MDT says it will plow sidewalks after bigger storms, but small stuff is up to us
A woman crosses Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls during a blizzard in this file photo.
Columbia Falls could see a little more help from the state this winter with snow removal on its sidewalks, though it will depend upon the severity of the storm.
Justun Juelfs of the Montana Department of Transportation told city council Monday night that if the city sees a snowstorm of 6 inches or more, the state would come back and plow off at least some of the snow from the sidewalks along U.S. Highway 2, but it wouldn’t happen until after the storm had passed and crews had time to do it.
With lighter snows, the city and adjacent landowners were on their own.
“We can’t do it all,” he said. “We don’t have the resources to plow the sidewalks.”
The city has an ordinance that requires landowners adjacent to sidewalks to have them cleared by noon the day after a storm.
Last winter saw a lot of storms — there were nine storms where it snowed 6 inches or more. The previous winter saw seven storms with 6 inches or more. But some winters didn’t have any big storms, Juelfs noted.
He also said the state would try to clear the snow berms on Nucleus Avenue sooner than it has in the past. The berms in the middle of the road make it tough to cross the road and make it difficult to make left-hand turns.
Part of the problem with the sidewalks is snow storage — there’s no place to put the snow once it falls. Juelfs noted that some cities berm the snow to the center even on roads like Highway 2, but city leaders don’t like that idea because of safety concerns.
In other news:
- The city thanked the Gateway Baptist Church for all the volunteer work it did at city parks this summer. Church members painted at Marantette Park, cut grass and did other volunteer projects in the city.
- Police Sgt. Sean Murphy and public works employee Mark Lampman were recognized for 15 years of service.
- The city will require the Flathead County Library Association to carry its own insurance after it started an after school program. The program has drawn about 40 youths a day to the library.