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I just received the February 2009 city newsletter and noted the emphasis on the snow ordinance, snow removal and the enforcement warning.
I have the following requests for information/clarification:
1. Commercial District Parking. The blanket statements contained in the newsletter would indicate that no one can park on the street during regular business hours in the commercial district when the city has declared a "snow emergency." Obviously, if there were a true emergency (huge amounts of snow), one would think that there would be little traffic. However, this past winter, it has been fairly common for snow to have accumulated overnight, and subsequently, the city crew have windrowed the snow to the center of the street. Does the snow ordinance mean that customers and employees in the commercial district may not then park on city streets? In the commercial district, there is no other area for people to park. May people park on the street after the snow has been pushed to the center? What if customers/employees parked on the street before the "snow emergency" and are expected to stay at work - what do they do with their vehicles?
2. Commercial District Sidewalks. The newsletter seems to imply that snow from the city's sidewalks in the commercial district cannot be pushed into the street. Of course, that is where the snow has been placed for the last 31 years that I have owned property on Main Street. In this concentrated building area, there is no other place to put the snow. Having personally witnessed the current Police Department's trigger-happy willingness to cite every possible infraction, some further clarification is requested for the commercial (downtown) areas as to the interpretation that is going to be placed upon this ordinance as it relates to commercial property.
3. Snow Removal Equipment. It appears that the city has a new piece of snow removal equipment, a Caterpillar with a large snow blower on the front end. This piece of equipment seems to work extremely well in removing the windrowed snow from the center of the street by blowing it into city trucks. I really did not look closely at this new piece of equipment, but I am sure it was very expensive. When I asked another citizen about it, he said, "Yes, it was a nice piece of equipment, but that it was a very expensive piece of equipment for a single use." He was of the opinion that snow blowing is the only use that the Caterpillar machine has. He was concerned that, instead of buying an add-on snow blower unit for a Caterpillar end loader, the City bought a piece of equipment with only one use - blowing snow. Is this a one-use piece of equipment? How much did it cost? What section of the city budget paid for it? (Hopefully, the $300 per ticket for pushing snow into the street from the public sidewalks isn't the source of funding for this equipment.)
Please don't take my questions as being overly critical - they are concerns that I believe many of us on Main Street have. We need a response. I think the Street Department has done a great job dealing with all the snow that we have had this winter. Likewise, all of its citizens have had to deal with a great amount of inconvenience and work, dealing with the snow. However, the city's crews have always done a good job in snow removal for the citizens without the need to ticket cars or penalize commercial business owners for pushing snow off city sidewalks to the street. Additionally, as a taxpayer, I want to make sure that I am getting the most "bang for my buck," and that the city administration is using our tax dollars for services for its residents instead of looking for law enforcement initiatives. We need common sense approaches to our problems and law enforcement.
The response from Elizabeth Hansen, the city administrator, is as follows:
Dear Mr. Parker:
Thank you for the inquiry and request for clarification. I view this as an opportunity for the city to give you and other residents/business owners the correct information.
The February newsletter article was initiated by council member comments at a January council meeting. The comments were directed to staff to remind residents that dumping of snow onto the streets is prohibited, specifically in the residential district.
First, you requested an understanding of the commercial district parking and sidewalks. In response, please refer to the City Code, chapter 135. The code states that it is unlawful to throw or push any snow from private sidewalks, driveways, etc., but it also excludes the business district. Prompt removal is required. It would be ideal for the business district to shovel the snow before or right when you see the plows out, and then the Street Department will windrow it and haul it away. Customers may park, but business owners really should get the snow to the street by 6 a.m. As you know, that time may vary, depending on when and how much it snows. You would be amazed how many business owners open their doors at 8 a.m. and shovel the sidewalk into the street after it is windrowed, and then their customers have to park in it.
The City Council will consider, at their next regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 23, to amend the Snow Emergency ordinance to be in effect from the time there has been an accumulation of 1/2 inch of snow. This will be easier for the citizens to make the judgment of getting their cars off the street, rather than wondering if the mayor has declared the snow emergency. With the change, if there is accumulation, then there is an immediate snow emergency and cars should be moved off the street. The police department uses more discretion on enforcement of the snow emergency in the downtown commercial district during business hours.
Lastly, you requested information pertaining to a particular piece of Street Department equipment. The Caterpillar end loader is used throughout the year to maintain the streets. The snow blower is an attachment that is placed on the equipment to be used to remove snow. This particular piece of equipment was bought with Local Option Tax funds in 2004 for $87,000 to replace the 1988 John Deere loader, and generally has a useful life of 15 years. With the use of this machine throughout the year, it was not feasible to lease or rent per occasion. The city has a five-year equipment replacements plan and it is updated each year. Equipment is funded by Local Option Tax. There is not another revenue source tied to each item to pay for it. For example, if the police department writes a ticket for a parking violation, the income goes into the General Fund, rather than the Road Use Fund.
If you have any further questions in this regard or any other item of concern, please do not hesitate to contact me.
