BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo has seen five feet of snowfall so far this year, according to the city's Public Works Commissioner, Michael Finn.

The Buffalo Common Council held a special Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday to hear residents' concerns about city snow removal procedures, and talk about how to deal with future storms.

"I have neighbors who are handicapped who walk because they need the physical therapy, yet they can't because the sidewalks aren't shoveled,” John F. Barry, of Buffalo, said. “And the homeowners aren't held to account for any of it and even though they're ticketed, forward thinking cities would actually go shovel those sidewalks and send the homeowners a bill.”

Those frustrated over the city's snow removal efforts found out Wednesday they're not alone.

"Many of my neighbors shovel their snow back into the road after the plow comes through,” Sue K., a Buffalo resident, said. “There was so much snow this time, I ended up shoveling what was in front of my house on the street and there's no place left to put it. I'm carrying back to my front lawn.”

From sidewalks to side streets, more than a few concerns were raised. Eve Shippens spoke on behalf of the Buffalo Parent-Teacher Organization.

"I see every single day while I’m driving to school, my students are out in the street because they cannot access the sidewalks, even when property owners have shoveled because they have to go in between cars and climb over snowdrifts, and all of this is dangerous,” Shippens said.

Speakers looked to other cities like Rochester for ideas of what snow removal in Buffalo could look like.

Sherry Sherrill encourages the residents of Buffalo to work together.

"We must view ourselves as partners,” Sherrill said. “We cannot view ourselves as adversaries. We get nowhere when we fuss and fight and point fingers instead of putting our heads together and coming up with solutions.”

Council members say all the ideas presented and discussed in the meeting will be taken into consideration. 

Commissioner Finn says the existing snow plan is modeled around an average 10-inch snowfall. Public Works addresses main and secondary roadways as the snow is coming down. Within 24 hours of the storm ending, snow plows make a single pass down all of the residential streets. As alternate parking regulations change, and different sides of streets open up to be plowed, the plows return to that work from where the cars were parked previously.