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Resident tells Streator council alley behind his home isn’t being plowed; staff point to property-line, vacation history
Summary
At the special meeting a resident, Doug Reynolds, said a rear alley off Hennen/Breck Street has not been consistently plowed for about three years, forcing him to pay privately; city staff said GIS and a prior alley vacation complicate responsibility and confirmed alleys are cleared after priority streets during snow events.
A Streator resident told the City Council on Monday that the rear alley behind his home has not been reliably plowed for about three years and that city crews often miss the short stretch in front of his garage. "My alley never gets plowed," Doug Reynolds said, adding that he has paid privately for plowing and that heavy drifts left him unable to reach a Monday doctor’s appointment.
City staff responded that county GIS suggests portions of the gravel shown at the site may lie on private property and noted a prior vacation of the western half of a 15-foot east–west alley that has limited turning radius into an adjacent 20-foot alley. A city staff member told the council alleys are not the first priority during an active snow event and that public works typically clears alleys a couple of days after streets.
Reynolds disputed staff statements about poles or structures being in the alley and asked the city to clear the alley while the plow is already present instead of sending crews back later. "Why are you gonna send somebody back a day later to do it more fuel, more time when it only take 10 seconds to take a right," he said.
Council and staff agreed to verify property lines after snowmelt using county records and to examine the site with neighbors to determine exact right-of-way boundaries. The exchange closed with staff noting there are broader access and turning-radius issues connected to earlier vacations of portions of the alley system.
