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Downtown business owners press Bid Board on sidewalk clearing; contractor proposes targeted salting
Summary
Business owners told the board they and some customers (including patrons with walkers) had trouble accessing downtown storefronts after storms. Amy of Mofield Property Services explained contractor responsibilities, coordination with city crews on Lincoln Way, and recommended targeted salting to reduce hard-packed ice.
Business owners and a contractor pressed La Porte City’s Bid Board on downtown sidewalk clearing during the Feb. 9 meeting, describing accessibility problems and technical constraints in clearing snow from sidewalks and parking spaces.
A downtown business owner said patrons were unable to leave vehicles and enter businesses because sidewalks and cutouts were not cleared early enough; the commenter noted this is added to property owners’ costs because snow-clearing services are covered through BID assessments. Board members responded that the contractor’s scope includes cutouts and that the street department handles removal in some locations, particularly where Lincoln Way is a state route.
Amy, who identified herself as representing Mofield Property Services, described operational limits and coordination with city crews. "As long as we're coordinating with them, we can push it out off of Lincoln Way. They'll come through. They'll push it, and they'll take it into their piles," she said. Amy explained the contractor typically clears a 3–4-foot walkway, spaces cutouts along Lincoln Way (three per route), and tries to avoid damaging pavers. She recommended targeted salting at crosswalks and handicapped spaces to prevent hard-packed ice, but warned that some corrosive salt products damage pavers and can cause spalling.
Board members asked staff to provide clear information about parking-swap rules and posted signage for emergency parking restrictions, and Jamie offered to distribute the schedule and verbiage to the public. Members noted that hauling large volumes of snow offsite would exceed available BID budget and that coordination among the state, city, and contractor is needed for Lincoln Way, where placing snow in the roadway is not possible.
No formal action was taken on changing the contract at the meeting; the board flagged the issue for future consideration and agreed to review operational options going forward.
Quotes and key exchanges "We're paying for that service. It's added to our property taxes," a downtown business owner said, describing the burden when sidewalks are not cleared early. "We try to do as much push off as we can... but we're only doing 3 technically, supposed to be doing 3 cutouts per on Lincoln Way," Amy said, describing contract limits and typical practice.
Next steps Staff will confirm and distribute parking-swap and emergency-parking signage and schedules to board members and the public. The board indicated it will revisit contract terms and operational coordination with the street department and the state as needed.
