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Winter Walking and Cycling
(04-20-2018, 03:54 PM)Coke6pk Wrote:
(04-20-2018, 03:49 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: The WRPS handles after-hour noise complaints like loud parties.

Source?

While noise complaints 24/7 must be made through WRPS, 24/7 noise by-law officers attend unless there is other activity that would put that officer at risk (ie. Possible Domestic, Large crowds) or predominantly something by-law can't deal with (ie. underage drinking)

Coke

Sorry, I meant that WRPS dispatch handles after-hours noise complaints by sending bylaw officers, so it's not a matter of hoping you can personally reach bylaw enforcement and get them to respond promptly. Basically, the noise bylaw is taken a lot more seriously even though it's also complaint-based, because noise violations can have a significant impact on residents. This is really distracting from the point of my post though.
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(04-20-2018, 03:49 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: I don't see how any bylaw option is realistically enforceable. Complaint-based bylaw enforcement works because most nuisance complaints aren't actually a big deal. Nobody is significantly impacted by their neighbour's lawn being an inch too long or having a car illegally parked in the street overnight. The WRPS handles after-hour noise complaints like loud parties. It's totally unrealistic to expect pedestrians to report dozens of sidewalk snow removal violations every snowfall, or for the current bylaw force to actually respond to them all.

That leaves regular patrolling of every street in the region, with bylaw officers issuing thousands of warnings and tickets. At that point it will almost certainly cost far more than simply having the cities remove the snow.

Unfortunately, sidewalks aren't considered a big deal by most people. Certainly not by the City.

I had a neighbour angrily tell me this winter that there are "some people" with "nothing better to do" than call in complaints. That's the mentality. And that of reddit comments and newspaper editorials, who claim the roads "aren't perfect" and "winter means snow," rarely having walked any distance in their own city to see how impassable the sidewalks can be.

On an aside, I believe the City may have cleared a few sidewalks in my neighbourhood yesterday. I noticed that two properties which habitually do not clear were given a treatment down to the concrete with a fair bit of salt.
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Is there any way to submit (snow) bylaw complaints electronically rather than waiting on the phone for the next available operator?
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(04-21-2018, 10:45 AM)tomh009 Wrote: Is there any way to submit (snow) bylaw complaints electronically rather than waiting on the phone for the next available operator?

No because if that were done somebody would make a mobile app that would crowdsource the complaints and then submit them all. They would be completely snowed under!
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In Waterloo, yes. The email address snowandice@waterloo.ca is how we are instructed to submit complaints about non-city-managed sidewalks.

For city-managed sidewalks and trails, the electronic option is @citywaterloo Twitter account. Otherwise you must phone 519-886-2310

Reference: https://www.waterloo.ca/en/living/sidewalkclearing.asp
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In Kitchener you can use the Ping Street app to report potholes and parking complaints.

You could simply report a pothole on the sidewalk and they'd have to clear the snow to check for the pothole. 

Big Grin
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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(04-21-2018, 11:38 AM)Pheidippides Wrote: In Kitchener you can use the Ping Street app to report potholes and parking complaints.

You could simply report a pothole on the sidewalk and they'd have to clear the snow to check for the pothole. 

Big Grin

Big Grin
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LOL!

Unfortunately, I find the pingstreet app completely useless - I don't even think there's a connection between the app and bylaw. I've never seen any action any time I report people illegally parked on my street at all. If I call in... I see action.
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(04-21-2018, 11:32 AM)chutten Wrote: In Waterloo, yes. The email address snowandice@waterloo.ca is how we are instructed to submit complaints about non-city-managed sidewalks.

For city-managed sidewalks and trails, the electronic option is @citywaterloo Twitter account. Otherwise you must phone  519-886-2310

Reference: https://www.waterloo.ca/en/living/sidewalkclearing.asp

I do not believe there is anyone answering that email or phone number right now...I have made repeated request for a callback this week and have not received any.  

The ultimate theater.
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(04-21-2018, 08:14 PM)Canard Wrote: LOL!

Unfortunately, I find the pingstreet app completely useless - I don't even think there's a connection between the app and bylaw.  I've never seen any action any time I report people illegally parked on my street at all.  If I call in... I see action.

Lol, it really is a joke...I reported a parking complaint on it, and about two weeks later, I got an email back indicating I should phone in complaints.

Honestly, I have no idea how that disgrace of an app has any support from anyone.
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(04-22-2018, 08:50 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:
(04-21-2018, 11:32 AM)chutten Wrote: In Waterloo, yes. The email address snowandice@waterloo.ca is how we are instructed to submit complaints about non-city-managed sidewalks.

For city-managed sidewalks and trails, the electronic option is @citywaterloo Twitter account. Otherwise you must phone  519-886-2310

Reference: https://www.waterloo.ca/en/living/sidewalkclearing.asp

I do not believe there is anyone answering that email or phone number right now...I have made repeated request for a callback this week and have not received any.  

The ultimate theater.

I reported a string of addresses last week to snowandice@ and they were attended to by the following morning. For whatever that's worth.

@citywaterloo is usually very good about making apologies on behalf of crews clearing trails and sidewalks. Not sure if anything else comes of it, but I can dream.
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(04-23-2018, 03:56 PM)chutten Wrote:
(04-22-2018, 08:50 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: I do not believe there is anyone answering that email or phone number right now...I have made repeated request for a callback this week and have not received any.  

The ultimate theater.

I reported a string of addresses last week to snowandice@ and they were attended to by the following morning. For whatever that's worth.

@citywaterloo is usually very good about making apologies on behalf of crews clearing trails and sidewalks. Not sure if anything else comes of it, but I can dream.

Not sure what you mean by apologies?

All I know is I called the snow and ice desk three times, leaving my name and number and received no call back.
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(04-23-2018, 04:02 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Not sure what you mean by apologies?

I occasionally tweet to @citywaterloo and someone apologizes that the trails and sidewalk I am complaining about are unsafe, unpleasant, or unpassable. Sometimes the crew are running behind or are dealing with an unusual amount of snowfall. Sometimes it is just a straight-up apology and a promise that they'll pass the complaint along.
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I have usually gotten a good response from @citywaterloo too, but I tweeted at them last week and got nothing back.
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(04-21-2018, 11:38 AM)Pheidippides Wrote: In Kitchener you can use the Ping Street app to report potholes and parking complaints.

You could simply report a pothole on the sidewalk and they'd have to clear the snow to check for the pothole. 

Big Grin

\off topic : Reminds me of this:

Some Jokester Wrote:Hello, is this the Sheriff's Office?'

'Yes What can I do for you?'

'I'm calling to report 'bout my neighbor Virgil Smith....He's
hidin' marijuana inside his firewood! Don't quite know how he gets it inside them logs , but he's hidin' it there.'

'Thank you very much for the call, sir.'

The next day, the Sheriff's Deputies descend on Virgil's house. They
search the shed where the firewood is kept. Using axes, they bust open every piece of wood, but; find no marijuana. They sneer at Virgil and leave.

Shortly, the phone rings at Virgil's house.

'Hey, Virgil! This here's Floyd....Did the Sheriff come?'

'Yeah!'

'Did they chop your firewood?'

'Yep!'

'Happy Birthday, buddy!'
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