Should the City of Buffalo shovel your sidewalk?

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- The City of Buffalo is responding to criticism on why it doesn't have a sidewalk snow-clearing program. One local community organization has noticed the gap and is looking for volunteers to fill the void.

Mickey Harmon, a member of the Allentown Association, points to New York cities such as Rochester and Syracuse that have municipal snow-clearing programs for sidewalks after several inches of snow have fallen.

In Buffalo, it's on residents, businesses and property owners to clear sidewalks of snow. However, it often does not get done, especially in Allentown, causing potential safety issues.

"If the city is going to sit on its hands, we're not going to, so Syracuse and Rochester have municipal sidewalk snow removal, so it is abysmal, derelict effort on city hall for the City of Buffalo not to at least have some kind of removal of sidewalks," Harmon said.

The Allentown Association is launching a volunteer sidewalk snow-clearing pilot to make up for the lack of action by the city.

Public Works Commissioner Nate Marton says his department and city council have had discussions about snow clearing, but that the resources are not there.

"[It's a] great idea, where do we get the funding to make it happen? Our resources are stretched so we've got, we don't necessarily have the best equipment, we got the right manpower to do our streets," Marton said. "The dollars to either buy equipment or pay for labor or pay for a contractor to clear those sidewalks, so to pass that cost onto a resident is really where that conversation has kind of stopped."

Marton says many years ago, the city ran a sidewalk snow-clearing pilot program, but nothing came of it. The city says under its current snow plan model, sidewalks would be last after main and secondary streets and residential areas.

"Other municipalities who do it, as we understand it, have a fee structure that is either on a per property basis or frontage basis that they setup where they will charge the owner of the property a certain amount of dollars, whatever that is for a municipality," Marton said.

Marton also says equity would be an issue along with which sidewalks get plowed first and last.

If you would like to volunteer for Allentown's sidewalk snow-clearing pilot, you don't have to be a city resident to join. Contact committee member Rachel Mitchell-Spade at: Rachelmarie1031@gmail.com.