The City of Northfield’s snow-related web page has maps to indicate which sidewalks and trails get cleared of snow by city staff. See the Downtown walk plowing routes map and the Walk and path routes map (both PDFs from 2008).
The City of Northfield’s snow-related web page has maps to indicate which sidewalks and trails get cleared of snow by city staff. See the Downtown walk plowing routes map and the Walk and path routes map (both PDFs from 2008).
Seems like a logical place to bring up the City’s snow-clearing ordinance, which requires that snow be cleared from walks by the property owner “within 12 hours after such snow or ice has ceased to be deposited.”
Seems sensible, but does anybody know of this being enforced? There are dozens, probably hundreds, of scofflaw property owners who do not clear their walks. To name a more public example, Allina Clinic has not cleared their sidewalk on Jefferson Road all winter (despite the fact that their much-larger parking lot has been cleared). To my knowledge, the public works director has not “cause[d] it to be cleared” and sent them them the bill.
Sean, enforcement of sidewalk snow clearing might be part of the complaint-based system that Suzy Rook wrote about:
https://locallygrownnorthfield.org/post/14170/#comment-95189
So maybe try the “Tell the City About…” drop-down feature on their homepage
http://ci.northfield.mn.us/
There’s no option for snowy sidewalks so use potholes since that would likely be the same dept:
http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/tellthecity/?formid=6&x=14&y=8
Funny this should come up. Yesterday I parked on Fifth Street just west of Washington to go into my office (in the Lampe Law building) and just about somersaulted on the sidewalk adjacent to the municipal parking lot where there was a solid couple of inches of glare ice. The sidewalk maintained by the law office and the McLaughry building was clear down to the pavement; the part maintained by the city was a hazard.
I half-jokingly told Maren and Lance that the law office should hang a big banner on the east (parking lot) side of the building:
“IF YOU’RE READING THIS FROM A HORIZONTAL POSITION ON THE ICE, PLEASE COME IN AND WARM UP. WE’D LIKE TO MEET YOU.”
Thanks, Griff, I reported it. We’ll have to see if the system works!
I had wondered why the sidewalk on W. Jefferson Pkwy (the other side of the clinic) has been kept clear, but looking at that map you posted, I see the City takes care of that one.
Just wanted to say that I got a prompt reply from the City saying that they talked to Allina about the issue, and that it should be resolved soon. It remains to be seen if the walks will be shoveled, but I’m very impressed by Northfield’s prompt action.
John George clipped this cartoon from the PiPress and hand-delivered it to me yesterday morning:
“Herb fails to shovel walk”
http://www.gocomics.com/reallifeadventures/2010/01/02/