Residents criticize snow removal; manager promises online plow tracker

At the Dec. 22 Village of Lincoln Heights council meeting, two residents described being unable to leave their streets during a recent snow event and urged the village to improve winter operations.

Anita Stinson, who said she has lived in Lincoln Heights for about 15 years, told council that snow removal “left us trapped” and that she has resorted to bringing salt to her street for seven years to help elderly neighbors get out. She also asked the village to require property owners to trim vegetation at a dangerous curve near a school bus stop and requested emergency snow-removal signage for four courts so law enforcement could enforce parking restrictions.

Janaya Semangam, of 10133 Love Court, told council she could not get to her grandmother’s home for three days and had to call AAA to leave her street. “The Metro bus couldn't get down there to pick them up,” Semangam said, adding that ride services repeatedly canceled and that residents had no place to park to let plows through.

Village Manager Gaines Brown acknowledged the problems, saying limited staffing and equipment failures — including a broken plow blade — reduced the village’s capacity during the storm. Brown said the village is securing additional salt, formalizing snow-removal procedures and introducing tools to improve transparency: “Soon you all will see a snow plow tracker where you are able to see in real time what streets have been plowed, what streets have been salted,” he said, and he pointed residents to an e-forms page on the village website where they can submit complaints (vlho.org).

Brown said the village prioritizes main thoroughfares first, then side streets, and finally cul-de-sacs; he urged residents to use the reporting tool so staff can triage problem locations. Councilmembers pressed for clarity about responsibility where private landlords and housing authorities are involved; Councilwoman Laverne Mitchell noted CMHA handles sidewalks but not streets.

The manager also said the village is working to restore full equipment capacity and to improve staffing schedules during major weather events. No formal vote was taken on snow operations; Brown said changes and the online tracker would be announced when ready.