ST. FRANCIS, WI — This week, nearly 100 St. Francis residents received a bill for snow plowing services from January 8.
The letters neighbors received quickly became a topic of discussion on the St. Francis Town Hall Facebook page.
"Not too thrilled, I was a bit annoyed," said Christine Burke, who received a $45 fine.
She says she doesn't remember much snow that day, and what little she does remember, she didn't think warranted a plow.
"There doesn't seem like there was a lot of it," Burke told TMJ4. "I wasn't concerned about it; I don't remember it being a huge snowstorm or anything."
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Mitchell Airport, near St. Francis, received just under a half-inch of snow on January 5 and 6. That was two days before the plowing.
Watch: St. Francis residents upset about snow plowing charges
Frank Sturzl also received a fine, his for $66. He had a similar confusion to Burke.
"I salted, shoveled, and took the leaf blower to my sidewalk today, and there's probably more snow now than there was on that day, on the 8th," Sturzl said.
Here are some before and after pictures from both residences:
The back and forth on the St. Francis Town Hall Facebook page brought out a response from the city's mayor Ken Tutaj, saying in part "City ordinance 397-4 is clear that it is the duty of the owner, occupant or person in charge to remove snow and ice from any sidewalk within 24 hours after the snow or ice has fallen or accumulated."
This is regardless of how much snow falls.
The city says it also sent out a newsletter to residents in January detailing their responsibility in snow cleanup.
Still, residents feel the service on January 8 was unnecessary.
"Do better," Sturzl said when asked what he'd say to the city. "We're all taxpayers; we all work hard. To me, this comes across as a cash grab, and after the property tax increases and assessment increases, we're just being nickeled and dimed to death."
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