Are you a snowbird? The ordinance would apply to snowbirds as well.

(Karla Wennerstrom is the editor of the Eden Prairie News. She can be reached at editor@edenprairienews.com.)

If they decide to do this, I suggest that they exclude the trails that the city has not plowed in the past.

If the city previously did not see any value or purpose in plowing these trails; we should not force homeowners now to maintain them.

We live on what I would consider a major feeder street and we have a nice 8-foot wide trail going in front of our house. I didn't see Homeward Hills Road listed among the list of 'feeder streets' but I would hope that our street would be included. There have been times that the plows did throw a lot of heavy snow onto the path and it would have been very difficult for us to remove that along with whatever had accumulated during that snowfall. If the city wants to disinclude Homeward Hills from the list (or any other street, for that matter) they should make allowances to assist residents whom this might happen to - help them remove the extra snow that was piled onto the sidewalk/path in front of their homes by the city's plows.

I Just sent this email to the council, feel free to copy and send it if you agree!

Greetings,
I am writing in opposition to the recent announced proposal of changing the snow removal ordinance. This ordinance should not change and especially not change for residential owners. Though I understand the need for cost saving measures in lue of "tax increases," the only thing that seems to be on mind of the major of you, the council members of this city. But, as usual with blanket and quick saving features, this has not been looked at thoroughly. The what if's are abounding and subsequently will set up a hot bed of complaints.

What if: You are disabled, you are a shut-in, you are on vacation, you are on a military deployment, you are commuter to another city for your occupation, you are a snowbird, you are at an out of town funeral, what if you "sidewalk" is really a bikepath that doubles as a "sidewalk" when a "snow event" happens? What if, what if, what if??? What is the criteria of clearing? What is the cost of "ticketing" an owner and where is the time of that employee being lost from to this new possible enforcement? I couldn't get our "sidewalk" cleared at all for the whole season last year (and did it my self on my own out of respect for my neighbors and concern of liability, but not because the city forced me), even with a phone call, how are the city employees going to have time to do it now and then ticket me?

What is next? There was a letter to the Eden Prairie News a few weeks ago that solidifies this email as a beginning to a long road to the elimination of any need for any of the Council Members and City Staff, I believe that if this Council approves this proposal, we are just starting that nightmare.

Thank you for voting against this proposal.