The City of Brampton isn’t budging despite nearly a dozen residents delegating to council for mercy on hefty fines issued by the city for failing to clear sidewalks in front of their homes this past winter.

Roughly a dozen residents delegated at a pair of council meetings in May and June asking members of council for leniency on hefty snow-clearing fines on compassionate grounds.

However, council chose to keep the fines in place out of concern for the possible precedent it would set.

According to current bylaws, residents have until 11 a.m. the day following a major snow or ice event to clear sidewalks and walkways adjacent to their properties in certain areas of the city or face up to $2,000 in fines and charges to have a city contractor remove the snow.

“Last week at Committee of Council, members of council decided that the charges and fees should remain in place,” said wards 1 and 5 Coun. Paul Vicente.

“If we waived the charges and fees, we would be discouraging law abiding citizens from following the rules. Bylaws exist so that we maintain safe conditions and order in our city. If sidewalks are not cleared, the number of slips and falls would increase,” he added.

The city’s bylaw department received more than 2,000 complaints from residents this past winter. If snow and ice aren’t cleared by 11 a.m., the city posts a warning and time limit to do so or it will dispatch a contractor. Once that occurs, the fines and charge for the work are added to the property owner’s tax bill.

“I’d be willing to pay the fee that was paid for the third-party contractor to come lay the salt,” Brampton resident Tony Abousawan told council, adding he was away and received no notice. “But in my opinion $300 is very excessive.”

Khalid Malik said he was fined $467 while in hospital undergoing emergency heart surgery. Another resient, Roxanne Manlapez, said she was fined despite being at home with a newborn baby while her husband was away.

Wards 3 and 4 Coun. Martin Medeiros tabled a motion at council’s May 15 meeting to waive the fines and charges for those who delegated, but the motion ultimately failed. Council upheld its decision to maintain the fines at its June 12 meeting.