KCRag Forum

Is the city going to clear its own sidewalks?

beautyfromashes wrote:So, the city can fine me for not shoveling my sidewalk when they haven't plowed my street at all the last three years?

Have you made a 311 request for your street?

Sent in my 311 requests to the properties I found today....couldn't find anything in the loop but crossroads is still a mess on Main st.

The KCP&L property at Baltimore & Truman I emailed about was cleared even though they tried to reply to me that it wasn't their property...

beautyfromashes wrote:So, the city can fine me for not shoveling my sidewalk when they haven't plowed my street at all the last three years?

yes.

file these types of issue here. the city sent vehicles back to get to missed streets for days after the snow

http://kcmo.org/CKCMO/Depts/CityManager ... /index.htm

Resurrecting an older thread...

I'm astonished at the conditions in downtown KC today, day 8 since the big snow. The larger buildings have cleared their sidewalks, but there are several prominent, pedestrian heavy locations with zero sidewalk clearing. Not even a modest attempt to clear.

I'll name and shame two specifically: the old Seiden Furs building at 10th and Broadway. Walking in the street is not an option. Even worse (and busier) is the Midland Building at 13th and Baltimore. The Baltimore side is treacherous -- thick, uneven ice. The street is again not an option because of the diverted bus traffic on Baltimore.

Where I live in New England, the city would have started daily, four-figure fines by day 3 of an uncleared sidewalk in the CBD. These buildings would be facing five-figure attachments within a week. I'm really astonished at the negligence, even with unoccupied buildings. The city needs to assume safety of them (and bill fully loaded costs) if the owners cannot maintain. Two colleagues at my client have fallen at the Midland. I would love an ambulance chaser to work his magic in the courts and "permanently" judgment lien that building to one of our top-heavy administrative assistants here.

I saw a news segment on this the other day, spurred on from people walking in the streets because of unshovelled sidewalks. They said the city wouldn't fine property owners unless someone complained about a specific address by reporting to the 311 action line. From there a letter is sent to the property owner, who has up to 48 hours to clear the property before a fine MAY be assessed. So likely a 4 day turnaround before action by the property owner or a possible fine.

The city's snowplows shoved a 4' high x 4' deep x 8' wide pile of snow up on my sidewalk, at the corner, which had been kept clean. There is no way I am going to try to move that mound with a hand shovel.
I have a neighbor who plows his lot, my lot, and a few sidewalks nearby with a little 4-wheeler. He continually leaves a huge mound right on the sidewalk where he stops.
Another neighbor has a guy plow his lot and he dumps the snow in front of and, sometimes, on top of a fire hydrant, obscuring it from view, limiting access, or even covering it completely.
The root of this and like problems are that the operators of these plowing machines do not walk, ever. They get in their cars to go anywhere and have no understanding of the public right-of-way. It never even occurs to them that their attempt at clearing snow has become an obstacle for pedestrians.
When I become mayor, or king, these people will go to jail.

I got a dog a couple of years ago, and I have to say that I'm pretty disgusted with most of Kansas City. Every walk turns into a total polar expedition, which is fun at first but is starting to get a Call of the Wild. And I live in a neighborhood with lots of pedestrians. I know because I can see their bedraggled footsteps as well breaking a path through the snow. If you don't ever see footsteps, then fine, you don't need to do your sidewalk. But as soon as you see that people are being forced to walk through YOUR snow, SHOVEL YOUR GODDAMN SIDEWALK!

taxi wrote: It never even occurs to them that their attempt at clearing snow has become an obstacle for pedestrians.

Seriously. Just push it a little further so it's not right on the corner

taxi wrote:The city's snowplows shoved a 4' high x 4' deep x 8' wide pile of snow up on my sidewalk, at the corner, which had been kept clean. There is no way I am going to try to move that mound with a hand shovel.
I have a neighbor who plows his lot, my lot, and a few sidewalks nearby with a little 4-wheeler. He continually leaves a huge mound right on the sidewalk where he stops.
Another neighbor has a guy plow his lot and he dumps the snow in front of and, sometimes, on top of a fire hydrant, obscuring it from view, limiting access, or even covering it completely.
The root of this and like problems are that the operators of these plowing machines do not walk, ever. They get in their cars to go anywhere and have no understanding of the public right-of-way. It never even occurs to them that their attempt at clearing snow has become an obstacle for pedestrians.
When I become mayor, or king, these people will go to jail.

Sire, I've got a rope.

Only positive about a big snowstorm is I don't have the usual suspects pushing grocery carts down my street or dragging a 6 foot tall bag of aluminum cans. If the city can't solve basic problems, they aren't going to worry about snow on sidewalks.

herrfrank wrote:
Where I live in New England, the city would have started daily, four-figure fines by day 3 of an uncleared sidewalk in the CBD. These buildings would be facing five-figure attachments within a week. I'm really astonished at the negligence, even with unoccupied buildings. The city needs to assume safety of them (and bill fully loaded costs) if the owners cannot maintain. Two colleagues at my client have fallen at the Midland. I would love an ambulance chaser to work his magic in the courts and "permanently" judgment lien that building to one of our top-heavy administrative assistants here.

Heck, even Manhattan, Kansas cites business owners that don't clear off their sidewalks. I think it's something like $250 the first time.