The Syracuse Common Council passed a resolution on Friday to start a trial sidewalk snow removal program, marking the first time the city has cleared snow in pedestrian pathways.

In a special meeting, the council voted 6-to-1 to contract JSK Snow Services to help clear 40 miles of sidewalk in a designated trial zone starting February 1. The contract caps spending at $170,000 and is based on the amount of snow removed throughout the season.

“The sidewalk snow removal issue has been kicked down the road for decades in Syracuse,” Director of City Initiatives Greg Loh said. “This is a big step forward for public safety and walkability in the city.”

The trial’s route will not include University Hill. Instead, it will focus on areas to the north and west of Syracuse University, with priority routes on South Salina Street, East Genesee Street and Butternut Street, among others.

Snow removal teams will be dispatched only if three or more inches of snow fall.

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh made keeping the city’s sidewalks free of snow a priority early in his first term. Soon after his inauguration he began enforcing laws that ban snow plows from moving snow onto sidewalks.

Doug Henry (left) and Nick Henry are co-owners of JSK Snow Services. Patrick Linehan | Staff Writer

In September, Walsh’s administration announced it would hire a contractor to clear off the sidewalks, Syracuse.com reported. Than city had planned to begin snow removal by December 1st, but there were no company bids on the contract.

A second setback occured when discussion fell through with potential contractor B and T Landscaping just before Christmas, according to Syracuse.com.

“We might find some bumps in the sidewalk,” Councilor at-large Timothy Rudd said of the contract approved at Friday’s meeting. “Hopefully next year we will remove more snow so that winter is an asset instead of a liability.”

Councilor Joe Carni, of the 1st district, was the sole vote against the contract with JSK. He cited concerns over the city’s liability if someone were to slip and hurt themselves. The city was unable to find a general insurance plan to cover such incidents, which leaves the city vulnerable, Carni said.

But JSK, a father and son partnership that has operated for more than 20 years, has been practicing using a new snow removal machine for a week now, and it is in the process of acquiring two more, said JSK President Doug Henry.

“This is something nobody has ever done, and we are happy to be part of the first guys to do it,” Henry said.

Loh said the trial will begin by improving conditions in a small section of Syracuse. It will also help city officials determine whether the program should be expanded to a larger scale, he said.

Published on January 26, 2019 at 4:13 pm

Contact Patrick: pjlineha@syr.edu