The city is looking into a noise bylaw amendment that would support construction getting off to an earlier start in the summer.
A Salmon Arm contractor in landscape construction wrote council to ask it consider changing construction hours (section 5) in the city's noise bylaw so work that may disturb "the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood or of persons in the vicinity" may begin at 6 instead of 7 a.m. The writer suggested this change occur between June 20 and September 20.
"I have asked many contractors in our area and everyone said that this would be very helpful," reads the letter. "I also know that on my team… this would make a very happy crew. It is very tough to work past 2-3 p.m. on our hot summer days and starting at 6 a.m. without neighbours of our projects being upset because the noise bylaw is 7 a.m. would be very helpful."
A supportive Coun. Kevin Flynn tabled a motion at the July 22 council meeting to have staff to look into what other communities are doing, suggesting it would be a "small concession from our public to allow work to start an hour early."
"I think this is quite clearly a climate change issue and, in my opinion, for worker safety, for FireSmarting, for all of those things, we need to consider asking the community to possibly get woken up an hour early for three or four months of construction season," said Flynn. "But I don't want to do it without staff looking at surrounding communities."
Coun. Debbie Cannon voiced her support of the motion.
"I totally agree that it's something we should look into, and I'd be very surprised if other communities our size or bigger don't have an earlier start time in the summer," said Cannon.
Council voted unanimously in support of the motion.
