Speaker 4: Item. Agenda Item 15 Resolution 31908 Requesting the Seattle Department of Transportation develop policy options for the maintenance and existing sidewalks, creating create a public education program on snow and ice removal responsibilities, and develop a program to enforce snow and ice removal requirements by private property owners. Committee Recommends The Resolution Be Adopted.
Speaker 1: Just from O'Brien.
Speaker 0: Thank you. I'm excited to bring this resolution forward. This is a piece of legislation that Councilmember Herbold led on with community members. So Councilmember Herbold, if you'd like to speak to it and if you're up to it.
Speaker 3: Thank you. I think I'll muddle through. Appreciate the opportunity to do so. This resolution requests that I start develop policy options for the maintenance of side way sidewalks, creating a public education program on snow and ice removal responsibilities and request. Asked to prepare a report on how escort enforces the section of the municipal code requiring snow and ice removal, as well as ways to consider how to clear ways of clearing the sidewalks by commercial property owners. Within 12 hours of a snow event in the Sustainability Transportation Committee, we saw two short films from Rooted and writes about the impacts of sidewalks with changes in height on disabled persons and the impact of snow and ice where disabled person was unable to leave home. As we heard today again and access transit for eight days, the resolution requests that the public education program begin no later than November 1st, 2019. This is the public education program related to the responsibilities to remove ICE, as well as exploring distribution of information through utility bills and social media and through traditional other traditional media sources. The resolution highlights the fact that there are 156,000 sidewalk issues that the city is aware of. From the 2017 sidewalk assessment. 93,000 sidewalk issues are height differences. 38,000 sidewalk issues are surface conditions. 20,000 sidewalk conditions are obstructions. The resolution requests that as DOT examine the sidewalk maintenance program in other cities, specifically referencing Denver's work. And in Denver, property owners are responsible for the repair and maintenance of sidewalks adjacent to their properties, but to help with repairs. The city offers extended repayment assistance and affordability discounts for property owners who are who qualify. Additional points point to the insufficiency of our move levy to address the sheer number of sidewalk problems that have been identified. The MOVE Levy commitment is to repair up to 225 blocks of damaged sidewalks. And as as mentioned, there are over 156,000 issues. So in asking that estimate, develop policy options for the maintenance of sidewalks. We're looking to be much more effective in addressing this problem and responsive to our communities who really rely on our sidewalks to assist in mobility and just getting around.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Kathryn Herbold, any other questions or comments on the legislation comes from O'Brien.
Speaker 0: You know, I really appreciate Councilmember Herbold leadership on this and really appreciate hearing from so many advocates the urgency and need to do some work here. Additionally, the you know, the experience that so many folks had during the snowstorm last year, we don't get those every year, which I think speaks to some of the challenges that we're not prepared in the way that we need to be. And so I think especially calling out and coming up with some new policies, our current requirement is that the property owner is responsible for shoveling snow. There's really no enforcement of that, and I'm not sure the city would enforce on someone who maybe isn't physically capable of shoveling their sidewalk for whatever reason. And so we have a policy that maybe sounds good on paper, but at the end of the day results in kind of a mishmash of what happens, you know, in a snow or ice event. And so not that there's going to be an easy solution or an obvious solution, but this is something that absolutely needs a better policy than what we currently have today. So thrilled to support this and thanks for everybody's work on it.
Speaker 1: Thank you. Kasper and Ryan. Okay. And thank you for staying here. And you're strong, obviously, as said by my colleagues. There's no other comments or questions. Those in favor of adopting the resolution please vote. I, i. Those opposed vote no. The motion carries. The resolution has dropped. And, Cheryl, sign it. Please read the next agenda item.
A RESOLUTION requesting the Seattle Department of Transportation develop policy options for the maintenance of existing sidewalks, create a public education program on snow and ice removal responsibilities, and develop a program to enforce snow and ice removal requirements by private property owners.