HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM VI - Snow Shoveling and Salting OrdinanceCurrent Section 25-68(1) with edits/additions
Every owner of real property within the city shall within twenty-four(24) hours following cessation of a
snowfall or other precipitation, remove all snow and ice from the sidewalk located adjacent to the
premises; provided that, when ice is so formed on any sidewalk so that it cannot be removed, the
person owning such premises shall sprinklekeep the sidewalk or curb ramp sprinkled with a material(s)
to accelerate melting and preventing slipping. When pavement temperatures drop below 15 degrees F,
salt will not be effective so switching to sand for traction or a different ice melter that works at lower
temperatures is recommended. using the following guidelines:
An attempt should be made to shovel or remove all snow or other solid precipitation as a first
step
Only apply salt or other deicer(s) to established ice; salt or other deicers will not be applied in
advance of precipitation or as a preventative measure
Salt must be scattered, with space (approximately 3 inches) between crystals; a 12 oz container
of salt is enough for 10 sidewalk squares
● When pavement temperatures drop below 15 degrees F, salt won’t work. Switch to sand for
traction or a different ice melter (PDF) that works at lower temperatures.
. Every person who owns property abutting any crosswalk/curb ramp shall remove all snow and ice from
the sidewalks bordering the crosswalk and the curb ramp. Additional snow events will not extend the
snow removal deadline. Prior snowfalls are required to be removed by the original deadline.
Every owner or occupant of any dwelling or other residential building, proprietor or lessee of any
business, commercial or public premises, must conform to ice and snow removal specified under Section
25-68. If dry deicing material is spread, any salt that remains must be properly swept and stored for
reuse or salt recycling, immediately after snow melt. If an owner, occupant, proprietor or lessee
neglects or refuses to sweep excess deicing material, the City of Oshkosh may sweep such material or
authorize some person to do the same on behalf of the City of Oshkosh. The City of Oshkosh, in its sole
discretion, may issue notices of violation to an owner, lessee, proprietor, or occupant for violations of
this section.
Salt will be collected by the city for proper disposal as a hazardous material at the following: (insert
location(s), date(s), etc.)
Commented [NB1]: 25-68(1) being reviewed only… not (2)
Commented [NB2]: Good information just not
something that can be strongly enforced from a code
standpoint. Add to the informational document that goes out in the water bill
Commented [NB3R2]:
Commented [NB4]: Added above as part of the code
Commented [RJE5]: We have no authority over
anyone but the property owner.
Commented [RJE6]: Staff receives 400 to 500
shoveling / snow complaints a year as it is. This
requirement would likely add to that number.
Commented [RJE7]: 40 CFR 302.4 does not list
sodium chloride as a hazardous substance, we should
not be creating our own definitions. The City does not
collect “hazardous” material. Winnebago County solid
waste has a household hazardous material collection facility
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– New back page for mailer –
Hidden Costs of Oversalting
Salt weakens the concrete, brick and stone that make up our homes, garages, bridges, and
roads. Salt corrodes metal flashings on doorways and threshold, as well as on our vehicles.
One ton of rock salt causes between $800 and $3,300 of damage to buildings, bridges and
other infrastructure. Nationwide we spend over $5 billion annually to repair salt damage to roads
and bridges and we're not keeping up. Extend the life of your sidewalks by putting down less
salt.
Sources:
https://www.wisaltwise.com
https://www.safetylit.org/citations/index.php?fuseaction=citations.viewdetails&citationIds[]=citjournalarticle_483824_38
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781119185161.ch11
Commented [RJE8]: Add citation to where this information comes from. Need more than just the list of sources in tiny print at the bottom.
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