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Alley Plowing From: Chuck Repke Date: 2006 Dec 06 15:04 UTC Short link
OK - here's how it doesn't work on my block. The person who last did it quit
in frustration a couple of years ago. The apartment on the end of the block
plows the first thity feet of the alley to get to their driveway. So, we drive
over the snow and there are two large ruts. When it gets bad in the spring
everyone parks on the street.
Chuck Repke
-----Original Message----- From: <email obscured> To: <email obscured>; <email obscured> Sent: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 8:48 AM Subject: Re: [SPIF] Alley Plowing Our block has taken care of its own plowing for as long as I've lived there (13 years) and for probably a decade or two before that. A guy on our block takes the lead on collecting - he's done it for probably 20 years, so it must not be TOO onerous. It's one of the block's annual rituals, one of the few actual bits of "community" our block has. The plow driver also lives on the block; he literally HAS to plow us out first to get to his other gigs - so we get EXTREMELY prompt, cheerful service. Neither I nor anyone I know on my block would trade the current system for anything. Keep your mitts off my alley, my garbage and my internet, City of Saint Paul. Mitch Berg The Midway --- Tim Erickson <tim@e-democracy.org> wrote: > On Dec 5, 2006, at 10:34 PM, Jon Gorder wrote: > > In other words: why oh why is this not a municipal > service as it is > > in Minneapolis (both garbage and plowing) where it > works very very > > well. > > Some folks who live on blocks without alleys or live > in buildings, > might not even be aware of this annual ritual for > most of us. In case > anyone is unaware, the city of St. Paul does not > plow alleys, its up > to residents to either plow their own alley or > collectively hire > someone to do it. > > Is there any requirement that alleys are plowed? > > I have mixed feelings about this "self organization" > method. Its NOT > like garbage, in that some degree of coordination is > required. It > actually encourages neighborhood residents to > communicate and > coordinate, even if not so well. In some cases, it > MIGHT even > encourage someone on the block to take a leadership > role, which might > translate to more than just alley plowing. To some > extent, I think it > helps build "social capital" on a block. > > Also, I'm guessing that many blocks are plowed by > volunteers who > happen to have a truck and a plow - and love the > excuse to use them. > Its NOT a bad thing to have some civic work > performed by volunteers. > If the city did it, there would probably be an > ordinance preventing > folks from plowing their own alley. > > Here is how its done on our block. > > We have an snow plowing coordinator (I just made up > the name, its > VERY unofficial) who agrees to organize this every > year. My wife and > I (mostly my wife) have been the coordinators for > the last 3 years. > We're the 3rd household to take on the job in the > last 14 years that > we've been on the block. > > Every year, we simply distribute a flyer to every > house on the block > asking for about $15.00 from each house towards > plowing. This is a > little more than necessary, to help cover if a > couple of houses don't > pay. Usually, someone (I used to do this every year) > pays late and > includes an extra $5 (guilt money) to help cover any > possible > shortfall. In my experience, we usually end up with > about what we > need. I don't think that we've been short more than > $30 or $40 in the > years that we have coordinated. > > The money usually trickles into our mailbox from > November to > February. If we were organized enough to send out a > reminder, even > just once, I think that the speed and number of > payments would increase. > > We then hire someone to plow the alley for the year. > The last guy who > organized alley plowing on our block worked with > someone from his > church, who does an excellent job. We continue to > hire him. As far as > I know, he is just some retired guy who does this to > supplement his > income. I've NEVER met the guy, I just wake up every > morning with > confidence that my alley will already be plowed. > Usually, before the > city streets. > > So, for me the system works pretty well. > > How do you do it on your block? > Is it working? > > Tim Erickson > Hamline Midway > > --------------------------- > Tim Erickson > <email obscured> > http://e-democracy.org/blog > > > > > - - - - - - - - - - - > > Tim Erickson > Hamline Midway, St. Paul > More info: > http://forums.e-democracy.org/stpaul/contacts/timerickson > > - - - - - - - - - - - > To post, send your message to: > <email obscured> > > To unsubscribe type "unsubscribe" (without the > quotation marks) in the > subject line and send to: > <email obscured> > > This topic's messages may be viewed at: > http://forums.e-democracy.org/topic/200019 > > For digest or to update bio options (must log-in): > http://forums.e-democracy.org/stpaul/groups/stpaul-issues/ > > E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules > - - - - - - - - - - - > > Citizens Guide to St. Paul > http://e-democracy.org/wiki/Citizens_Guide_to_St._Paul > > Questions about rules violations? Send complaints > and items > for investigation to: <email obscured> > - - - - - - - - - - - > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta. http://new.mail.yahoo.com - - - - - - - - - - - mitch berg The Midway, Saint Paul More info: http://forums.e-democracy.org/stpaul/contacts/mitchellberg - - - - - - - - - - - To post, send your message to: <email obscured> To unsubscribe type "unsubscribe" (without the quotation marks) in the subject line and send to: <email obscured> This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/topic/200021 For digest or to update bio options (must log-in): http://forums.e-democracy.org/stpaul/groups/stpaul-issues/ E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules - - - - - - - - - - - Citizens Guide to St. Paul http://e-democracy.org/wiki/Citizens_Guide_to_St._Paul Questions about rules violations? 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