Council assigns downtown snow removal to city crews after debate over costs and service

The Brainerd City Council voted to assign downtown snow removal to city public-works and parks crews, approving the committee's motion after extended debate about costs, service levels and how downtown businesses would be assessed.

Chairman Tad Ericson, presenting the Safety & Public Works committee recommendation, said the single private bid for the downtown contract was roughly 20% higher than the prior year and that staff recommended using in-house crews. "There was one bid that came in. It was approximately 20% higher than last year's," Ericson said, and the committee concluded assigning the work to public-works and parks crews would be a good change.

Council members raised operational and customer-notice questions. Councilmember Johnson, the sole no vote on the floor motion, said he worried property owners had not been adequately informed about what would change: "If I'm a property owner who is paying for this ... I would like to make sure that they're aware that this massive change is going to be made." He also objected to windrows being left in the center of downtown streets for a day or two after events.

City Engineer Jesse Dean and other staff described how assessment calculations would continue under the special-service district. Jesse said the assessment policy would remain in force and that timecards and tracked hours would be used when city crews perform the work. He noted the city’s approach includes sidewalk clearing for every snowfall and prioritizing downtown over other areas.

Several council members proposed alternatives and mitigations. Councilmember Gabe suggested a hybrid model in which the city handles sidewalk clearing and prioritization while a contractor is hired specifically to remove windrows at night, a change that could preserve downtown access and reduce the strain on city crews. "If you could have a contractor come in and just remove those wind rows... that might change this bid completely," Gabe said.

The council conducted a roll-call vote after discussion. Members voting yes included Jagger, Ericson, Bevans, Chzach and O'Day; Johnson voted no. The motion passed and the city will proceed with assigning downtown snow removal to public-works and parks crews, with staff to implement assessment tracking and scheduling changes.

Council members asked staff to improve communications with downtown property owners about how frequently crews will operate and how assessments will be computed. Staff also said they will explore operational details — such as whether windrows can be removed overnight — and report back if the council wants to consider a hybrid or adjusted contract for windrow removal.

The council’s decision shifts responsibility from a private contractor to city crews; supporters argued it could lower costs for some downtown property owners, while opponents warned of service interruptions and the need for clearer communication with affected businesses.

Next steps: staff will finalize implementation details, track hours for assessment calculations and return to council if additional policy changes are required.