Dear Editor,

My wife and I have lived in Lacombe for almost five years now. We find it for the most part a nice little city.

However, we do keep learning different little things about it that do puzzle us. Case in point: We have a modest property of which our northeast fence borders a public walkway. For quite sometime now we have mowed the grass on the walkway side of the fence because the city mower did not do a very good job of mowing close to the fence, so we just tried to make it look a little tidier.

So now, a few of days ago, as I was whipper snipping the grass around the city fire hydrant (so it could be seen), I burnt out the motor on the whipper snipper. That frustrated me to say the least.

When I phoned the City of Lacombe to ask why they never cut this grass, I was informed that it was my responsibility to cut that grass. This is the city's fire hydrant!

It seems somehow, that although this property is not mine, I am responsible for the upkeep on it. WOW!

So now what do I do about that situation? If someone walks by on property I do not own, trips and receives an injury, am I correct to assume they will sue me for damages (cause I'm resposible for it remember)?

I was told I cannot put up a fence on the edge of the grass to keep the people walking and biking on the asphalt (which the city owns). Or how about the firemen needing to get to the hydrant, (that the city owns) if I don't keep it cut they have a problem getting to it?

They'll be mad and maybe turn the hose on me and no doubt I'll have the opportunity to pay the water bill for it also.

Oh well, I guess I shouldn't complain too much about poor Alberta and poor Lacombe, because at least for now we are on the right side of the grass.

Yours confused.

Donald Munroe,

Lacombe