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Council weighs buying heavier sidewalk plows to keep walkways clear after storms
Summary
Council discussed acquiring additional sidewalk plows and heavier tracked equipment (example cost cited at about $170,000) to improve pedestrian access to stores and services in winter, and debated priority setting between city responsibility and property‑owner obligations.
Councilmember Donovan opened a June 16 discussion asking staff to study sidewalk plow options and enforcement to improve winter access for residents who walk to nearby stores and services. “Can we come up with a program, purchase some more equipment, clear the sidewalks, and let our people walk to the store … ?” Donovan asked.
Staff described current responsibilities and priorities. City staff said the Recreation Department (Mr. Kaminski’s department) manages sidewalks, bike paths and municipal parking lots and that in a typical storm the city first clears routes for police and fire, then city facilities and priority sidewalks, with other paths and recreational trails cleared afterward.
Manpower and equipment limits were a focal point. Mr. Kaminski said existing sidewalk plows include a V‑type machine that performs well on light snow but struggles with ice; staff described manpower constraints that delay sidewalk clearing and said they would prioritize sidewalks over trails going forward. Council members said additional machines and backup units would reduce downtime when equipment breaks.
Options and costs. Staff and Council discussed heavier tracked sidewalk machines that can handle ice and deep snow; a staff example price cited during the session was roughly $170,000 for a heavier vehicle. Members suggested the city include one or two such units in future budget requests and discussed possibly purchasing several smaller sidewalk machines to station across wards for quicker response.
Council debate on responsibility and enforcement. Several members urged prioritizing equipment upgrades to reduce the number of people forced to walk in the street after storms. Others noted that property owners and businesses also have obligations to clear sidewalks and that expanding municipal responsibility may shift private incentives. Council discussed outreach or stricter enforcement against businesses that do not clear adjacent sidewalks but acknowledged enforcement alone might not be sufficient for timely access.
Next steps. Staff said they would look into equipment options, the number of additional machines that could be justified by budget and personnel realities, and potential allocation across wards; no formal motion or vote was taken.
