#03 - Trail & Sidewalk Snow Removal

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STAFF REPORT DATE: 3/11/2025 REGULAR TO: City Council FROM: Marty Powers, Public Works Director AGENDA ITEM: Trail/Sidewalk Snow Removal REVIEWED BY: Nicole Miller, City Administrator CORE STRATEGIES: ☒ Vibrant, inclusive, connected community ☒ Efficient, reliable, innovative services ☐ Responsive, transparent, adaptive governance ☐ Balanced Finances now and future ☐ Managed Growth ☐ Resilient Infrastructure BACKGROUND: Over the years the community has grown and with it, many miles of trails and sidewalks have been added. Expectations of a walkable pedestrian system all year around have also been voiced. The city now has over 26 miles of asphalt trails. The City’s past definition of a trail has been an 8-foot-wide asphalt surface designed for higher recreational speeds which include the ability to safely meet oncoming foot or bike traffic in both rural and residential areas. In the past a sidewalk has been defined as a much narrower concrete surface, designed for slower paced walking pedestrian traffic. ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: Should the City Council consider snow removal be completed on all asphalt trails or specific segments of trails so they can be included in the snow removal process after snow events. PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: In order to carry out walkway snow removal several factors must be considered; equipment, staffing, timeframe for completion, snow storage, costs, and other challenges including lawn and irrigation damage/repair, wind and lost snow. • Equipment- The current fleet of Public Works vehicles and equipment can accommodate clearing of city trails. V-plows on Pickup trucks would be utilized in the rural sections for the majority of the snow events, as they are the most efficient until the snowbanks get to a height where the snow storage is full, which would then require larger Public Works equipment to wing or blow back the banks to allow for more snow storage • Staffing- At its current staffing level, Public Works uses all 9 operators on the day of a snow event to clear over 99 miles of city streets, over 100 Cul de sacs, parking lots at the city hall, fire hall, county library in addition to completing necessary locates, meter drop offs, well/lift station daily record checks and water sampling. Depending on snow totals and when the snow ends, these tasks can typically be accomplished in an 8 to 12-hour day. On the day after a snow event, Public Works uses at minimum of 5 staff to clear all sidewalks abutting city facilities, parks and out lots, 6 park parking lots, the ice rink, 9 lift stations, 3 wells, 3 water towers, the booster, and both PW facilitates. The remaining 4 operators complete daily rounds, locates, water sampling, plowing equipment maintenance/repairs and start dumping off and washing the corrosive road salt off trucks