Members of the City Council were briefed on an upcoming sidewalk snow plowing plan to be implemented this year at Monday’s City Council meeting. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee

As the area prepares for the upcoming winter season, Jamestown Public Schools and the city have officially joined forces.

During a meeting Monday, City Council members were briefed by Mark Roetzer, interim Department of Public Works director, that the city received an early Christmas gift in the form of two newly purchased sidewalk plows as part of a joint purchase and service agreement between the city and JPS.

In 2022, the two entities entered into a shared service agreement that had the district pay $250,000 toward the purchase of two sidewalk plows. The city used American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay $56,000 toward the purchase, with the actual cost for the plows being $306,000 in total. However, the city is also on the hook for the workers to operate the equipment. The hiring of two additional park laborers, which would bring the number of park staff from 15 to 17, would fulfill the city’s end of the agreement and give the Parks and Recreation Department a much-needed boost in manpower.

It’s estimated that the project will cost $689,672 over a four-year period.

“I’m always concerned about student safety,” Dr. Kevin Whitaker, Jamestown Public Schools superintendent, said in June 2022. “The two times that I did close school were primarily the result of sidewalk conditions. Sidewalks don’t load up with snow unless the streets load up with snow and the DPW is out clearing streets. So, the concern was as streets begin to be cleared slush and whatnot is built up on the side of the street and kids in sneakers or inappropriate footwear or inappropriate pants try to walk through the snow so we have a safety issue for them and a health issue for them and so I reached out to the mayor.”

Moreover, JPS is considered a walking district. “Roughly 20% of students ride the bus to school with 80% either walking or are being driven by their parents,” Whitaker said.