From The Port

City dumps salt/sand on top of unshoveled 4" thick carpet of snow turned to ice

Believe it or not, the City came to my home, after my testimony In City Council Monday evening, and after the late Policy Order about how the City might get the snow off the sidewalks that abutt the properties of taxpayers who are disabled, or seniors, and on the City's Snow Exemption Program. The photos above show what they did when they finally got there!

Did they shovel the snow, or remove the ice? No!!

What they did was dump tons of salt treated snow on top of the 4" thick frozen solid snow turned to ice carpet! Most of the treatment stopped short of the sidewalk taht passes across the driveway. "We don't do driveways" is the infamous motto used by DPW. Of course the driveway is not the issue, the sidewalk that passes across the driveway is the issue! DA!!!

So, as you can see, huge chunks of frozen and ineffectively treated snow continue to block the passage way, whice is barely a foot wide, and which continues to be a hazard to any passerby, and in inpassible barrier to anyone using a wheelchair.

It is impossible for my service dog to walk on the sidewalk in front of our own house, because her feet get severly burned when this much salt is used. Although I have asked the City to modify its proceedures re using excissive salt vs shoveling the snow as other reasonible folks do, the City continues to ignor any request for reasonable modifications to their policies, and just does as they please, and only after public testimony, photos, and pressure from City Council!

Please do see previous stories on this. And leave comments of your own as you like!

posted by Kathy Podgers @ Wednesday, December 19, 2007