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Supervisors debate snow-pushing across roads, enforcement and liability
Summary
Supervisors discussed residents pushing snow into roads and ditches, noting it can create right-of-way obstructions and drifting hazards; they reviewed enforcement limits (letters vs. tickets) but took no formal enforcement action.
Concerns about residents pushing cleared snow across public roadways prompted discussion among Worth County supervisors about liability and enforceability.
Speaker 1 asked whether pushing snow across the road was illegal and "finable," saying residents often leave windrows that freeze and create hazards. "I know it's gonna be our annual how do we stop people from pushing snow across the road?... It is against the law. Correct? Is it finable?" Speaker 1 asked.
Speaker 2 responded that such behavior "totally falls into that leaving obstructions in the right of way," noting that while crews sometimes advise residents not to push snow into the road, practical enforcement is difficult. "We can start sending a bunch of letters out, but whether or not that stops anything... I don't remember anybody ever getting tickets written," Speaker 2 said, and added he would look into what other counties are doing.
Board members discussed the operational consequences: wet snow that freezes can damage equipment, piled windrows increase drifting, and motorists hitting hidden windrows can pose liability questions. No new ordinance or formal penalty was adopted during the meeting; supervisors agreed to review code and the county snow policy (noted as posted on the county website) and to examine enforcement options.
The discussion concluded with a plan for staff or supervisors to research practices used by other counties and to re-post the snow policy on the county website for public information.
