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Farmington resident says city snowplow pushed sod onto his property; requests city action
Summary
At the Jan. 6 Farmington City Council meeting, resident David Pretzlaff displayed photos and complained that a city snowplow pushed two feet of snow and damaged sod on his Aiken Road property; he asked council and staff to stop the practice and said he will bill the city for repairs in spring.
David Pretzlaff told the Farmington City Council during the public-comment period on Jan. 6 that a recent snowplow pass had shoveled more than two feet of snow onto his yard on Aiken Road, tearing up sod and leaving chunks of turf on a neighbor’s property.
Pretzlaff stood at the podium and showed photos he said illustrated the problem, said the plow had gone “two feet onto my property” and asked council and staff to direct plow operators to stop. He told the panel he had billed the city once before for similar damage and said he plans to bill the city again in spring to repair the lawn. He added that he keeps his property well maintained and called the repeated encroachments “egregious.”
Mayor Joshua Hoyt asked whether Pretzlaff would remain after the meeting; Pretzlaff said he would. Council members did not engage in debate during public comment; the mayor said citizen comments are for matters not on the agenda and that council will not engage in discussion during the public-comment period but that issues requiring a response will be addressed by the next council meeting.
Why it matters: repeated plow encroachment onto private property can cause property damage and generate repeated repair costs for residents or claims against the city; the resident requested a staff directive and said he intends to seek compensation.
The council did not take action during the meeting; Pretzlaff said he would remain after the meeting to discuss the matter further with staff.
