Woodstock officials explore revamp of sidewalk snow removal policies

Woodstock City Council member Wendy Piersall last week said she would be willing to start requiring property owners to clear snow from the sidewalks in front of their homes and businesses as is done in other places like Chicago.

Her comments were made as city officials discussed potentially revamping how Woodstock handles removing snow from its pedestrian paths, including the possibly adding recreational and park routes to the Public Works Department’s priority list.

Right now, Woodstock does not mandate its residents and businesses clear snow from the sidewalks in front of their dwellings, storefronts and offices. The city only “encourages” them to do so, according to the city website.

“By not clearing the snow from your public sidewalk, school children and pedestrians may be forced to walk along the edge of the street,” the city of Woodstock said on its website about snow removal. “As this is obviously a safety concern for the city, please be a good neighbor and remove the snow and ice from your sidewalks as soon as possible following a snowfall and help all school children and pedestrians.”

Piersall is ready to change that, suggesting it might be time for officials to pass a new ordinance that makes sidewalk snow removal a rule for those living and doing business in Woodstock instead of a choice with potential consequences for those who do not comply.

The city of Chicago fines individuals up $500 a day their properties are in violation of the city’s snow removal code, and businesses can face fines of up to $1,000 a day of violation, according to its website.

No such city ordinance is under formal consideration in Woodstock.

But Piersall brought up the idea of instituting one twice in Tuesday’s council meeting, the second time in response to council member Gordie Tebo suggesting that the city try to clear snow from a few more one-mile walking paths in and near Woodstock’s downtown area instead of trying to do so for paths in Emricson Park.

“I don’t see another option without having to go down that road of doing some sort of sidewalk clearing ordinance or us taking on the job that private property owners should be doing on their own,” Piersall said. “Frankly, I’d be willing to go down that path knowing how much I have to walk down these sidewalks.”

The city right now removes snow from about 4.9 miles of public sidewalks in the Downtown Business District, the Historic Park in the Square and adjacent to public properties and city parks. It is cost-prohibitive for Public Works Department crews to clear all 100-plus miles of sidewalk in Woodstock, according to the city website.

City staffers reported to council that there is “a demand for year-round use” of the 1.65 miles of paved recreational path in Emricson Park.

Tebo said there are some spots where he feels snow removal would be difficult to pull off because of elevation changes in the park and he thinks could still be dangerous to walk through even after city efforts.

Piersall said choosing some sidewalks in front of private homes and businesses to clear as part of the walking loops that Tebo suggested creating instead of clearing Emricson Park would open the door to “political implications” associated with the routes selected for removal.

Deputy Mayor Mike Turner also said picking some routes for the city to clear and not others could “raise some eyebrows,” but he said he was still open to the idea.

“I’m still open to Emricson as far as doing the entire path,” Deputy Mayor Mike Turner said. “But I also think that some of the things that we’ve talked about, that there are some other ways to connect different parts of this community.”

He pitched having the city clear the sidewalks along Jackson Street west to the Oakland Cemetery, the paths on the east side of Emricson Park down to South Street and back along South to the downtown Square area as a possible way to create a loop.

City staff was instructed to come back to council later this year with some more ideas and information on how Woodstock officials could allow for more outdoor wintertime recreation and walking on sidewalks by clearing snow.

They are set to provide the likely costs of purchasing more snow removal equipment for paths, like a new skid steer, as well as of the staff time involved before council decides on adding any more pedestrian routes to be cleared of snow.