City’s overtime concerns to affect Lawrence snow shoveling ordinance
There may be one thing City Hall leaders hate worse than covered city sidewalks: overtime.
Under the city’s snow shoveling ordinance, sidewalks covered by Wednesday’s snow storm need to be cleared by 8 a.m. Saturday. But city officials confirmed Thursday that city inspectors won’t be out investigating complaints until 8 a.m. Monday.
City leaders, though, are encouraging residents to shovel this weekend anyway to aid pedestrians who need to use the sidewalks. Residents can submit complaints about unshoveled sidewalks during the weekend, even though inspectors won’t be out. The city’s phone system accepts complaints at 832-7700 or complaints can be made online at lawrenceks.org.
Mother Nature may make the weekend question moot. The ordinance gives property owners 48 hours after the end of a snowfall or ice event to clear their sidewalks. So, if it snows before 8 a.m. on Saturday, residents would be given another 48 hours to comply anyway. But one note of warning: The city interprets the ordinance to mean a measurable snowfall.
“The city does not consider flurries accumulating snowfall,” said Brian Jimenez, the city’s code enforcement manager.
As of Thursday evening, the National Weather Service was predicting a 30 percent chance of light snow this afternoon, and then a 50 percent chance of light snow Saturday night through Sunday.