The cost of winter in the Corridor

The city of Iowa City earlier this month delivered on its promise to widen its enforcement of snow emergencies.

During snow emergencies, on-street parking is limited, with violators facing a $50 fine and the possibility of being towed.

In December, during the winter's first snow emergency, the city ticketed 315 vehicles (with 239 of them also towed), all in the neighborhoods within several blocks south and east of downtown.

Afterward, Public Works Director Rick Fosse said tickets would be written in the outlying parts of the city during the next snow emergency.

When another snow emergency was declared this month, the city wrote 473 citations. While the areas near downtown - where there's lots of on-street parking - continued to see a large number of tickets, the city also ticketed vehicles in other parts of town. Of those cited, 173 also were towed.

Towing continued to be focused near downtown because officials say those streets are priorities to get cleared, and it's too labor-intensive to go all around the city.

Iowa City contracts with Big 10 University Towing, and the cost varies depending on what type of work is needed. Alex Brinker of Iowa City had his car towed in December and said it cost him $157 to get it back.

In Cedar Rapids, 568 vehicles have been towed during snow emergencies since Nov. 1, reports Joel Philipp, the manager of Pro Tow, which has the contract for towing in the city.

It costs $105 a day - $45 for Pro Tow, $60 for the city - plus $10 per day for storage to retrieve a towed vehicle.

Sidewalk citations

In Cedar Rapids, 384 complaints about snowy or icy sidewalks have been received this winter, with 365 letters sent to residents asking that walks be cleared.

Forty-four of the walks were cleared by city crews, and property owners billed.

The numbers have “progressively increased over the past three years,” said Craig Hanson, the city's director of public works maintenance.

“It's an awareness of the program. They (property owners) know that it's expected. And, yes, the city is holding people accountable, therefore (people) are reporting more,” Hanson said.

Hanson said improved record-keeping allows the city to identify repeat offenders, where enforcement efforts are focused.

More than 100 reports of uncleared sidewalks came from the Wellington Heights neighborhood, thanks to involvement of the neighborhood association, he said.

“We take pictures of the sidewalk before we clear it,” he said.

When city crews clear the walks, property owners are usually billed $150 to $210, with a $35 assessment added to property taxes if the payment is late.

In Iowa City, residents have reported 719 addresses where snow or ice had not been removed from sidewalks. A small number of citations were issued, though exact numbers were not available.

In cases where the city must remove snow, property owners are billed for a contractor's work plus a $75 fee, according to Jann Ream in the city's housing inspections office.