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Falcon Heights organizers back city takeover of alley plowing; staff to bring administrative amendment
Summary
Organizers from Falcon Heights’ residential alley plowing groups told city staff they broadly support the city assuming alley plowing operations. City Administrator Linehan and Public Works Director Callahan said staff will bring an amendment to the administrative manual for consideration at the June 22 City Council meeting.
Falcon Heights held a special workshop for neighborhood alley-plowing organizers where residents said the city should take responsibility for plowing residential alleys and improve coordination with street plowing. City Administrator Linehan framed the session as a chance for organizers to share their operational experiences and challenges.
Organizers reported mixed success collecting dues for private plowing services, with some saying they struggle to reach 50% participation while others reported near full compliance. The city told organizers it mailed invitations to 13 alley plowing organizers and received three written comments; roughly a dozen organizers attended the workshop in person.
Public Works Director Callahan described the department’s storm-response procedures and noted a culture of staff assisting across tasks so operations conclude together. Several organizers said that, while the current private plow services generally provide adequate service, alley responsiveness between triggering snow events could improve and coordination with street plowing to reduce windrows would help.
As a result of the discussion, staff announced that an amendment to the administrative manual to enable city takeover of alley plowing will be brought forward for adoption at the June 22 Regular City Council meeting. No formal vote occurred at the workshop; the meeting served to gather feedback and inform the forthcoming policy amendment.
The workshop was called to order at 5:30 p.m. and adjourned at 6:05 p.m. The City’s notice advised organizers and the public how to submit written comments to mail@falconheights.org ahead of regular meetings.
