Starbucks and two toots: clean your sidewalks. Express Press too.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RMK,

When I was walking through downtown with my children last weekend, we passed a gentleman shoveling the snow from the sidewalk in front of his store (I can't remember which one off the top of my head, but it was somewhere in between The Patio and Starbucks). I think I confused him when we walked past and I said thank you to him for doing that

Did anyone get the little snow brochure from the Village? It states that you are to shovel snow, but your not to shovel into or toward the street. To funny, shall we bag it and purchase a landscape waste sticker.

That policy is so STUPID. It's not the property owners snow, it fell onto the Village Side Walk. The same sidewalk the Village won't let you display your wares on, yet they wish (or mandate) that you care for it.

Why is it that other suburbs have a little tractor that cleans all of the walkways in the their CBD. I was in Naperville last night, all the walks were clean, there were no piles obstructing access along the curbs.

Isn't it bad enough that the retailers have to collect sales tax for the village, file the returns ect. and the Village can't even shovel the walkways in a 8 block area? Not even with a machine (Didn't we use to have a machine?)

Yet, I go by the Civic Center, There's Four guys out there clearing the walkway (two with shovels and another with a small 2 cycle blower while the fourth one watches. ( My two boys could have cleared it way faster.) Then they clear out snow in Shock's (spelling ) square. Who sits in the "park" in the middle of Jan. I've never seen anyone using that area in the winter (same as that stupid floral clock)

Lastly, you can be held liable if you don't clear the walkway "properly" (i.e. no good deed will go unpunished)

I agree the walks should be cleared, but should be cleared by their rightful owners.

B.T.W., Why hasn't the Hot Dog Guy shoveled his space?

I concur, GEM. It is Village property, therefore the Village should take care of it. Next thing you know, they're going to require the stores to fix the cracks in the sidewalk, too

I've seen other towns "grind" down the uneven edges of sidewalks. It's effective and cost way less than replacing the section.

It took over 10 days to repair the corner in front of Honey. They tore out the old concrete and then it sat for several days before they began to frame and pour concrete.

Nice job, but customers had to navigate barricades for several days. (Actually I believe it was over 1 week)

Go ahead guys, Take your sweet a$$ time, were all sucking off the public payroll, We know you'll get to it!

Curiously, the other day I was talking to a Public Works employee who blew snow from the walks along Geneva from Park to Western several times last Saturday. Not sure what condition they were left in, but the village defniitely expended some effort to clear some of the sidewalks downtown.

I was sitting in SBUX with a friend a week or two ago on a snowy Saturday morning and saw a little tractor driving down the sidewalk. I only noticed because it was going so fast that I thought it was really fricken' dangerous. So, the village must have a tiny tractor that cleans sidewalks...at least that's what I thought it was for.

GEM, we had a construction crew "working" for months on my street this summer. Granted they did alot of work (restructuring the sewer system, putting in new curbs, etc.), but I couldn't get in my driveway (or out once I did get in - had to miss work one day because of a giant dirt pile blocking my driveway) for WEEKS and not once in over a week did I see a single worker on my street. They were two blocks away and there were only 4 of them. Really??

The only saving grace in that situation was that the police cut us slack about parking on the streets and didn't ticket anyone during the construction time. This rule, however, was no longer in place when my landlord had me park my truck on the street on Saturday so he could plow the parking lot and didn't tell me when he was done. It was still snowing and every vehicle that was on the street got a ticket (because it was apparently more than 2 inches of snow).

I digress....GEM, I think your ADD is contagious.

quote:

Originally posted by GESingleMom2:
GEM, I think your ADD is contagious.

? I missed something?

Fine, ADHD then??

It's good business to take care of the entrance to your business. Or maybe the owner should hang a sign out to tell prospective customers that "it's the village/landlord responsibility to keep the entrance to my business ice and snow free - watch your step and spend your money here."

GEM, I find it difficult to believe that the village would track down owners and punish them for pushing snow onto the street in order to clear the sidewalk.

Any business owner who doesn't clear the way for pedestrians is a moron.

I'd like to fine the Village for pushing snow from the streets into my driveway, actually; that stuff is so hard to shovel.

And now, having just returned from a bracing walk in the cold, navigating dicey sidewalks in my neighborhood, I will go off on my annual rant against people in gigantic houses who obviously hire snowplow services to clean their driveways, but can't manage to shovel their sidewalks themselves, leaving poor folk like me to fall on my a** while trying to get some exercise.

(And house on the corner of Scott and Oxford, I say this to you every year - Your driveway looks lovely but I will EGG your damn house if you don't shovel the walk. Capice??)

RMK, it is good business you're right....but it should be a choice, not mandated by the Village that someone else take care of the Village's property.

Scribbler....I can't even think of anything witty to say, but I agree whole-heartedly.

You are right. It is a choice to not take care of the simple access to your establishment. The village should not mandate that common sense.

Agreed, it is good to have clear access, My point is simple, They expect us to clear the walkway then we should have the right to put a sign or something outside the front door (maybe even some merchandise?) and get some tax relief for doing the work of someone else for which the business owner/ landlord picks up the tab. Simple Huh?

Other than the fact that the business owners collect and pay taxes for the village employees, need to run their business and now it's their job to care for public walkways and are given an annual handout explaining that the village will go above and beyond the call of duty to clear a 3 foot wide path when the snow is over 3 inches. However the business owner is suppose to remove the snow without pushing towards the street? Brilliant! Now why didn't I think of that, snap my fingers and the snow is gone. Maybe we could carry it inside and let it melt in the bathroom sink?

This is the only town that has a barrier of snow at the curb. You have to walk down the street to find a break in the barrier to gain access to the walkway.

It boils down to economies of scale, The village could (and should) clear the walkways using one guy, one tractor thingy with the brush. Tell me how hard and how expensive is it to pay one person to sit on their *** and drive the little tractor? He's still getting a paycheck if he's working or pointing to something for a co-worker to do. Isn't he?

BTW RMK, last time I checked, There wasn't a sign on my door relative to landscaping, snow removal or the free maintenance of adjacent properties.

What's next? Shoveling the walkways in front of your neighbors or other vacant buildings?

With all due respect to your problems with the Village's silly requirements, it does not take a lot of time or money to send one of the young barristas out there with an ice scraper and some salt.

Like I said, "watch your step and spend your money here". And really, it boils down to consideration for your customers.

Clam,

On several occasions I have been warned by GEPD for blowing the snow towards the street. I once even got into a very heated debate with a public works employee as we were clearing snow at the same time. O.k. pile it up at the curb. Push it up into the foundations, stack it up against the plate glass windows. Lets not get rid of it. Lets make it look like the trials in my kids ant farm.

O.K. you stack it up looks great Huh? Then we have a warm spell, maybe half the day. Snow melts and water coats the walkway. Snaps back to sup freezing temps and now you have a beautiful glaze of ice. Perfect for falling on your a$$. Combine that with the uneven sidewalk sections and your all set!

Personally, I very much dislike anyone who pushes snow into the streets - so nice driving down Park, for example, when someone is clearing their driveway directly into the street.

BTW, the other retail areas in town - let's say the ones on Roosevelt Road - who clears their walkways, etc.? I suspect it's the merchants, but am I right?