Winter storm will trigger local laws in Mid-Missouri cities
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Residents in Mid-Missouri communities will have some legally defined snow-removal responsibilities with Wednesday's winter storm.
The City of Columbia says there are 555 miles of sidewalk throughout the city and property owners are urged to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice adjacent to their home or business.
ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team forecasts show up to 7 inches of snow could fall on parts of Mid-Missouri starting early Wednesday.
Under the ordinance, property owners can be fined up to $500 per day if they fail to keep their sidewalks clear. However, the enforcement of snow removal from sidewalks is complaint-driven.
Leigh Kottwitz with the City of Columbia Neighborhood Services says fines would be levied from the municipal judge and the judge has some discretion on the fine amount. However, Kottwitz says the City of Columbia has no history of prosecution for snow on residential sidewalks.
So far this winter, Kottwitz says the city has 39 cases related to snow on sidewalks and some of those were related to multiple properties. She says the city will take complaints and follow up with the owners to inform them of their responsibility to keep the sidewalk clear.
When it comes to parking under the city's policy, it is not allowed on any priority routes when snowfall is over two inches.
Those who fail to follow the policy for parking will be ordered to pay a $100 fine plus towing and storage fees, according to the City of Columbia.
As for roll-carts, the city wants them in a specific spot to make it easier for plow operators to clear the roads.
"When snow starts accumulating we ask residents to avoid placing those in the streets, we ask people to place those in the green space between the sidewalk and the streets," Columbia Public Works spokesman John Ogan said. "This helps our plow drivers clear the roads curb to curb."
In Jefferson City, property owners are also urged to keep their sidewalks clear of any snow or ice. If they fail to follow the city's ordinance they can face a fine.
Priority snow routes
The City of Columbia is responsible for 1,450 lane miles of city-maintained streets including 691 lane miles of first-, second- and third-priority routes.
According to the city, several roads are first-priority routes such as Business Loop 70, Ash Street, Oakland Gravel Road and Vandiver Drive.
Second-priority routes include Bernadette Drive, Parkade Boulevard and West Prairie Lane.
Third-priority routes include more residential streets such as West Blue Ridge Road, Pine Drive and Nelwood Drive.
Boone County is responsible for roads outside city limits that are not state roads.
The Missouri Department of Transportation plows major state roads through the city limits such as Providence Road, College Avenue, Stadium Boulevard and Interstate 70.
The city's policy states that if more than 2 inches of snow accumulate on first- and second-priority routes with designated signs, residents are not supposed to park there. When the snow reaches 4 inches high, all city streets are plowed and treated to be drivable 24 hours, seven days a week after priority routes are considered passable.
The City of Columbia considers a street passable if a front-wheel drive car can navigate it safely.
According to the city, it will its recourses utilized to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.
The Public Works department is prepping snowplows, materials and equipment; monitoring local, state and regional forecasts; and preparing a respond plans. The city also says it will have additional utility crews on standby for the potential of downed power lines.
Jefferson City's policy requires snow priority and emergency area routes to receive priority treatment during winter storm operations and emergency areas. Those areas include McCarty Street, Truman Blvd., Seven Hills Road and more.
Britt Smith with Jefferson City Public Works says there will be 24 plow operators out on Jefferson City streets starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday and operators will continue to monitor the situation.
About five employees with the city's parking division will be out in full force as well.
"They will be working on the stuff downtown, the parking lots, etc," Smith said. "Our central maintenance division they'll be in, that will be seven mechanics because plowing snow does one thing for sure and that's break equipment.
Smith said so far this winter the city has used more than half of the amount of salt it usually uses in a full year.
"That one event at the beginning of January, about 1,600 tons of salt, we are fully stocked again so we have a budget that we have we start with a full amount of salt and the budget we use is to restock that after each event," Smith said.
Drivers are urged to park or abandon vehicles or obstruct or impede traffic on a snow priority or emergency area route. Smith says there is no ordinance in place but it is best to not park on an emergency area route so your vehicle does not get damaged.
