Discussion:
In accordance with City Code 90.04, after snow has ceased to be deposited, snow removal on public sidewalks must be completed within 24 hours on commercial property and within 36 hours on property zoned other than commercial. As per City Council direction on December 6, 1994, the Public Works Department shall maintain snow removal on all sidewalks and trails that abut collector streets and county roadways. Property owners are required to remove snow on all other sidewalks and trails along "local" streets. Per city policy, plowing by the city is not required unless there is an accumulation of 2" or more.
The city has a total of 161.3 miles of sidewalks and trails. Last season through the winter of 2018/2019 the city plowed 80.1miles. An additional 3.5 miles are recommended to be added as follows:
• CH 17 (trail on the west side from Valley View Road to CH 78)
• Langdon Terrace Park (trail from Rymark Court to Blakewood Drive)
• CH 16 (trail along the north side of CH 16, from CH 83 to CH 21)
• CH 21 (trail along the west side of CH 21, from CH 16 north 1,000 ft to connect with trail going under CH 21
• Crossings Blvd (new sidewalk and trail, from Riverside Fields to Pike Lake Road)
• Waterlily Way (new sidewalk on the north side of Waterlily Way)
The total length of sidewalks and trails to be plowed during the winter of 2019/2020 is 83.6 miles (see attached 2019/2020 Sidewalk and Trail Snow Plowing Map).
Currently, Public Works staff use seven plowing routes for sidewalks and trails. Per city policy, due to limited personnel available, the department plows sidewalks and trails only after the majority of the streets are plowed. It is also policy that the designated trails should be cleared as thoroughly as possible but need not be cleared of all ice and snow (e.g. compacted snow) nor need they be maintained to bare pavement. Additionally, in extreme snow events, it should be understood that the timelines for sidewalks and trails can be delayed while focusing on the snow and ice control on the public roadways for safety reasons.