Opinion: Snow removal do’s and don’ts
By Tracy Franklin
South Lake Tahoe would like to thank locals and visitors for their contributions to efficient and effective snow removal. Our goal article is to familiarize those new to the area of “Snow Removal Do’s and Don’ts.”
This might be old news to people who have lived in the Tahoe basin for a while. However, for some visitors and new residents, this information could be beneficial when dealing with a Tahoe winter and snow removal.
Of utmost importance to everyone is emergency access, 24 hours a day, to all areas of the city. That means that city crews work around the clock clearing 127 miles of city streets until the streets are open to their full widths.
The city uses the right-of-way for storage of snow removed from the streets. The right-of-way is the only storage site the city has available; therefore, it is not available as snow storage for individuals. Right-of-way generally extends five to ten feet beyond the edge of the pavement.
Anything left in the right-of-way can and does interfere with snow removal. One of our biggest problems during snow removal is a car parked in the street. At times, illegally parked cars actually preclude streets from being plowed and hamper emergency personnel when responding to a call. An unplowed street is especially frustrating for the people who live on that street. The best policy is to keep your vehicles parked off the streets at all times.
For people who have home mail delivery, the mailbox should be installed on private property at the right side of the driveway while facing the street. It is the resident’s responsibility to clear a path to the mailbox and keep the box accessible for mail delivery.
In addition to cars, anything left in the right-of-way, such as landscaping, building material, rocks, shovels, etc., becomes a hindrance for equipment operators. So, please remember to keep this area free of obstacles that could interfere with snow removal efforts or break the equipment.
Again, we wish to thank you for your understanding and cooperation during snow removal. The city’s snow removal number is 530.542.6030 and additional information can be found online.
Tracy Franklin is South Lake Tahoe’s public information officer.
Snow removal, Tracy, I would also add that people should’nt blow, shovel or plow the snow from their property onto public roadways or into their neighbors yards. They’re is someone on my street that does this, making the street impassable and causing the rest of us to remove snow from his yard from our yards.
Years ago there was an ordinance making it illegal to put snow from private property onto public roadways Never enforced, if it’s even still on the books. OLS
There should be a $500 fine for putting any snow in the right of way. It would soon stop this practice. That goes for the people that remove snow with equipment.
What about the sidewalks? Hats off to the folks at Americana on Pioneer Trail who clear the sidewalks in front of their property. Then they clear the sidewalk in front of the City and CTC owned parcels.
Also thanks to Darin Smith and his crew for bringing modern snow removal equipment to our town. Happy to see the days of having some old drunk in a worn out Bob Cat dive down the middle of HWY 50 at six miles an hour.
Here is the apparent city ordinance prohibiting private placement of snow in the city right-of-way. The article and the ordinance are unclear exactly where the right-of-way is located, in the city street or on the owner’s private property. Seems that a prohibition of placing snow on one’s own private property would be a little outrageous.
7.05.500 Dumping of snow in right-of-way prohibited.
Snow may not be dumped, deposited, placed, or pushed into a city street. Snow removed from private property may not be piled so as to block or cover a fire hydrant, snow pole, street sign, culvert inlets and outlets, or other drainage structures. Violations of this section shall be deemed an infraction, punishable by a fine
Take a picture of violators putting snow in the street or in someone else’s yard, and email it to the SLT PD Code Enforcement Officer (don’t have that email). Best if your camera has a date/time stamp on it, but regardless – pictures speak louder than words. I would cc in the City Manager’s office. I think it would be like those neighbors who don’t have good trash behavior – when the bear comes & drags their garbage to the street & neighbors property, you send a picture to Clean Tahoe, and they send out a warning.