Residents Escape Having to Shovel Snow From City Sidewalks

After getting bumped off the docket at the special session July 12, 2011, the possibility of changing sidewalk snowplowing procedures were finally discussed by the council Tuesday night.

With rising costs and in light of the 2010-11 winter season’s heavy snowfall, the put together alternative sidewalk snow removal plans. Last winter was tough for the department and its crews, who put in many more hours to get it all done. But once the roads are clear, the sidewalks have to be dealt with, too.

Richfield Public Works presented three possible plans:

• Leave the procedures as they are;
• Put the responsibility on the property owners;
• Charge residents for removal.

The department looked at other nearby cities’ practices and found that Edina, Bloomington, Golden Valley and St. Louis Park provide removal, while Minneapolis, St. Paul and Robbinsdale rest the responsibility on the residents’ shoulders.

Unfortunately, in those communities where residents are responsible, many may not perform the task or physically can’t—which is a safety issue.

said from her own experience that it was nearly impossible to dig out of your own driveway after a heavy snowfall—especially when the plows have gone by—let alone tend to the sidewalks as well.

“The plows pile all the snow on the sidewalks,” she said. “[And] it’s really heavy.”

Currently, once a , crews begin to plow—working down a list of priorities beginning with major commercial or arterial roads (66th Street or Lyndale Avenue) and ending with residential streets.

Ultimately, the council decided to leave the procedures as is, letting residents off the hook—for now.