FD council rejects snow removal change
Inman, Payne reverse votesBy BILL SHEA, Messenger staff writer
Fort Dodge property owners apparently won't have an extra day for snow removal.
The City Council on Monday rejected a bid to extend the deadline for removing snow from public sidewalks alongside homes and businesses to 48 hours.
That deadline is now 24 hours, meaning the sidewalks have to be cleared within a day of the snowfall.
The measure won its first passage by the council two weeks ago.
But a 4-3 vote on its second reading killed that idea.
Council members Dave Flattery, Richard Inman, Cindy Litwiller and Dan Payne voted no. Council members Matt Bemrich, Curt Olson and Don Wilson voted yes.
Flattery and Litwiller have always opposed the change, saying that leaving snow on the sidewalks that long is a public safety hazard.
Inman and Payne originally voted in favor of the change.
Payne said people called him to say they believed the city was catering to a small number of people by changing the law. He added that the 48-hour deadline could cause problems for children walking to school.
Now, if the snow isn't removed within 24 hours after a storm, the city hires a contractor to remove it. The property owner is then sent a bill, which can be added to their property taxes if it isn't paid promptly.
The concept of changing the deadline emerged about a month ago when Brian Becker of Becker Realty Investments complained to the council about an $826.40 bill he received for snow removal at Dodger Apartments, 609 N. 22nd St.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
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reasonableitalian
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09-16-08 10:32 AM
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Point taken twilightzone50501, who has the option to bill the city of F.D. when they allow a ROAD HAZARD to develop when they do not do there job. I can only assume the city is looking for any way to make a buck of the residents of F.D.
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Kuzmicki
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09-09-08 11:41 PM
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Well to answer your Question firefly94 it worked for me when i called about my street not being plowed i called the city garage and then the mayor,s office and my street was plowed within the hour.
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VTwinJim
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09-09-08 5:54 PM
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thendrickson Well I'll be you can be nice when you want too. All things good come from God. You had better look out someone might think of you as a Christian. Now that would be nice. God Loves you Man. He sure does.
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FDPOTHOLELOVER
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09-09-08 3:45 PM
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Let's not worry about the snow this winter. It just may help level out the streets of Ft. Dodge. What can it hurt?
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firefly94
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09-09-08 11:34 AM
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Kuzmicki--Wherever did you ever come up with that idea??? What about the lady who has to cut the weeds on the CITY OWNED property located next door to her? Out of frustration, she wrote a letter to the editor about that a few wks ago. Also, anyone living on a corner lot with a sidewalk running to the street has to shovel several times because the snow plow comes along & pushes all the snow right back in just like they do with the driveways. There is a husband & wife who are disabled & are worried because they own their property & are usually last on the list of the people who shovel his sidewalk for them. Sometimes they don't get to their sidewalk within the 24 hr limit. So, Kuzmicki, what makes you think the people @ the city garage or in the mayor's office is going to care about anyone who calls in with a complaint???
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VTwinJim
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09-09-08 11:29 AM
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Wow a $826.40 bill thats a lot. Boy is that a lot. He must have left alot of snow on those sidewalks.
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Kuzmicki
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09-09-08 9:46 AM
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The answer to that is to call the City Garage and complain or call the Mayors office and your council person.
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twilightzone50501
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09-09-08 4:39 AM
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Payne, When the city leaves snow on the roads for 48 hours or more and does not salt any roads, Those roads turn into Ice, So how is it that the city can get away with allowing a public safety hazard. Notice they can sure complain about others not doing their job but from what I have seen this city can't do its job. Leaving snow on the sidewalks does cause a hazard, I agree, but it does on the streets as well as children have to cross those streets.
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