City council remains in stalemate on snow ordinance

By ANDY GOODELL The Oskaloosa Herald

OSKALOOSA — Unfortunately, it won’t be the last time Oskaloosa’s snow ordinance will come up at the city council.

Tuesday evening found the Oskaloosa City Council discussing something that’s starting to feel like beating a dead horse for some council members — the city’s snow removal ordinance. This issue has come before the city’s safety committee, as well as the city council numerous times long after winter weather was but a memory this year.

“As the (safety) committee chair, this is the last time we want to talk about this,” said Councilwoman Lori Smith.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council considered an ordinance amending a section of city code to allow residents 48 instead of 24 hours to remove snow and ice from their walkways. The current city code gives residents 24 hours after the end of a snow event to remove snow from these areas. After that, city crews are able to clear these walkways and charge residents who have not cleared their walkways.

City Councilman Aaron Ver Steeg reiterated his past disapproval of changing the ordinance. He said only a handful of residents complained about city crews clearing their walkways before they could get a chance to.

“I don’t want to change something because only one half of one percent of the people couldn’t get their sidewalks shoveled,” said Ver Steeg. “I just don’t see why they can’t get it done in 24 hours.”

Councilwoman Scottie Moore was in support of changing the city ordinance to allow residents 48 hours to clear their walkways. She added, a few cities near Oskaloosa provide their residents with 48 hours to clear their snow.

“Some people can’t get it done in 24 hours or choose not to get it done,” she said.

When it came time to vote on the first reading of the proposed 48-hour snow ordinance, the council was split down the middle with their votes. Smith, Councilman Tom Walling and Moore all voted “yes,” while Ver Steeg, Councilwoman Pam Blomgren and Councilman Tom Jiminez voted “no.”

At the next regular Oskaloosa City Council meeting, the council will repeat the first of three readings of the proposed ordinance.

In other business, the council:

• Approved the first reading of an ordinance rezoning for the property located at 701 and 707 S. C St. from urban family residential district to limited industrial district.

• Approved a resolution directing the mayor and city clerk to execute the necessary documentation for the sale of city-owned property to George Daily Trust, generally located at 238th Street and Laveen Avenue.

• Approved a resolution for the submittal for downtown revitalization fund application in the amount of $500,000.

• Approved a resolution supporting the Oskaloosa Chamber of Commerce application to become a RAGBRI host city in 2011.

• Approved a resolution of support for the East Central Iowa Transportation Improvements: US Highway 63 and the Commercial Industrial Network.

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Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com

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