Waterbury Parents Concerned About Icy Spots Near Schools

Warmer weather brings with it melting snow, and when temperatures dive back down below freezing, everything turns to ice.

It’s become a problem for several areas in Waterbury, especially on sidewalks near schools.

Parents pointed out a patch of ice and frozen slush just two blocks from Chase Elementary, a popular spot for parents to drop off their kids.

The city said that while these paths were cleared after the snow storm, they admit the refreezing is becoming a problem.

A slip on the sidewalk is a concern for little ones. Phil Caron said he's been more protective of his grandson on their walk to school.

"We have to hold his hand and make sure he doesn’t topple over,"  Caron said.

City officials said they’ve heard the complaints and are taking actions.

"These unshoveled sidewalks here in the city of Waterbury, and of course around the state of Connecticut, are a concern. They’re a public safety concern," said Joe Geary, the city’s chief of operations.

Geary said that while the city is responsible for treating more than 300 miles of road, businesses are responsible for clearing paths near their properties, many of which are near schools like Chase.

He told NBC Connecticut that the city is being more vigilant about enforcing these laws, and admitted the city will need to pick up the slack too.

"There’s certainly room for improvement," Geary said. "We don’t want the vulnerable school children to get out into the roadway, when they can safely get out and walk on the sidewalks."

Reporting problematic areas is encouraged, so the city knows what areas to tackle, but residents are encouraged to help.

"We would also ask our residents if they can throw some sort of an ice melt down, or a sand to give a good traction," Geary said.

On top of clearing those spaces, with rain on the way DPW crews are going around Wednesday checking the city’s 3,000 storm catch basins.

If there are any problematic spots of ice, snow, and slush on sidewalks that you’d like to report to the city, contact the mayor’s office at 203-574-6710, or at the citizens' service center at 203-597-3444.