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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The devil was in the details Monday night when city council voted against amending the snow shovelling bylaw to make it mandatory for Yellowknifers outside the downtown core to clear their sidewalks of snow.

Despite presentations from three residents in support of the bylaw, council voted four to three to axe the amendment.

Councillors had a variety of concerns with the amendment and were unable to reach consensus on how far the bylaw should go.

In committee Monday afternoon, city councillor Dave McCann called the bylaw "premature."

He said standards of enforcement and snow clearance guidelines still needed to be ironed out in the legislation.

Coun. Bob Brooks said there should be provisions in the bylaw exempting those who are physically unable to clear their sidewalks - such as some people with disabilities or with temporary ailments like a broken leg.

Coun. Lydia Bardak opposed the bylaw flat-out, saying she thought people shouldn't need rules and regulations for things they should be doing anyways.

Coun. Paul Falvo said he was surprised when city administration said municipal enforcement intended to enforce the bylaw during patrols but not on a complaint basis.

City administration cited liability issues for slips and falls on sidewalks that were not cleared within the time set out in the bylaw, as well as the likelihood that neighbours would not show up to testify against neighbours they issued a complaint towards as reasons for this approach.

Doug Gillard, manager of municipal enforcement, said the new bylaw would also mean officers would have less time to devote towards the enforcement of other infractions.

"Any time we are tasked with something new, it will take away from other things," he said.

McCann asked what the cost would be to the city to clear all sidewalks of snow.

Dennis Kefalas, director of public works, said it would cost the city anywhere from $1 million to $2 million to provide the service to the city for the first year - after factoring in the purchase of around six bobcats, construction of a storage building and the hiring of a seasonal workforce.

At the council meeting, Norma Jarvis, representing the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, argued bumps and lips between cleared and uncleared portions of sidewalks made navigating them nearly impossible for vision-impaired residents.

She said amending the bylaw was a "step in the right direction."

Keri-lyn McLeod said snow-covered sidewalks have kept her from walking her young son in his stroller and urged councillors to support the amendment.

"It makes our community safer," she said. "It makes our community more accessible."

Bill Burles, who uses a wheelchair, once again made a presentation to council, but said he would rather see hard-packed snow on the ground as opposed to bare sidewalk, which is prone to ice build-up.

Coun. David Wind supported the bylaw and said he was looking for a compromise.

"We're looking for improvement, not perfection," he said.

However, only himself and Couns. Falvo and Kevin Kennedy supported the amendment.

Shelagh Montgomery did not attend the meeting.

After the meeting, Wind said the issue likely would not be brought back for discussion in the life of this council.