NOTE: This information first appeared in the Winter/Fall 2017 edition of the MapleCityNow. To read the MapleCityNow online, click here.

A white Christmas usually means we have to go outside in the cold to clear a path. And a large portion of the cleanup duty falls on City staff!

The Goshen Street Department has the primary responsibility for snow removal within Goshen’s city limits.

To ensure a safe flow of traffic and to aid the Street Department with its snow-removal efforts, the Mayor may need to declare a snow emergency. During snow emergencies, special parking restrictions and trash-collection provisions may be enacted.

The snow emergency and any special instructions will be announced through local television, radio or news services during and after the snowfall. You also can check goshenindiana.org and sign up for notices from the City of Goshen. Notices are posted on the website under the “News and Updates” page and are automatically emailed to residents who have signed up to receive them on the day they are posted.

While the Street Department is primarily responsible for roads, it’s up to residents to keep their sidewalks clear of snow. Park Department and Street Department workers make sure to clean all city trails, often moving onto sidewalks to help clean them as well.

Mayor Stutsman, Council members and staff are working to create a plan to clear more sidewalks, but City workers can’t clear them all. It’s important to clear sidewalks to create safe paths, especially for students who walk to school. We can all work together to keep those sidewalks clean and clear!