Columbia Falls City Council pushes sidewalk snow removal changes off until spring
The Columbia Falls City Council last month further discussed snow removal on sidewalks, but under the advice of interim City Manager Mark Shrives decided to not tweak the ordinance, if at all, until spring, as by the time a new one could be put in place, the bulk of winter will be over.
In the meantime, the city will send out 10-day notices informing property owners that they have an obligation under city law to clear sidewalks that abut their property.
Shrives noted that if city staff clear the walks with the city’s current staffing levels, it would be two or three days after a snow event to finish the job. He suggested the city consider budgeting for it when that time comes, possibly through a street maintenance district or business improvement district. Tax Increment Financing Funds cannot be used, he noted in a report to Council.
Existing law is clear as to who is responsible for snow removal on sidewalks in front of properties. It reads: “Every person, partnership, corporation or other entity in charge or control of any building or lot of land within the city, fronting or abutting on or upon a paved sidewalk, whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise, shall remove and clear away or cause to be removed and cleared away, snow and ice from such paved sidewalk, to the full width thereof, in that portion of the sidewalk that abuts or is in front of such building or lot or land.”
After the last large snowfall, the state Department of Transportation went around and cleared sections of walks that were left unplowed.
But the city does have a Bobcat capable of plowing the sidewalks.
The suggestion has been that the city hire a part-time person to clear sidewalks. As it stands, after a large snow event some walks get plowed by property owners immediately and some don’t.
That results in a patchwork of cleared sidewalks, obstructed sidewalks and berms of snow in between.
Shrives noted that other cities simply use a business improvement district funding mechanism. Missoula, for example, has a district that’s for snow and garbage removal, recycling and other things, like cleaning up graffiti.
That may be the best solution, especially on properties abutting state highways.
On U.S. 2, businesses can follow the law and still appear out of compliance, because in big storms, the state often plows freshly-cleaned sidewalks back in as it clears the highway. Businesses find themselves in a back-and-forth struggle with state plows.
COUNCIL ALSO recently approved Dillon Thorsteinson as a probationary volunteer firefighter. Thorsteinson is a paid firefighter with the Evergreen Department but lives in Columbia Falls and wanted to volunteer here on his days off.
Shrives told Council that the city manager search was progressing. The recruitment company was expected to have a brochure done soon and the city would be featured on a podcast called “City Manager Unfiltered.”
The city is exploring options on improving the sound system in city hall so that the microphones in front of Council will feed into the speakers above the hall. Some residents who attend meetings have complained they can’t hear the proceedings.