#03 - Sidewalk Snow Removal - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 STAFF REPORT DATE: 5/9/23 DISCUSSION TO: City Council Workshop FROM: Marty Powers, Director of Public Works REVIEWED BY: Kristina Handt, City Administrator AGENDA ITEM: Sidewalk Snow Removal BACKGROUND: The Mayor has asked City staff to bring the sidewalk snow removal policy to a Workshop for discussion. Currently the City Ordinances 9.16.120 and 9.28.030 state the owner or occupant of any property within city’s corporate limits that fronts upon any public street that has an abutting sidewalk must remove any snow or ice from the sidewalk within 48 hours following the termination of any snow or ice formation. The owner or occupant of the property abutting the sidewalk must keep the abutting sidewalk reasonably clear and free of any snow or ice. Staff, after legal consultation, interprets the use of the word front to refer to it being on a public street as opposed to a private street. We don’t interpret it to mean only sidewalks in the front yard since we have a number of properties with sidewalks on the side or back yard as well. Currently Public Works clears 5480 feet of sidewalk that abuts city property. This 6-7 hour process (depending on snow amounts) is typically done during normal working hours the day after the streets are cleared as streets take precedence. Public Works utilizes one piece of equipment and one operator for this process. Public Works enforces the sidewalk snow removal policy as complaints are received. Thirty non- compliance notices were delivered in the 2022/2023 season. Of the thirty, ten property owners failed to clear the abutting sidewalks within 24 hours of receiving the violation notice. Four involved the 5th street next to Hunters Crossing, three in Savona on 6th street and two in Lake Ridge Crossing, one on 7th and the other on 8th St. Public Works returned to clear those ten sidewalks and invoice the property owners for our time. Of the ten, two were given notices again on different snow events, but did clear the snow on their own after receiving the notice. Both residential and commercial lots occasionally have city streets and sidewalks on more than one side of their property, for example corner lots or the commercial lots between 5th St and Hudson. near Inwood Ave. This is also the case along Village Parkway and in some developments such as Wildflower. Earlier this winter a resident reported the sidewalk on the south side of 5th (along the North Side of Hunter Crossing) was not being cleared. Public Works notified the abutting property owners of their responsibility to clear all abutting sidewalks. Four of the six property owners failed to clear the sidewalks behind their house (on 5th St) within 24 hours of the notice. Public Works staff then returned and cleared the sidewalks, and invoiced each of the four abutting property owners the costs. ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: Does the council wish to change the Sidewalk Snow Removal Ordinance? If they direct staff to clear additional sidewalks not abutting city property, which ones? If so does council wish to assess the costs accordingly to each abutting property owner per the city’s nuisance abatement code? If council wishes to eliminate some sidewalks from being included in the ordinance, which ones? ANALYSIS: Typically (not always), sidewalks that parallel a street lay in the road right of way for public use. The green space in between the street and a sidewalk is barely enough room for street snow storage. Most of