Champaign cracks down on those who don’t shovel sidewalks
December 26th, 2008 at 10:13am Wally Haas
I saw this story on the wire. It makes it seem like all Champaign homeowners need to start shoveling, but if you read the full story in the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, you see it’s just for Campustown and downtown.
Do you agree with this approach? .
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — City officials in Champaign are delivering a serious winter message to residents: Clear the sidewalks by 3 p.m. or pay for it.
City Public Works Director Dennis Schmidt says property owners must remove ice and snow by Friday afternoon or the city will have to hire a contractor. The order this week gave residents 48 hours to clear sidewalks.
If it’s not done, the city will send the bill to property owners and add a $100 administrative fee. The rules come from an ordinance that went into effect last year.
A city spokeswoman says it’s for the safety of residents.
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2 Comments Add your own
1. thedudeabides | December 27th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Yes, 100%. We expect the city to clear the streets, so we should expect our citizens to do their share as well.
Do you think it’s fair to make mailmen (and newspaper deliverers) trudge through that stuff?
Also, I’ve seen SO many people walking in the roadway in already dangerous driving conditions because the sidewalks aren’t cleared. I came within about 6 inches of hitting some guy coming off the Whitman St Bridge going on to Main St because he was walking in the MIDDLE of my right hand turn lane. I was so upset, but I can’t fault him, because none of the sidewalks had been shoveled.
I know that there are problems with enforcing this — how are you going to hold elderly people accountable when they’re physically unable to shovel for themselves — but I think that holding people less accountable, instead of more, is a recipe for failure.
Another example proving to me how Rockford would rather be reactionary than be truly progressive. Is it going to take a dead pedestrian to prove this point?
2. hokumboy | December 30th, 2008 at 8:36 am
My comment from the “Letters to the Editor” section two days ago:
I returned from a week in Eau Claire. They have a ‘must shovel’ ordinance that seems to work quite well:
‘ Sidewalks
Sidewalks must be cleared of snow and ice within 24 hours following a snowfall or the development of icy conditions. Icy or snow-covered sidewalks can be reported to Street Maintenance. Property owners will be notified and, if the walks are not cleared, the owner will be issued a citation and the City will clean the sidewalk and bill the property owner.
Sand for slippery sidewalks can be picked up free of charge at the Central Maintenance Facility, 911 Forest Street. Gates are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Bring a container and a shovel to take what you need. ‘
It was a pleasure to see people being able to walk through their neighborhoods safely and comfortably.
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