Committee adopts amendment to require local‑street snow response, sets plow thresholds and reporting deadlines

The Public Works Committee on March 13 adopted a committee amendment to proposal 69‑20‑25, which amends Chapter 6.21 Article 3 of the Revised Code of the Consolidated City and County to require snow removal services on local streets and to set deployment thresholds.

Chairman Jared Evans described the amendment as a “friendly amendment” and said it expands second‑priority street treatment to include streets abutting schools and other specified public facilities. The amendment sets plowing thresholds so that the Department of Public Works will plow second‑priority streets when snow accumulation reaches 2 inches and third‑priority streets when accumulation reaches 4 inches. The director of DPW or the director’s designee may authorize deployment at different accumulation levels based on road conditions (for example, when warming is expected or when conditions deteriorate rapidly).

The amendment requires DPW to submit its initial snow policy, as approved by the Board of Public Works, to the Public Works Committee at least 24 hours before the committee’s scheduled meeting on October 23, 2025; the committee chair may grant an extension to no later than November 20, 2025. The amendment also requires that any subsequent policy changes be approved and presented to the Board of Public Works and that DPW brief the Public Works Committee within 60 days of Board consideration. The department must keep an up‑to‑date version of the policy on its website.

DPW indicated support for the amendment during the meeting and said staff will prepare a fiscal statement reflecting the amendment’s contents and discuss resource needs during the spring fiscal and annual budget process.

Jacob Ross spoke during public comment representing Bike Indianapolis (BikeIndy) and said the organization supports the proposal but urged clearer text to ensure plowing of trails, bike lanes and key sidewalk connections. Ross told the committee he had published a minimum scope and that BikeIndy’s recommendation would cover about 77 miles of trails and bike lanes that the organization considers important to keep clear in winter.

Chairman Evans moved to adopt the amendment; the committee approved the amendment by voice vote, then voted to forward proposal 69 as amended to the full council with a do‑pass recommendation. Committee members said they intend to continue work on trail priorities and budget implications and that DPW will return with additional detail during the budget season.