Flagstaff staff outline courtesy berm relocations and second-year ‘Snow Hero’ volunteer program

At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Flagstaff Parks and Recreation Commission heard a staff briefing on two winter mobility programs: the city’s courtesy berm relocation work performed by PROS (Parks, Recreation & Open Space) crews and the sustainability office’s Snow Hero volunteer program, which enters a second season.

Staff said the city maintains 311 PROS snow assignments across Flagstaff; of those, 170 are classified as highest priority for immediate attention when equipment operators begin, while 103 addresses are currently enrolled in the courtesy berm relocation program. Staff described berm relocation as simply moving the berm pushed up by road plows at the end of a driveway, not work on private property or inside driveways.

Why it matters: winter berms and uncleared sidewalks can block access to transportation and essential services for older adults and people with disabilities. The two programs try to reduce those mobility barriers; one is a city-operated service, the other relies on neighborhood volunteers and therefore cannot be guaranteed.

Amy (Parks and Recreation staff) told commissioners the courtesy berm relocation program is available year-round and that there is no application deadline: "There's no deadline. No. No deadline at all," she said, adding the application is certified by medical staff and contains several eligibility points. Typical clinical eligibility examples she described include an inability to walk 200 feet without stopping, use of mobility aids (cane, brace, wheelchair), respiratory or cardiac conditions, or recent surgery.

City process and capacity: staff said PROS begins administrative outreach each August to households that were on the previous season’s list to confirm continued need; temporary enrollments are removed at season end. On a major snow event PROS assigns all personnel to their routes; once highest-priority arterial and collector work is complete with Public Works, PROS can send up to four operators to handle courtesy berm relocations, though staff emphasized timing depends on where public-works plows have already cleared roadways.

Snow Hero volunteer network: sustainability manager Steven Thompson described the Snow Hero program as a neighbors-helping-neighbors effort that fills gaps around sidewalks adjacent to driveways where berms are relocated. Snow Hero recipient eligibility requires the person in need to be age 62 or older or to have a physical disability; volunteers must be at least 18, provide their own tools or equipment (shovels, snow blowers, gloves), have transportation, and be able to assist within about 48 hours of a snowfall. Staff cautioned Snow Hero matches are volunteer-dependent and cannot be guaranteed.

Staff said sustainability used the existing courtesy-berm address list to target outreach last season: roughly three quarters of those courtesy-berm addresses had adjacent sidewalks, making them suitable candidates for a Snow Hero match. The program’s first-year pilot produced positive feedback and staff indicated an intent to increase outreach, expand eligibility if possible and better integrate Snow Hero outreach with PROS operations in year two.

Commissioners asked about staff levels and logistics; staff confirmed that during a snow event "every single individual has an assignment" and that PROS coordinates by phone/radio with Public Works to avoid wasted travel time while waiting for road plows to create berms that can be relocated.

Ending: staff provided contact information for the PROS inquiry email and the Snow Hero sign-up and said they would report back to commissioners on operational changes after the next winter events. The commission did not take any formal vote on either program at the Jan. 13 meeting.