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Leavenworth council directs staff to draft residential sidewalk snow policy favoring city-assisted clearing
Summary
After lengthy debate over responsibility, timing and cost, Leavenworth City Council asked staff to return with a draft policy that adopts Option 2 — city-assisted clearing of residential sidewalks on an extended timeline — with the option to scale up later.
Leavenworth City Council members and staff spent more than two hours on Aug. 12 debating whether the city or adjacent property owners should be responsible for clearing snow on sidewalks in residential zones. Council discussion centered on three options presented by public works staff and ended with staff agreeing to return with a draft policy based on Option 2 — city crews clearing additional residential sidewalks but with a longer completion window than commercial routes.
Why it matters: Council members said residents are repeatedly left with impassable sidewalks and safety concerns, while staff and some council members warned of high costs, equipment needs and liability if the city takes on more service. The decision to test a modest city expansion of service is meant to balance public access, budget constraints and time to implement.
Council and staff described three approaches presented at the study session: (1) keep responsibility with adjacent property owners; (2) have city staff clear additional residential sidewalks with a longer response window (staff proposed 72 hours for the newly added tier); (3) expand equipment and full‑time staffing so all residential sidewalks could be cleared within 24 hours of a storm. Staff said Option 2 would not require immediate new hires or equipment purchases; Option 3 would add two full‑time equivalents (FTEs) and two additional skid‑steer machines (estimated incremental personnel/equipment difference about $45,000 on top of existing budgets for the example shown).
Public comment and council debate highlighted existing sidewalk conditions beyond snow: obstructed or non‑ADA sidewalks, broken or missing sections and private property obstructions. Resident Ron Duncan told the council that many sidewalks are already impassable for reasons other than snow and urged first requiring owners to maintain sidewalks under existing code before the city assumes broader responsibility.
Staff explained operational constraints: crews make multiple passes (often beginning about 2 a.m.) to hit sidewalks before plows push snow back, and once a plow piles snow on a walkway it can create "cascade concrete" that is difficult and time‑consuming to remove. Staff also said many seasonal employees take other jobs for part of the year and cannot simply be converted to permanent positions without recruitment and human‑resources steps.
Direction to staff: After discussion, staff said it would return with a draft policy implementing Option 2 (city responsibility for additional residential sidewalks on a longer response timeline), plus answers about whether seasonal employees can be extended temporarily and about phasing equipment purchases. Councilmembers signaled support for starting with Option 2 and revisiting Option 3 if winter operations show the need.
Ending: Staff will prepare a draft policy and a report on staffing/equipment options, including legal counsel input on assessment or billing mechanisms, for a future study session and a policy to be in place for the coming winter season if council approves it.
