Residents raise questions about snow-removal fines and appeals at Somerset commission meeting

Two Somerset residents told the Somerset City Commission on March 20 that they were charged for sidewalk snow removal in ways they said appeared excessive and that they have had trouble obtaining answers about appeals.

At the commission’s regular meeting, a resident identified in the record only as a resident (name not given) said, “So my question would be for the, hourly charges on that. I find it very excessive, and I wanted to see where that money went and, how, all these houses were charged.” The resident said they had filed a complaint form and called city staff but had difficulty getting a response.

Another resident, Mark Hall, said he paid a $100 violation fee but asked the commission to waive additional charges because he cleared his sidewalk himself after receiving notice. “My issue is that I'm being charged for cleaning my sidewalk and I can't even tell if that's the before or after,” Hall said. He later added, “I'm the one who cleaned my sidewalk. You guys didn't clean my sidewalk.”

The commission did not take formal action on the complaints during the meeting. The chair reminded speakers that the public comment period is not a question-and-answer session and told residents the proper next step is to provide documentation to staff. The chair said, “If you get with Lisa and if there's a day that works for you...absolutely” and later, “As long as we have all your information here, I'll personally look at both of these and, we'll get you answers.”

Staff members mentioned in the discussion included Lisa, Mr. Olsen, and Tony (Anthony), whom residents said they had contacted previously. One resident said staff had referred them among multiple contacts and that a February 28 meeting had previously addressed the same ordinance.

Commissioners approved the meeting agenda as presented and the consent calendar minutes for the prior meeting by voice vote during the session; no roll-call tallies or named vote records were provided in the transcript.

Why it matters: Somerset’s snow-removal enforcement and any associated fees affect homeowners and pedestrians who must keep sidewalks clear for safety and compliance. Residents’ difficulty locating an appeals path and seeking clarification from staff points to an operational issue the commission or city staff may need to address outside the public-comment period.

The commission did not schedule or vote on any changes to the snow-removal ordinance at the March 20 meeting. Residents were advised to submit documentation to staff and to request a meeting or an agenda item if they want the commission to consider formal relief or policy changes.