Council weighs restoring sidewalk sand at parks after past practice ended

Councilman Boesen asked the Waterloo City Council to direct the city to provide sidewalk sand at multiple park locations so residents — particularly older adults — can use it to reduce slip-and-fall risk on sidewalks during winter.

Boesen said the city previously supplied sidewalk sand at parks but stopped the practice; he proposed placing a load at two East Side parks and two West Side parks and asked for council support for a resolution to that effect.

Public Works Division Manager Randy Bennett told the council the city stopped routinely setting out sand after consulting the city attorney and League of Cities because distributing sand for private sidewalk or driveway use can push the boundary of allowable use of public funds. “That’s really not what funds are supposed to be going for,” Bennett said, explaining the legal and policy concern.

Todd Deerfield of Leisure Services described the operational history: Leisure Services placed a single dump-truck load at Hope Martin Park last year and again this year; leftover sand was later picked up by Public Works and used for construction or other municipal needs. Deerfield said last year’s weather was mild and the leftover amount was minimal. He said the most recent purchase cost about $110 for a 13‑ton dump truck load; the price reflected a larger truck and a fifty‑cent unit increase from an earlier price.

Council members asked practical questions about frequency of refills, distribution logistics and cost. Multiple councilmembers said they would be comfortable with either keeping a single central location at Hope Martin Park or spreading sand among several locations; no formal resolution or final vote on expanding locations was recorded at the meeting.

Nut graph: The discussion balanced a low per‑load cost (roughly $110) and operational feasibility against Public Works’ legal guidance that routinely providing sand for private sidewalk or driveway use risks using public funds for private benefit. The council signaled willingness to accommodate residents while seeking clarity on distribution and policy limits.

Councilmembers discussed options for a one-time placement versus an ongoing replacement program, and whether existing city crews or Leisure Services would handle delivery and redistribution. Bennett said historically Public Works would pick up leftover material and reuse it for municipal purposes, reducing net cost to the city.

Ending: The council did not adopt a formal resolution during the work session. Councilmembers requested additional detail on distribution logistics and signaled general support for either keeping the current single central location or expanding to multiple sites, leaving final direction for a future council action if requested.