posted on December 08, 2009 17:36
By Kelly Larson, Main Street Architect
Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
Michigan State Housing Development Authority
It’s winter and we all know what that means…daily complaints about the lack of people shoveling snow off the sidewalks. For a downtown, this complaint runs rampant from customers and residents, to business and property owners, and to local governments and downtown organizations. Everybody is quick to point fingers and say “They” are responsible for snow removal while just as quickly deflecting all responsibility off of themselves.
Well folks, I’ve got news for you. If “They” haven’t taken responsibility for shoveling the sidewalks yet then “They” aren’t going to! Not now. Not in this economy. Not when “their” budgets are crunched to the point of cut-backs and lay-offs.
Now is the critical time to stop pointing fingers and start working towards a solution. Because here’s some more news…YOU can’t afford not to. Not now. Not in this economy. Not when “your” business and “your” community is struggling for survival and keeping hard-earned money as local as possible.
Snow removal is a public and private partnership. All of us have some responsibility in finding a solution. So what are WE to do? Here’s a few ideas for all of us…
Business and Property Owners: I know, I know. What do you pay taxes for if not to maintain public right-of-ways? Well, you pay taxes for a lot of services you probably don’t realize so get over it! Local governments are financially strapped and they are less likely than ever able to afford shoveling your sidewalks. And as a business and property owner, you know how important it is to show your customers that you have a quality business focused on exceptional customer service. Well your customers need clear sidewalks. One of the cheapest, easiest, highly visual, and customer service-oriented actions you can do is to clear your sidewalks. Go to your local hardware store, invest in a shovel, and do it!
Local Governments and Downtown Organizations: I know, I know. It’s ultimately the responsibility of the property owner to clear the sidewalks. After all, the sidewalks are private property. However, the likelihood that every single property owner is going to clear every single one of his or her sidewalks in the downtown on a regular basis is a daydream. It’s not going to happen so get over it and help out! If there’s a way to pay for regular snow clearing, say whenever it snows over 4 inches before 6am, then do it. If that’s not possible, then help the business and property owners in other ways such as a) help local businesses band together and co-op for services at reduced costs, b) partner with a school group (because all students need to earn community service hours) to create a weekly shovel brigade, and/or c) partner with the local police department and use inmates (or others needing community service hours) to shovel the more difficult areas such as snow banks along sidewalk ramps and curb-cuts. If you can’t help pay for snow removal then at least help people organize for snow removal.
And lastly….
Customers and Residents: If you’re tightening your own budgets and know you won’t be able to spend as much as you would like in one of your favorite local businesses, then try to help a business save some money by offering to shovel their sidewalk once a week. Or if there’s a vacant storefront that’s a particular eye-sore for your downtown, then do a selfless good deed and take it upon yourself to shovel that sidewalk. If you see a business that looks like they need help, then they probably DO need help. Try to take 15-20 minutes out of your week to do just that, help.
So the next time you say (or hear anybody else say), “Why don’t They shovel the sidewalks?” remember this, You and I are the They!
What are some your creative ideas for helping solve the problem of snow removal? Let us know!