Snow removal penalties approved

By Adam Tobias of the Daily Times staff
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 12:24 PM CST

Watertown residents who are caught shoveling large amounts of snow onto city streets or alleys may end up having to shovel $50 out of their pockets.

The final reading of an ordinance amending snow removal penalties in the city was approved Tuesday night by the Watertown Common Council.

The ordinance states that residents are prohibited from taking snow from their properties and depositing it onto city streets or alleys. Those who place snow onto streets and alleys will be subject to a fine of no less than $50. Each violation will constitute a separate offense.

Properties located within the central city snow removal area are exempt from this particular requirement.

The snow removal ordinance was passed by a vote of 7-1, with Alderman Ken Berg in opposition. Alderman Steve Zgonc was absent from the meeting.

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Berg said he could not support the ordinance because he thinks it will result in petty calls for the police department and selective enforcement.

“I think it just puts our police department in a bad situation,” Berg said. “I think it encourages at times petty-type of issues being made into a big issue and I think we should be educating people on the importance or why it's important to keep that snow on the property and as much as possible to not put it on the street because of what it does as far as additional work and risk and danger and safety issues.”

Alderman Brad Blanke said he does not feel educating the public would work because the select few who are shoveling snow back onto the street know that what they are doing is wrong.

“Quite frankly, anyone who is brazen enough to plow their driveway out into the street and leave it there doesn't care,” Blanke said. “A little education pamphlet telling them they are not supposed to do that, that it's not neighborly, is not going to do anything. The people who are doing this I think aren't kind people who just don't know about it. Everyone knows that it's not right to plow your driveway out into the street.

“The penalty is $50,” he added. “That's not a lot of money. It's a slap on the wrist, but it's going to get someone's attention if they continue to do this.”

Alderman Tony Arnett also pointed out that the reason the ordinance was proposed is because an isolated number of residents are taking large amounts of snow from their properties and placing it onto the streets, which results in extra costs due to the street department having to replow those roadways.

“This ordinance is coming to us because of the hard working street crews we have out there that are observing an isolated number of individuals who are persistent in pushing large deposits of snow out into the middle of streets,” Arnett said.

“This is not for people who are taking their snowblower down their sidewalk and it just so happens that a lot of that snow ends up scattered over the street,” he added. “This is for people who are pushing large mounds of snow out into the middle of the street.”

In other action Tuesday night, aldermen approved the first reading of an ordinance annexing approximately 54 acres of land located just south of the city in the town of Watertown.

The 54-acre property, which is owned by David Frohling, is located east of Highway 26 and north of Turf Drive.

The annexation is being requested because Wayne Sormrud, owner of Archie Monument and Stone Inc., must sell his land to the state Department of Transportation for the proposed Highway 26 bypass. Sormrud is looking to move his business across Highway 26 to the parcel that is proposed to be annexed.

The annexed land would be zoned rural holding.

The ordinance includes a provision that will allow Sormrud to use a private well and septic system until the city or a private contractor extends water and sewer mains adjacent to any portion of the annexed property. Sormrud must also connect to city services if there are any additional buildings, subsequent land divisions or subdivisions within the annexed property or if the private well and septic system no longer comply with state standards and are deemed to be in failing condition.

A resolution setting the payroll in 2009 for non-union city employees was approved by the council.

All non-union employees covered by the city's new pay plan salary schedule adopted on Nov. 16, 2004, will receive a 2 percent increase on Jan. 1, 2009, and on July 1, 2009.

The resolution sets the annual salary of the municipal judge at $29,203, part-time city attorney at $38,246, part-time assistant city attorney at $22,365 and part-time cable television coordinator at $19,250.

In 2008, the annual salary for the municipal judge was $28,352, part-time city attorney was $37,132, part-time assistant city attorney was $21,713 and part-time cable television coordinator was $18,870.

The new hourly pay rates for police auxiliary will be $9.74, crossing guards will be $9.52, an inspector election worker will be $7.50, a chairman election worker will be $8, a part-time cable television assistant will be $13.43, a master of science public health nurse will be $26.17 and public health nurses and registered nurses will be $24.86.

The hourly pay rates in 2008 for police auxiliary was $9.46, crossing guards was $9.24, an inspector election worker was $7, a chairman election worker was $7.50, a part-time cable television assistant was $13.16, a master of science public health nurse was $25.66 and public health nurses and registered nurses was $24.37.

The resolution also sets the rates for auxiliary personnel of the fire department and wastewater employees.

Full-time employees hired prior to Jan. 1, 1996, are eligible for longevity and will receive extra funds each year. Employees with over eight years on continuous service will receive an extra $175.50 annually and those with 12 years will get an extra $351. Employees with more than 16 years of continuous service will get $526.50 annually.

Council members also approved the final reading of an ordinance amending the city code regarding chronic nuisances.

The ordinance makes it possible for police to charge the owner of a property after a third written warning or citation within 12 months.

The ordinance was proposed because police are going to the same properties multiple times every year. So far in 2008, over 15 locations have been visited by police over 20 times.

A nuisance activity includes an act of harassment, disorderly conduct, battery, lewd and lascivious behavior, keeping a place of prostitution, receiving stolen property, gambling, trespassing, discharging a firearm, the production or creation of excessive noise and possession, manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance.

A resolution recognizing the services of the former mayor Ken Thiel was approved by the council.

Thiel, who served as a city alderman from 1976 to 1979 and as mayor from 1979 to 1987, recently passed away. Thiel also served on numerous city committees that dealt with important issues.

The resolution states the service performed by Thiel was essential to the efficient operation of city government and the citizenry of Watertown is grateful and appreciative of the past services performed by the former mayor.

The final reading of an ordinance limiting parking to two hours on a section of South First Street was also approved.

The ordinance calls for two-hour parking on South First Street from the south curb line of Jefferson Street to the south 74 feet. Two-hour parking will be enforced Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.