#03 - Sidewalk Snow Removal - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Prior Lake POLICY: SIDEWALKS/TRAILS/PARKING LOTS The City plows certain sidewalks and trails as illustrated on the Sidewalk and Trail Plowing map which can be viewed at www.PriorLakeMN.gov/snow. The following standards are adopted for providing winter maintenance to designated trails, sidewalks, parking lots, and winter lake access: 1. Sidewalks and trails that border private property shall not normally be cleared of snow by the City unless designated within this Policy and shown on the Sidewalk and Trail Plowing map. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to keep sidewalks clear of snow or ice in accordance with City Code 701.100. If notice has been sent to owner/occupant and snow has not been removed, the City may choose to remove the snow and ice and charge the cost of removal to the property owner in accordance with the current Fee Schedule. 2. Trails and sidewalks shall be cleared as thoroughly as possible but need not be cleared of all ice and snow, nor maintained to bare pavement. 3. As time permits, City facilities and downtown sidewalks will be treated by City staff with salt or other chemical to reduce ice. Other sidewalks and trails throughout the City will not be salted or treated with chemicals. The city maintains 43 miles of the 53 total miles of public sidewalk. The biggest complaints are sod damage, 44 received in 2023. City of Richfield The City assumes basic responsibility for snow removal on City streets, City sidewalks/trails/cycle tracks, and City-owned public parking lots. The City assumes basic responsibility for ice control and mitigation on City streets and City-owned public parking lots, but does not salt or sand City sidewalks/trails/cycle tracks. Reasonable snow removal and ice control is necessary for routine travel and emergency services. The City strives to provide this service in a timely, safe, and cost- effective manner while keeping in mind safety, budget, personnel, equipment, and environmental concerns. The City will primarily use its own personnel and equipment to provide this service, but may also use private contractors when necessary Sidewalk/Trail/Cycle Tracks Ice Policy In effort to best utilize the City's finite resources and prioritize snow and ice removal in high- impact areas as outlined throughout this Policy, the Department will not apply salt, sand, or other de-icing chemicals to sidewalks/trails/cycle tracks. Due to the ever-changing nature of the Minnesota climate, the physical and financial cost of keeping all sidewalks/trails/cycle tracks free of ice at all times would substantially outweigh the benefit to the community. In addition, salt, sand, and other de-icing agents have adverse effects on the local environment. Application of these substances is imprecise and may result in negative effects to adjacent green space and/or infiltration into ground water. Residents and business owners are encouraged to make sure sidewalks adjacent to their properties are ice free or otherwise safe for passage. The city receives more complaints on sidewalks than they do streets. The biggest challenges are little to no snow storage, the cost of proper sidewalk snow removal