The municipality plans to expand a program designed to make walking its downtown streets a little safer in the winter.
For several years the township has provided downtown Drayton businesses with “ice melter” to apply to the municipal sidewalks in front of their businesses. The idea is to prevent slip and fall injuries during icy conditions.
While in the past, the program was limited to Drayton, council has approved expanding the program to all businesses adjoining a municipal sidewalk on Main and Wellington Streets in Drayton, McGivern Street in Moorefield and Elora Street in Alma.
The program is limited to provision of two 20kg bags per business property per season and businesses must pick up and sign for bags.
The program is conditional upon the material being used on municipal sidewalks only and violators of program conditions will be permanently banned “from this or any future program,” states a staff report presented at the Dec. 9 Mapleton council meeting.
Staff estimate 44 businesses would be eligible for the program, which is expected to cost less than $1,000.
