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Committee hears repeated safety complaints about school drop-off and snow-clearing; schedules follow-up
Summary
Members described hazardous drop-off/pick-up conditions and uncleared sidewalks after snowstorms, raising concerns about student and pedestrian safety; the committee directed follow-up with DPW, police traffic enforcement and scheduled a focused subcommittee meeting for March.
Committee members returned a long-standing safety concern to the floor on Feb. 10, saying recent snow amplified problems with school drop-off and pick-up, uncleared sidewalks and double-parking that force students into streets.
Several members described specific locations with recurring congestion, asked the district to coordinate with the Department of Public Works and police traffic enforcement, and proposed using traffic enforcement resources and ordinances to address obstructive parking. One member suggested contacting bus drivers for feedback about hazardous stops.
The chair said the city will examine its snow-removal ordinance and consider targeted approaches (including fines and business accountability) while acknowledging resource constraints for contractors and equipment. The committee agreed to place the safety item on the facilities or safety subcommittee agenda and to schedule follow-up in March, with the chair offering to call a special meeting if needed.
No new spending was approved at the meeting; members asked staff to provide specific proposals and to coordinate with city departments and police for enforcement and near-term mitigation.
