I just got in from using my snowblower on my sidewalks in southwest Lansing. There were five or six inches of snow on our walks and in our driveway. My trusty Sears snowblower made it ALMOST enjoyable as I went up and down my block feeling the power of my dual stage machine.
How about you? How do you handle your sidewalks in Lansing or the surrounding area?
The reason that I ask is that the Lansing City Council will almost certainly pick up last year’s debate about beefing up the city’s snow shoveling ordinance. The measure on the books lacks the necessary teeth to enforce it, according to some council-members. They want to establish a system where errant property-owners are warned, ticketed and then billed by the city as a tax lien if the city has to do it for them.
All kinds of questions surround such an effort. What if you’re sick? How much snow before you’re cited? What if you shovel or blow the snow and it snows again in a few hours? Who keeps track of the clock? Will it be enforced evenly? Drive through the southside and you will see many convenience stores with unshoveled walks. How about the city’s sidewalks? Are they subject to the same rules? Who gets penalized if they don’t do it?
MY QUESTION: How can citizens have access to the proposed ordinance changes and to the various amendments that will certainly follow?
Do you have any thoughts?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I use a snowblower now. I started with a shovel but when it was still snowing in March 08, I gave up and got a small snowblower. I’m looking at my street and watching the cars getting stuck in the snow trying to drive down it. Last year, I can’t count how many times I had to go out to help people push their cars out. I don’t mind them enforcing a sidewalk clearing law, but before they decide to plow my sidewalk for me not clearing it (for whatever reasons they decide to or not to) they should make sure the roads are clear first. It’s been a number of hours now since it stopped snowing today – where are the plows… (I’m on Hamilton near Cedar)
Charles-I really appreciate your comments about cleaning your snow off sidewalks and helping your neighbors who get stuck. We live on South Deerfield and the city snow plow just came through on both sides. Wes
Wes, you must always be at the computer. I hire a service to do my sidewalks and have to say the this year the city was in ploying right after the snow in Churchill Downs, much different than last year. Can hardly complain about the snow blown back up into the driveway.