The City of Duluth’s Commission on Disabilities asks the city council for help when it comes to helping individuals remove snow

When the snow season arrives, we get to enjoy all the fun elements of winter, but along with it comes snow removal.

Near the end of 2022, the city of Duluth’s Commission on Disabilities formed a snow removal task force that helps provide assistance and resources to individuals who might have a hard time clearing their snow like older residents or people with disabilities.

At Monday night’s Duluth City Council meeting, the group made a presentation to city leaders encouraging a program to have volunteers help clear snow for people who need help.

“The city has an ordinance that individuals need to clear their sidewalks, but so many people are unable to do that on their own or without help. Even then, it’s really difficult sometimes for snow pushed on the curb cuts and onto people’s sidewalks to remove with presidential snow equipment or shoveling,” said Chair member Amanda Crosby.

Crosby outlined some of the resources the group is looking to get help with. “For the city to lead as an example and in their own programming and departments dedicate new resources and really try to solve this issue because access to sidewalks are so much more than just access to sidewalks. It’s food, transportation, medical, social, and without being able to access sidewalks, you lose a lot of your basic human rights.”

No hard and fast decisions have been made yet, and the council will discuss the group’s suggestions at future meetings. But Crosby says the task force won’t let up because the needs are too great.

“We are going to continue working on this as long as we can. I will not stop during my career. We’re going to keep bringing this to the city council. We’re going to keep working as a sidewalk storm will pass for us to build that framework and reach out to everyone and anyone who will listen.”

If you would like to learn more about Duluth’s City Commissions on Disabilities, click here.