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Council weighs adding downtown sidewalk snow removal to city duties; $51,000 machine and extra staff discussed
Summary
Public works proposed two snow‑removal options: keep owner‑responsibility or expand city duties to clear an additional 1.5 miles of downtown sidewalks, which would require purchasing a Bobcat‑style machine (~$51,000) and hiring a 0.2 FTE (a fifth public‑works position) already tentatively budgeted for 2025; council asked staff to draft a detailed policy that clarifies service levels and costs.
Public works presented a draft snow‑plowing policy and two options for downtown sidewalk snow management: keep the current policy of owner responsibility, or expand city service to clear an additional 1.5 miles of sidewalks in the Central Business District. Option 2 would require buying a narrow Bobcat‑style machine to operate in tight sidewalks and recruiting a fifth public‑works staffer (budgeted as 0.2 FTE in the 2025 budget) so the city can clear and remove piled snow effectively.
Staff explained the specific machine they tested costs about $51,000 with attachments and would be used year‑round for other maintenance tasks; staff also said the city would not assume additional liability for attempting to clear sidewalks if the council elects to expand the service (the city attorney confirmed the city would not take on new liability). Councilors asked for a clearer estimate of fully loaded costs (staff time, benefits, equipment and removal episodes) and directed staff to draft a formal policy with removal thresholds and response time expectations before committing to option 2.
