 24 hours of the accumulation of such snow or ice.”

A property owner may apply for an exception to the city’s engineering department if snow and ice removal causes an “unusual hardship.”

The bylaw also says property owners must not allow or cause snow or ice to accumulate from their property to the highway, and the “owner or occupier of the property must take immediate steps to safely remove the snow, ice or both from the highway, at their own expense.”

The property owner is also responsible for footing any city incurred costs to repair any resulting damage to the highway from the property owner’s snow and ice.