



by BRIAN NADIG

The heavy amount of snow that has fallen this winter has forced the Indian Woods Community Association to suspend its snow-plowing program due to insufficient funds.

The association is one of several on the Northwest Side which use a portion of their membership dues to have side streets plowed. The Indian Woods association has provided curb-to-curb snow plowing for many years, although the service was stopped in 2011-12 and then brought back the following winter.

In a Jan. 18 e-mail to residents, association president Jonathan Sladek wrote, "Current snow plowing efforts have provided clean streets and provided easy access to all of our houses. These efforts in December and January have cost the IWCA a total of $3,800. We have currently collected only $2,700 in dues for 2013. This is less than half of the homes in Indian Woods."

The letter also states that the association will not authorize additional plowing until more residents pay the $30 dues.

Forest Glen Community Club president Robert Murphy said that the last time the club ran out of snow-plowing funds was in 1967. "We are still in the midst of our 2014 funds drive, and the response to weather and the four and now five plows we’ve run so far has been very encouraging," he said.

Edgebrook Community Association president Jeff Manuel said that the group’s funds are in good shape in part because it does not pay for curb-to-curb service. "We just go down the middle for emergency vehicles and so that people can get to the front of their house," he said.

About 45 inches of snow has fallen in Chicago this winter, compared to a seasonal average total of about 37 inches.



