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Council members urge residents to clear sidewalks, warn about walking in roadways
Summary
Jamestown council members discussed sidewalk maintenance and pedestrian safety after recent snow, urged property owners to clear sidewalks per city code and noted possible enforcement for obstructing traffic.
Council members used the meeting’s comment period to address resident concerns about sidewalks, snow clearance and pedestrian safety.
Several council members referenced a recent Post-Journal editorial and public complaints that people were walking in the roadway because sidewalks were not being cleared. One council member said some property owners are not maintaining sidewalks and suggested issuing reminders about the city code that requires property owners to clear the sidewalks in front of their properties. The council discussion stressed both encouragement for compliance and the practical limits of city operations during heavy snow.
Council members noted that the city plows sidewalks on some main streets and around schools in coordination with Jamestown Public Schools, but that crews must prioritize streets first and then sidewalks. One council member urged residents to exercise caution when they must walk in the street and suggested enforcement may be appropriate in cases where pedestrians obstruct vehicle traffic: “I think they should be warned and you may be given a disorderly conduct ticket,” the council member said, reflecting a discussion of the city code section on disorderly conduct as it relates to obstructing traffic.
Another council member said they observed people using sidewalks that had been plowed by the city, including students walking to school, and urged patience and neighborly assistance for clearing walks. Council remarks made clear the city faces operational constraints — heavy snow and freezing conditions make sidewalk clearing labor-intensive — and that the council favors reminders to property owners and caution for pedestrians rather than immediate widespread municipal action to clear every residential sidewalk.
Ending: Council members directed staff to remind residents about existing sidewalk maintenance obligations and emphasized public-safety advice for pedestrians during winter weather; no formal enforcement policy change was adopted at the meeting.
