A small community in rural Milan doesn’t have the privilege of snow plows treating their road. And if they do want their road to start being plowed by the county, they will have to pay a steep price.
That’s because their road does not meet the standards that were adopted by Rock Island County in 1992. Residents who live on the road would have to personally pay to get their road up to standard. This infuriates some residents like Kent Lindskog.
“We have the right to the same maintenance and road support that everybody else does,” he continued, “we pay the same taxes as everyone else.”
Ice, nearly an inch thick, blankets the hilly road. Kent says every winter the snow and ice comes but the snow plows never do.
“It’s totally unfair,” Kent said.
Roads in Rock Island County must meet certain criterion in order for plows to treat them. For example, roads must be at least 24 feet wide, according to Rock Island County Engineer John Massa.
In 1992, Rock Island County adopted these standards. But Kent argues that his road was built long before that, and his street should be grandfathered in.
“They shouldn’t hold me responsible for a standard that was adopted in 1992 for a road that was built in the 1970s,” Kent said.
But what Kent says is most concerning for him, is the safety for his family and neighbors.
“It’s a safety hazard. If somebody gets sick or somebody falls on the ice and needs medical treatment, an ambulance could get in but it couldn’t get out,” Kent said.
Last year, Kent said he witnessed a fire truck get stuck on his road. Something he fears is bound to happen again.
“This road is nothing but ice,” Kent added.
For now, it seems as though the people on this street will have to deal with the ice, or pay the price.